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Should my 6wk old son be sleeping throught the night yet?

Leanna - posted on 07/20/2010 ( 12 moms have responded )

HI there! So my little Isaac is 6wks old now & I was reading some blogs on here & read an interesting little side note. It said "39% of 1mon olds are sleeping through the night. Has your little one reached that milestone yet?"

First of all, is this true? Should he really be sleeping through the night yet? My Isaac still wakes up to feed every 4 hours & every 2 when he's going through a growth spurt. And he's eating btwn 4-5oz at each feed. So he's literally eating about 16-18oz throughout the 10-13hr he's sleeping at night. Cuz he usually goes down, officially, to start his bedtime about 10pm then is actively awake by about 11am. But in between there, he wakes about every 4 hrs to feed, doesn't open his eyes, just eats & goes back to solid sleep. When he does actually open his eyes it's b/c I'm changing his diaper & he's sensitive to touch. He doesn't wake to sound but you change his position at all, & his eyes are wide open! But I hold him for 20-30min & he goes back to sleep.
So, all of that to ask, should he be sleeping through the night already or no? How many of yours are? Should I have already started putting cereal in his night bottle so he won't wake up hungry? Won't that predispose him to becoming overweight if you add cereal too soon?
I'm a first time mom- can't you tell!! LOL

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Alisha - posted on 07/26/2010

692

If you are nursing your child, he doesn't need anything except breastmilk until at least 4 sometimes 6 months old. I agree with Polly that ceral for a newborn isn't good because they can't digest that yet. Ask your doctor before doing any changes like that.

Shalaina - posted on 07/26/2010

274

I was told that it was OK if he slept for longer periods of time but if it was more than 3-4 hours to wake him up and feed him. Since your little one is waking up to feed I wouldn't worry too much!

Cindy - posted on 07/26/2010

Polly, is right about the cereal, don't do it, too young.

Cindy - posted on 07/26/2010

My first did his long stretch of six hours (that is considered sleeping through the night) at eight weeks.

My second child, didn't do a long stretch until after a year. It was hard. Quit breastfeeding at four months and tried not giving him food in the middle of the night. He was ans still is an active boy even at night. He needed to eat, tried everything for a good long time and in the end we just knew he needed to eat a little something in the middle of the night. He still to this day at 4 sleeps less than my 10 year old.

He is healthy, fine and doing great; smart, active and full of life.

Each child is different, you can't fit them into a mold of what other children do.

Candi - posted on 07/25/2010

1,068

As soon as my son turned 2 weeks old, I put just a little cereal in his bottle b/c breast milk was just not filling him up. He started sleeping through the night. He would sleep for 8-10 hours at a time. He is 11 years old now and has never had a problem with food allergies or anything. Both of my daughters slept through the night as soon as we got them home from the hospital at a day old, but my babies slept in the bed with me and I think that may have helped them. They need to feel safe and secure. Co sleeping is not for everybody though. Your baby is perfectly normal. My friend's son is 2 1/2 and still not sleeping at night

Polly - posted on 07/23/2010

153

Again, I do not recommend putting any kind of cereal in their bottle at such a young age. I really hope you read the information given as that can be dangerous for a newborn.

Tyneisha - posted on 07/23/2010

191

Most babies don't sleep through the night until about 3 months. some don't sleep through even then. They wake mostly because they are hungry. when my son was about 2 weeks old, I began putting half a teaspoon of single grain rice cereal in every other bottle. Milk although it has the nutrients that babies need for the first couple months is not filling. The rice cereal gives them a little extra to make them full. Half a teaspoon doesn't seem like much but you'll notice your baby sleeps longer and more peacefully. He'll still wake, but cause he's too little to sleep through the night. He needs frequent feedings. Milk runs right through them. Hear that empty sound that their tummies make as they drink?

Crystal - posted on 07/23/2010

Oh Honey! No your 6 week should not be sleeping through the night. My daughter was almost 6 months before she ever slept through the night and it wasn't every night either. And, my daughter is 16 months old and still gets up sometimes wanting milk, or just to play. Nothing to worry about.

Alisha - posted on 07/22/2010

692

Hmm doubtful! Don't rely on stats to measure your child up against!! My daughter is 4 and she still wakes up sometimes a few times a night (not to nurse) but for bad dreams and whatever. Don't be too concerned about it, he should be actually waking up around every 2-4 hours to nurse (or drink formula).

Victoria - posted on 07/21/2010

1,277

All my girls slept through the night after their first week at home. My doctor had always said that if they don't wake for a feeding let them get their 8hours at least & then wake them. However if they do wake, it's no big deal, feed, change & back to bed. every child is different and just because one sleeps though doesn't mean that is what is right for every infant. My friend has identical twin girls who are now 8 years old. I remember her saying how one would sleep all night & the other would be up every 3 hours for a feeding when they were infants & this lasted until they were around 6 months when both would sleep through the night. My mum told me when I was a toddler until about 4 years old I would awake in the night with night hunger and doctor told her to feed me whatever I was desiring (within reason) as obviously my body was needing it. She would give me baked bean on toast (which I can't stand now) at 4am & then put me back to bed to awake for breakfast at the regular time. Don't worry about you baby's schedule, just work with it & know that it doesn't last forever, but it's is a time that you can enjoy with baby now.

Heather - posted on 07/21/2010

4,634

I agree with Polly, most newborns "can" sleep through the night. But it is NOT good for them. The doctor insisted that I woke our children up every 4 hours for feeding for the first 2 months. My oldest boy didn't start sleeping through the night until 4 months. My second boy was much older (but he had cancer and the nurses kept waking him up to check his vitals every 2 hours...) The twins were also older... I don't remember how old though...

Polly - posted on 07/20/2010

153

First of all - the answer to the question "should" he be sleeping through the night is a 'no'. Babies that age *can* sleep through the night, but it doesn't mean they all *do* or that they *should*. Like your statistic said, only 39% of 1 month olds sleep through the night. The majority of them (61%) don't. Mine happened to be one that did, but its perfectly normal either way! So don't stress about it. It sounds like you are doing great, and he is doing great!

I would NOT recommend putting cereal in his bottle yet. I have read that there is no proof it actually does help them sleep longer. At 6 weeks old his digestive system is not ready for it and can cause painful gas and stools. Young babies have been known to aspirate on bottles with cereal because they are not ready to swallow anything but breastmilk/formula yet. You can read more in this link. http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/tipcere...

At 6 weeks he sounds like a perfectly normal baby with a perfectly normal sleep schedule. Don't worry about changing anything. Just try to get rest when YOU can. :) And congrats on your first little one!