Usenet Writings

Advice Wanted: 4 month old not sleeping

©1993 Beth Weiss, Posted to misc.kids Usenet newsgroup, January 8, 1993

I wrote this in response to a parent whose 4 month old daughter wasn't interested in sleep.

I do have a couple of ideas, a few which can even be implemented now. She doesn't need to eat more than every 3 or 4 hours, especially at night.  What I would try to do is to stretch the time between feedings. So, if she usually goes 2.5 hours, I would try and distract her before feeding her.  This can be done with a toy, by rocking her, by changing her, etc.--anything so that she has to wait a little longer for the food.  That may lengthen the stretches of time that she sleeps.  If her feeding is quick, that means she's not starving, and she can wait.

Another way to do this is to shorten the length of time she is nursed or the amount of formula she is given.  (I would check with the doctor before doing this, but if she's a healthy full-term 4 month old, she should be able to go at least 4-5 hours at night without waking for food--and I would think even longer).  Instead of letting her nurse 7 minutes, cut to 6, then 5, etc.

<The baby was also having problems with gas>

I do have a suggestion about gas, which I've made several times to other people: infant massage.  There's a great book: Infant massage: A Handbook for Loving Parents.  It even shows special techniques that are useful in helping to move the gas through the intestines and out of the baby.  You could also call your local maternity ward and see if they know of any infant massage classes.