Pacifiers and night waking

I'm hoping someone has some advice for this problem. DD is almost 4 months old and her sleep is getting worse instead of better. She wakes up every 3-4 hours screaming and most of the time it's cause she's hungry. However, other times it's because the pacifier isn't in her mouth. We originally just used it for nap times and she'd fall asleep with it so easily. Now she'll wake up halfway through her nap screaming- so I stick the paci in and she falls right back asleep. I just know we're getting into a bad routine with that. She'll suck her thumb ocassionally but that doesn't really soothe her enough. For a while she was sleeping through the night, then it went to 1 night waking, now it's 2 or 3 again. I guess my question is whether it's making it worse that we keep putting the paci back in or should we try to see if she'll find some other self soothing method. It's harder at night with the screaming cause we hate to have her wake up our 3 year old so we rush right in to quiet her down. Any advice would be soooo appreciated! Thanks--

Katie
mom to Brendan and Mackenzie

[dogmom]

Well, we did the same thing. It was the quick and easy way to get my DS back to sleep. He is 6 months and doesn't semm to need it as often, and if he really wants it he can find it and put it in his mouth by himself. I found that when he started turning over and could adjust his sleep position on his own (back, side, tummy, on his knees with his butt up in the air, a foot propped up on the crib slats, you get the idea) he wound up sleeping much metter. Maybe your daughter just needs some more time to develop self soothing techniques? I am sure more experienced moms will have a longer range point of view. But so far the binky is getting to be less and less important at night.

katie, you and i are in the same place again. i'm sorry her sleeping is getting worse but in a twisted way, it kind of relieves me a little. dd went from sleeping all night to waking oncw to, now, 2 or 3 times (it's killin' me). dd won't take a paci and she suks on her hand until it's chapped! so now we are back to the full body bind swaddle. i wish she could sleep without it, but no way no how.

so how do they get over this? anyone? please tell uus they will sleep through the night again, soon.

[heytootsy]

It must be either a growth spurt or teething. I am going through the same problem. Maya use to sleep from 8pm to 6 ot 7 am. Now she is waking up at least 2 times at night. I also cannot explain, but I wish she would start sleeping again, I am getting so tired!

[alleyoop]

I would definately second the idea that it is teething. After sleeping through the nite for months, around months 4-5/7-8 DS would go through periods when he would wake up every hour on the hour crying for his paci, but when you gave it to him he would go "suck, suck, waaahhhhh!" Oh, those are hard nights!

If I suspected that it was teething, I would give him some Tylenol after the second wake-up. If it is pain, this will help. If it isn't, then it won't hurt him, but at least you will know that it is behavioral. Just an idea.

It used to be that we would have to go in 2-3 times a night to put the paci in, but now it is rare that we go in once a night. Even though there are always spare pacis in the crib, he doesn't open his eyes and look for them, yet.

Good Luck!

Hi Joey- I laughed about the "twisted way" that you're relieved. I feel the same way though. At least when I'm up with her for the umpteenth time at night, I know I'm not alone. The paci works great for putting her back to sleep (if that's what she really wants) but it makes me think she'll never be able to sleep on her own. My son slept through the night at 8 weeks and I can count on one hand the number of times he got up during the night. However, he was a great thumb sucker and <gasp> slept on his stomach. So, I'm not sure what to do with her since I never had to deal with this before. How are you swaddling? How big is the blanket (Mackenzie is not a petite little thing)? I would try it but even though we're in Maine, it's been pretty warm and humid- I feel like she'd cook if she was swaddled up.
Well, here's wishing you a full nights sleep (heck, I'm all for even 5 hours of uninterrupted slumber)!

Katie
mom to Brendan and Mackenzie the insomniac

i'm with you on the 5 hours... it's really not so much to ask is it?

we do the happiest baby on the block type of swaddle with her arms at her sides and use a stretchy waffle-weva blanket from carters. they're stripey and the only thing that will almost contain her. she just sleeps sleeps in a onsie and socks and never seems to be too hot in that type of blanket.

i'm reading weissbluth right now. i am trying to diligently watch her for nap times, and i think today has been really good but she doesn't sleep for that long of a time. i'll let you know if i find any goodies that help.

I feel like we're doing much better at nap time. I can tell when she starts getting a little fussy- I put her down on her side, insert paci :) , and she usually goes right to sleep. The problem comes usually an hour later (if it's mid-day, that's when she takes her long nap) and she wakes up screaming. Her eyes are closed, you can tell she's still so sleepy but isn't able to calm herself down, So, in goes the paci again and she'll usually sleep another hour. Most of the time she just does the little 20 minute power naps and those are killing me.
Keep me posted!

Katie

[bnme]

In Pantley's book, "The No Cry Sleep Solution", she reccomends a method that goes sort of like this (don't quote me):

Put the paci back in, wait till baby starts falling asleep. ANd then remove.

I guess is so that they get used to not sleeping with it in slowly.

I haven't treid this but it seems to make sense.

My DS sleeps with one and for a while (maybe around 4/5 months) I was jumping out of bed a lot ot insert the pacifier but it has stopped on its own. He still sleeps falls asleep with it but I guess doesn't "need" it as much any more. He still occasionally wakes crying and putting it in his mouth sends him right back off. But it is not constantly.

HTH a little.

I'm sorry you're having sleep problems. If it makes you feel any better we went through the same thing too, but sometimes Anya would be waking up every HOUR to eat! I did chalk that up to teething or growth spurt because it usually lasted for about a week.
We do the same thing with the pacifier. And DS is almost a year old. The idea about removing the pacifier once they are asleep sounds good. She is definitely not as dependant on it as she used to be, but she still needs it a majority of the time to 'stay' asleep at first. I do sometimes remove it while she's sleeping and she doesn't notice.
Anyway, sorry you are so tired and I hope it gets better for you! I'm STILL tired, and Anya still wakes up at least 1-2 times per night but then again, we still co-sleep.