Sleeping FAQ: 4-6 Months – Daytime Sleep

My 4 month old daughter had been sleeping from 7pm to 7am but now has started to wake at 6.30am. She is then ready to sleep again at 8.30am which affects the whole day. She has also started to wake in her lunchtime nap despite being offered a top up feed before going down. She still naps for 40 minutes in the afternoon and I wonder if this is the cause of her waking at 3am, although she manages to re- settle herself but then wakes early

For the last week she has started to wake several times during her lunchtime nap. I have stayed in the house to try to crack the problem at this time but as yet have seen no improvement. She naps in her pram when I go out at 4pm.

She has been nasally congested for the last few days.

Feeding details

7.00am: 8ozs formula
10.30am: 7ozs formula
11.30am: 3ozs formula
2.30pm: 8ozs formula
6.00pm: 8ozs formula
10.00pm: 6ozs formula

Daily milk intake 40ozs

My daughter naps at 8.30-9.10am, 11.45-12.30pm, 12.45-1.00pm and 4-4.40pm.

As your daughter wakes in the night but does not cry with hunger and is able to wait until 7am for her feed you need to consider other reasons which may cause her to sleep less soundly in the early morning and lunchtime.

• The Moro reflex can still be strong at this age so are you still tucking your daughter in securely? If you have moved her into a sleeping bag still place a cotton sheet across her and tuck it firmly under the mattress on both sides. Secure this by pushing two rolled towels down the cot sides to prevent her from stirring herself when in a light sleep.

• Check that the room she is in is fully blacked out as a small chink of light would be enough to wake her fully when in her light sleep cycle.

• Moving her 10pm feed to a slightly later time and keeping her up for at least 45minutes may help her sleep later in the morning. Once she begins to consistently sleep nearer to 7am again you can gradually move this feed back to 10pm and reduce to 30 minutes the time she is awake.

Your daughter’s broken lunchtime nap could be due to her being overtired and so fighting sleep. Getting her to sleep nearer to 7am will help you be able to push on her morning nap to 9am. Until she is able to do this see if she will take a short catnap after her 10.30am feed. This will push her lunchtime nap on towards 12.30pm but, as she won’t be quite so tired, she may begin to settle better again and sleep to nearer 2.30pm. Also, check she is well tucked in at this nap and the room is totally blacked out.

It can take persistence in getting the lunchtime nap in place. It may take over a week before you notice any real change.

If your daughter is suffering from nasal congestion or a cold she may not sleep so deeply. Elevating the head of her cot, using thick books such as telephone directories under the legs, may help. Placing a bowl of water under her radiator or a damp towel over it when it is on will keep the air in her room moist and so ease her nasal congestion.