Can labour stop and start?

im 35 weeks and from midnight sunday to midnight monday i had contractions, they got to 5 Min's apart and 40 seconds, and painful enough for a hot water bottle! i went to the hossy to get checked as i am only 35 weeks, they have me 2 panadiene forte to take and sent me home, the panadiene forte didn't stop them, but made me fall asleep, and when i woke up this morning they were gone, since then they have started again, still irregular, but a little sore like period pain, can labour stop and start like this?