when will my baby sleep thru the nite

Angela - posted on 10/19/2009

I can sincerely empathize with your situation, many people begin asking if your baby is 'sleeping through the night' by 6 weeks. The problem is, according to the AMA a full night for a baby is 5-6 hours! So, for most of us that means that we are not going to get a full 'adult's' sleep for a while. However, there are some good books. Elizabeth Pantley's 'No Cry Sleep Solution' was one that I tried, there are also books that use the Ferber method (which is often called the cry-it-out approach). It's going to be tough if your baby breastfeeds b/c bmilk digests faster, but formula fed babies seem to be able to go longer. (Also, you have to be pretty alert for a few nights while you work things out, I always caved).
It may be the temperament of your baby, it may be the way she is sleeping. Some sleep better close to mom (same room/bed?) some sleep better further away, you can try switching it up. One thing that all books suggest is a consistent night time routine (with 2-3 steps at this age, like bath, sing, bottle/breast), but contrary to what seems logical, keeping a baby up later WILL NOT WORK, it makes them over-tired which will make them harder to settle, and possibly wake up more.
Pantley and others suggest a fairly early start (even 6:30!) test drive a couple of bed times to see what works. Also, may books (like Cuthbertson & Schevil's 'Helping your child sleep through the night) say that waking your baby for a 'Focal Feeding' when you go to bed (like at 11pm) will help your baby move her night feeding to a little later.
Good luck, but most of all, from my experience, don't stress it now, try to relax and enjoy the quiet moments. But from the bottom of my heart, I know how painful it is to lose sleep, my first son did not sleep through the night until I weaned him (that meant 2 hour wakings for nearly 2 years, and I was seriously out of sorts). There's a reason that forced sleep depravation is torture technique.

Jessica - posted on 10/15/2009

With the dreamfeed, are they still eating normally before bedtime? We've been trying to get my 4.5 month old to sleep longer than 4 hours. Right now she has her cereal around 7:00 or 7:30, then bath time and then her bottle. She is usually asleep between 8:00 and 9:00 most nights - but then up at 2:00am to be changed and feed and then up again anywhere between 5:00am and 6:00am for up to an hour. How long after they fall asleep do you do the dreamfeed? Do you feed another 6oz bottle or just let them eat what they want? If we do the last feeding at 8:00 - should I get her up at 10:00 before I go to bed to feed or wait until later?

All suggestions are welcome!

Malaysia - posted on 10/15/2009

thanx everyone i think i will try the dreamfeed since it was the most recommended hopefuly it works!!!

Malaysia - posted on 10/15/2009

i tried that but i cant use that johnsons on her because she has really dry skin so i have to use aveeno but she does sleep longer but still not thru the nite

Laura - posted on 10/04/2009

I also do the dreamfeed but at 4am. I give her a bath at about 9pm then I give her massage then when I breastfeed her I let her drink as much as she wants. She falls asleep around 10pm then at 4am I breastfeed again and she wont wake up till 8am.

Sarah - posted on 10/04/2009

Try out this site- http://www.askdrsears.com/html/7/T070100... Has some WONDERFUL ideas on how to get your baby to sleep well, and why they aren't sleeping well. He's one of the top peds in the country too. Good luck!

Melanie - posted on 10/04/2009

Try putting your baby to sleep in a different position. My baby won't sleep flat on her back in a bassinet for more than an hour or two, but she sleeps 8-10 hours at night if we let her sleep in her car seat. My pediatrician says that's probably because she has acid reflux and that its fine for her to sleep sitting up until about 6 months. Good luck!

Zena - posted on 10/04/2009

Hi my little boy goes to sleep at 10 and goes through till about 5 am.... but to make you feel better my 2 and a half year old still gets up 4-5 times a night!! Havent had a block of mere than 4 hours for almost 3 years now inc pregnancy!! You do get used to it honest!! Invest in a really good conceler.....

Other option is to use the vibrate off the graco electra travel cot... If i put that on my son goes through till 7.3!! :)

Britta - posted on 10/04/2009

my baby has been sleeping through out the night since almost a month old. He is 4 months now. But I spoon feed him a little cereal with a hint of apple sauce... and 2 ounces of milk. He goes to sleep around nine or ten and doesnt wake to eat till about 10ish. which then i feed him a a small bowl of cereal and 2 ounces of milk he'll stay up till about to ill feed him fruits and veggies then hell take a nap and then wont eat till almost ten. This is what my dr. recommended and i loovvvee it and so does my chunky lil monster.

Deborah - posted on 10/04/2009

hi my little one was 4 months yesterday - she's been sleeping through for me from 6.5weeks with a dream feed at about 10.30pm. I stopped the dream feed on fri and she's slept the last 2 nights thank god. Someone earlier mentioned the Baby whisperer, thats the book i read for both my girls - i don't stick to it rigidly but there is some good advise & guidelines in it.

Chelsea - posted on 10/04/2009

i have a 3 month old that has been sleeping through the night for over a month now. i give her a bath with the johnsons bedtime bath and lotion, 30 minutes before her last feeding, which is usually around 10. i give her cereal and a bottle, and i warm both, and she usually goes straight to sleep after and doesnt wake up til 10 the next morning. since ive started bathing her before she eats and giving her cereal, shes been sleeping all night long!

Hillary - posted on 10/03/2009

I do the dreamfeed as well. She'll go to sleep around 8:30, then at 11pm, I give her almost 6 oz. (her daytime bottles are 4.5oz every three hours). I don't wake her up. I just go to the crib, pick her up and put the bottle in her mouth and she sucks away. I've been doing this since she was 1 month old so now she just expects it. As Ashleigh mentioned, it may not work the first time. Practice makes perfect and eventually she'll get in the routine. I used the book 'The Baby Whisperer' Really liked it. It also talks about how the better they nap during the day, the better they nap at night. However, don't let them sleep more than 2 hours in a nap or it will start to interrupt in the night. My daughter has 3 naps during the day (1.5hrs-2hrs) and then a catnap in the evening. Another thing the book mentions is that if she is waking up at the same time every night - it's probably out of habit now. There was some trick to fix that too but I can't remember the details. Check the book out!! Good luck!

Jessica - posted on 09/29/2009

mine started sleeping through the night at 3 weeks. i usually give him a bath and use johnsons bedtime lotion which you can get at walmart and within 10 minutes he is out until the morning. if your daughter is still a bit fussy try feeding her a little before bed but after the bath, she might need a soother to comfort her through the night but thats the last thing i try

Ashleigh - posted on 09/29/2009

Hi,

I used a book called "Save our Sleep" i found it amazing, my son sleeps from 7pm till 6-6.30am with whats called a "dreamfeed" at around 10pm, this is simply feeding ur baby a bottle while they r still asleep. It took him about a week n a half to get used to the routine and now he's going great.

If u can get a copy of the book and get into the routine i found it worked for me.

Hope it helps xxx

Dounia - posted on 09/29/2009

Hi Malaysia... ur doing really well :) my little one is wakin up 3-4 times a night!! 11, 1, 3, 5 yep every 2 hours grrrr.. id love to know what u did to get her to sleep so well :) there is a good book called the no-cry sleep solution which suggests ways to get the little one to stop wakin for feed or cuddles. im not ready to try it cus i think my bub def genuinley wants to eat at most wakings. good luck :)