Sleeping throught the night

Bonnie - posted on 01/07/2009

what i did to get mine to sleep was ramp the "bedtime" feeding a couple ounces or so, i put him down at 10 and he is up at 7-730

he was born9-19

Jennifer - posted on 01/07/2009

That is what you have to determine....is he waking out of habit or does he really need to eat. I write down exactly what he eats and sleeps throughout the day. So I know my baby was getting enough calories during the day and DOESN'T need the extra feeding in the night. Another sign is that when he woke up in the morning he didn't want to eat cause he's full from the night feed. So you can SLOWLY decrease the amount in the night feed and increase the amount in the wake up feed till the night feed is eliminated and when he wakes out of habit you give him his paci to suck on instead as he is used to sucking at that time. After a few nights of that he'll stop waking up in the night just to suck on his paci. If all of a sudden he REALLY needs to eat he'll let you know as it'll change when he goes through a growth spurt. Then you can adjust and feed him more during the day so he won't need the night feed again.

Cynthia - posted on 01/07/2009

I personally don't think you should not feed a baby if they are hungry and want a bottle. If anything you can always put a tsp. of rice cereal in his night time bottle and that may carry him through the night.

Jennifer - posted on 01/06/2009

We've had a turning point! So much has changed in just the past week. I recently got rid of the 2am feed by giving him his soother instead, another change we made was his bedtime now 8pm (previously 6pm), also he naps less, and for the past week he started sleeping till about 5:30am which I would feed and change him and he'd sleep for another hour. Then I read to swaddle him with his hands near his face so he can self soothe if he wakes. It worked!! For the past two nights he has slept through the early morning feed. He starts to wake but I hear him suck on his hand and he falls back asleep on his own. I knew he didn't need this feed since when he wakes up in the morning he barely eats 2oz. This morning he slept till 8pm! Yay! Hopefully he does this again. As for changing his diaper...I do a dream feed before I go to bed around 10pm to top him up, then I quickly change his diaper and put him in a diaper a size bigger so it holds more and keeps him dry during the night. I'm curious to see long he sleeps tonight! Now hopefully soon I'll stop automatically waking at his previous feed times and get some sleep, haha.

Jennifer - posted on 01/06/2009

Those of you who are waking up to feed your babies once or twice during the night, are you changing baby's diaper then too?  My daughter was going for 10 hours of sleep straight a few weeks ago, but has now reverted back to waking up twice during the night.  I always change her diaper, then nurse her, then put her back down in her crib.  She goes right back to sleep.  I'm hoping we get back to the 10-hour stretch again soon.  Thanks for all the advice; I think I'll try the paci during the night idea soon. 

Erica - posted on 01/04/2009

We were sleeping through the night (10:30 PM til 6 AM) until Monday. Then my poor little guy came down with bronchiolitis. Since then he's been waking up every morning somewhere between 3:30 and 5 for an awful coughing/spit-up session, which it takes a while to get him settled back down from. The poor thing is just miserable - he's even lost his voice. Anyway, I'm hoping he hasn't gotten so used to this routine that he sticks to it even once he's feeling better. He's a pretty easy-going and flexible guy, so I'm hoping for the best!

Cynthia - posted on 01/03/2009

My youngest son was born 9/3 and he still gets up once or twice in the night and occasionally he will sleep through the night. At four months old with my eldest we started putting a tsp. of cereal in his night time bottle and that did the trick. With my middle child we tried that and it made it worse. He didn't sleep throuh the night until about 9 months. We are gonna start trying this with my youngest and seeing if that helps. Good luck.

Kathy - posted on 01/03/2009

Yup, bad nights happen. Ashley has a bad night if she had a really active day (like parties, or seeing lots of people).

Nicci - posted on 01/03/2009

I had a really bad night last night...Charlie was up at 11pm,1:14am,3am and again at 4:55am. He has gone back to sleep now thank god...I should be sleeping with him....

He is pretty good otherwise. A bad night is bound to happen occasionally isnt it?

Molly - posted on 01/03/2009

also for those looking to get on a schedule... i got this thing at babies r us for about $25- its called "itzbeen" and is a timer for the last time you changed diapers, fed baby, how long its been since they've slept, etc. it has alarms and a flashlight, backlight, etc. you can clip it on your pants, etc. I found it really handy in getting baby on a routine. its a lot easier to click the button then it is to remember every detail about the last feeding, etc.

Molly - posted on 01/03/2009

hmm... this is what i do...
8pm bath, pjs, feeding, burping, then in bed by 9:30pm. my baby (born 9/19/08) can go to sleep through the night- till about 7:30 or 8pm. the past 5 out of 6 nights she has not gotten up to feed in the middle of the night.

Jennifer - posted on 01/02/2009

Wow Tamara...my lil guy was on the same eating routine as yours...bed at 6-7pm, 9-10pm dreamfeed, 2am feed, and waking up between 5-6. This past week we switched his bedtime to 8pm, dreamfeed at 9:30-10pm (so he can last through the night), and wakes for a quick feed around 4am, then wake up at 6-6:30am. This is so much better because we get about 6 hours of solid sleep between the 10pm feeding and the 4am feeing. It took a couple of nights of giving him the soother instead of the bottle at 2am before he'll sleep through. The first few nights I still picked him up and pretended to feed him in the rocking chair but gave him the soother instead. Then when he was done with sucking, I put him back in the crib. Also he now barely eats when he wakes up at 6:30am so I'm starting to slowly decrease the amount in his bottle at the 4am feed in hopes that soon he won't need that one either! Keeping my fingers crossed...

Ashley - posted on 01/02/2009

My son was born 9/11 & he usually goes to bed around 10 & will sleep through the whole night until about 7 or 8 and then take another bottle & falls back to sleep until about 11... BUT he does SOMETIMES wake up in the middle of the night & just move around, i just give him is binki & he falls back asleep. I would just try giving him his bink & im sure he'll fall back to sleep.

Cristina - posted on 01/02/2009

This is such a hard topic, because truly every baby is different. Camden was waking up twice a night until just recently. Now most nights he sleeps from 9-4 (sometimes even 5 or 6) and the turning point for him was a bedtime routine. He knows that when we take a bath, put lotion on, put on our pj's, and have a warm bottle (a little warmer than daytime bottles) that it's time to go to sleep for the night.



I wish everyone luck! I work at home so I don't make my husband get up at night, and I have been doing this for four months now. Please take comfort in the fact that we are all with you!!!!

Nicci - posted on 01/02/2009

Good luck Tamara.

I'm a bit of a softie mum and is always picking my little man up and feeding him whenever he wants. I did it with my other two kids and my first slept through the night at 6 weeks(he was formula fed) and my second didnt sleep through until about 6 months(breastfed) but that didnt worry me.This one is also breastfed but have started giving him food at 3 and a half months so hopefully he'll start to sleep through soon.

Anyway good luck again Tamara!!!

Tamara - posted on 01/02/2009

Wow...my little guy sucks down both his night feedings like his is starving! I can't imagine trying to take one away! He usually goes to bed around 6-7 pm. Wakes up for a bottle around 9 or 10 pm, 1 or 2 am, and then 5 or 6 am when we are getting up for the day. I may try putting his paci back in his mouth this weekend to get past one of the feedings. He falls asleep with paci in and then spits it out after he is asleep. Wish me luck!!

Marie - posted on 01/02/2009

Last night James slept 6 hours straight and then after a 10 minute feed at 2:30am he slept another 4!! Yay!

Nicci - posted on 01/01/2009

Well done Marie. Keep it up. Hears to sleeping through the night!!!!!

Renee - posted on 01/01/2009

Yay, Marie!! I am so glad James did well last night! Here's to his progress and much needed sleep for his mama!



Jacey, I love Babywise too!

Jacey - posted on 01/01/2009

Have you tryed BabyWise? It is now my bible for her. My girl was born on Sept 25th and started sleeping through the night at 7 weeks. I love it because it gives us a flexible schedule to go on. I work a home and it is essential that she sleeps good. I couldn't have done it without it! I can definitely tell when we are off schedule. She goes to bed around 9:30 and sleeps until about 6:30 or 7. Thats when we start our day.



It took about 3 days to get on the schedule (Longest three days of my life it seemed) but now we are sailing. I also keep the normal house noises when she sleeps (vacuum, tv/radio, dishwasher, phone, etc.) so she learns to sleep with noise. It was the best advise my mom gave me. She does wake up occasionally but has learned to get herself back to sleep. Now, when she has to nap in an unfamilar place, she does well.



Know that this is not everyday. She has her days that don't go so well, but they are now few and far between.

Marie - posted on 01/01/2009

Thanks again Renee! Last night I put James down at 8:30pm, after about an hour of fussing he finally went to sleep and woke up at midnight. I skipped the midnight feeding by giving him him paci when he cried, then when he woke up around 2:45am I fed him for about 10 minutes and he slept until 8am!! A good 5 hour stretch is wonderful progress! I am going to keep up that routine and hopefully soon we will get through this! Thank you everyone for all your help and advice!

Crystal - posted on 12/31/2008

My twins girls started sleeping through the night when I switched them to Baby's Only Organic Formula. I feed them at 8:30 ish and put them down at 9:00 pm. They usually sleep for 11 or 12 hours. What a blessing!

Kathy - posted on 12/31/2008

Hi! From what I've read, "sleeping through the night" for a baby isn't the same as it is for an adult. A baby that sleeps 6 hours, as yours does, is by doctors' definitions to be sleeping through the night - just not the hours you want! :-) You can try giving him a binkie to see if that helps, but what might be better is to push out his bedtime by 10 or 15 minutes every couple of nights.



I'm fortunate in that my daughter Ashley will sleep up to 8 or even 9 hours - but she doesn't start until 12:30 AM, and I need to try to get her to sleep earlier. I think it's easier to get a baby to stay awake longer than to get a baby to go to bed earlier. Any ideas?

Marie - posted on 12/31/2008

Thanks Renee I will try that tonight...here's hoping it works better!

Renee - posted on 12/31/2008

Nicolle, that makes alot of sense actually.



Marie, if I could suggest something that might help? Instead of feeding at midnight and then having your little guy hold out until 7am, try having him skip his midnight feeding, then feed him at 3am-4am and then at 6-7am. I find it is easier for them to get use to sleeping through the night if it's done in steps. Soon he will skip the 3-4am feeding and will sleep all night. That's how I got my little guy to start sleeping through the night. Granted, there are some nights he still wakes up to be fed a 3am, but he's actually really hungry! (but then he will sleep another 6 hours)



Good luck!

Nicolle - posted on 12/30/2008

ok girls, this is what my ped told me to try (granted, I havnt tried it yet but it sounds like it would work). Say your little one goes down at 9 wakes at 1 to eat/nurse and up again at 5 eat/nurse and than up at 9am. He told me to start with the first time up (1am) when she wakes he wants me pick her up, burp her (that is if she was crying since they ingest air during crying) and try to get her back to sleep. He said she would probably sleep for 20 min or so and when she gets up again (in 20 min for example) do the same "routine". He told me to continue to do this "routine" until the next feeding which would be 5am and than feed/nurse her. My Ped. told me it would probably take 3-5 days for her body to realize that it doesnt need (or wont get) that 1am feeding and she will start to sleep thru it. Once she has beein on her new schedule for a couple of weeks start it again with the 5 am feeding. He did warn me that it would be exhausting for those 3-5 days but it takes determination and dedication but that he has done it with his 4 girls. I hope this all makes sense (it is harder to type than to explain in person:) ) If anyone tries it let me know how it goes.

Louise - posted on 12/30/2008

My son was born 11th Sept and he goes to sleep about 9:30 and then wakes between 8 and 9. When he was only taking a little milk in the early hours I tried giving him a dummy instead of that bottle and it worked! He's now been sleeping through the night for about a month and I feel better for the extra sleep!

Marie - posted on 12/30/2008

Yes, do tell! what is this secret that might help us all out!
We put my son James down for the night around 8-8:30pm and then he would wake at 12:30ish and then again around 3am, so I am currently trying to drop one of the night feedings. I am still feeding James at 12:30ish and then holding out until 7am. We've been trying for almost a week now, and he still wakes up screaming around three.....I am assuming hungry, so I have been giving him his paci and letting him cry it out until 7, which breaks my heart to hear him cry so much, but I am determined to get at least 6 hours of sleep!

Katarina - posted on 12/30/2008

If your baby is breastfed then sleeping 5-6 hours before a feeding is considered "sleeping through the night". Breastfed babies digest faster so they need to eat more often then formula fed babies.

Holly - posted on 12/28/2008

So, Nicolle - do share! What was the recommendation of your pediatrician?

Nicolle - posted on 12/28/2008

I agree, a few nights will show you weather or not he needs those feedings. Only you as mom will know what is right. Good luck on whatever you decide to do

Nicci - posted on 12/28/2008

All I can say is there is no harm in trying. Give it a go...(without the feed that is). You'll soon know weather its right for you and him. Dont just do it for one night though, you may have to stick with it for a few nights.Good luck.

Lisan - posted on 12/27/2008

Hello, my baby girl was born September 4th. She's sleeping trough the night for some time now. I guess I'm one of the lucky mums. :)
A friend told me that it was good to put her to sleep during the day in a crib in the house were it was not too dark and where there is still some noise. During the night we put her to sleep in our room with no lights and no noise. The nightfeedings were always very calm, no talking, just a little light.
This seemed to work for us because very soon she knew the difference between night and day.
I guess it's different for everyone.
Good luck mums!

Tiffany - posted on 12/27/2008

I have b/g twins born September 6th, they have been sleeping since about 3 months. They don't really need that extra feeding in the middle of the night. My kids needed a routine so once we got into a bath before bedtime around 7:00pm they are asleep by 8:00 usually. They don't awake until 7:00 or 8:00 am. I also make sure it's only been a couple of hours since they last ate so that their bellies can make it all night. I feel really blessed to have found a routine for not just one infant but two!

Nicolle - posted on 12/27/2008

Dont know if I have the right answer but my ped. said that at 8 weeks your baby should be able to go 8 hours at night without nursing/taking a bottle. He told/taught me how to do it but right now I am fine with getting up once (sometimes twice) a night. I would love to share his secret with you on getting him to sleep longer if you would like

Jessica - posted on 12/27/2008

my daughter started not waking at night for a feeding at about 3.5 weeks. i asked the pediatritian about it and she told me that as long as she was gaining weight, that i could just let her sleep. at 1st she'd go to bed at 9 and then wake at 4 or 5, but now she goes to bed at 9 and sleeps until 7 or 8.

Holly - posted on 12/21/2008

Hi Marie and Jennifer...

I am far from being an expert mom, this is all new to me, but I turned to some very good friends who followed BabyWise. I've read BabyWise and The Baby Whisperer and I've spent a lot of time reading this blog: http://babywisemom.blogspot.com/. There are a lot of opinions out there about scheduling your baby and about BabyWise in general - what we've learned is this...



- DS does great when there is a predictable pattern to the day.

- BabyWise, The Baby Whisperer and other resources recommend a repeating routine throughout the day of Eat, Play, Sleep then repeat - this is what we do.

- A schedule is great, but we have to listen and watch for what our DS is trying to communicate (tired, hungry, etc.) - we flex the schedule to meet his needs.

- Babies need lots of sleep - good naps mean a good night's sleep - in our case DS doesn't sleep well if we let him get overtired.



Good luck and always remember - you're the mom, you know best :).

Jennifer - posted on 12/20/2008

I agree with Renee! The EASY method. Eat, Activity, Sleep, You.

I've got mine on a four hour feed routine (6am,10am,2pm,6pm,10pm,2am). After each daytime feed he plays for an hour and a 1/2. Then he gets sleepy and I put him down for a nap which is a 1 1/2 to 2 hours nap. At 5pm he gets his bath and his 6pm bottle early about 5:30pm, then I put him down to bed for the night. Before I go to bed (anytime between 8-11pm) I top him up with a dream feed. Take him out of the crib without waking him and feed him in his sleep. Believe or not he'll eat in his sleep! He's relaxed and doesn't take in air so you don't have to burp him, just put him back in the bed. Then he wakes about 2am to eat still but only 1-2oz. Then he goes back to bed till 6am. Next month I am going to ween him off the 2am night feed by decreasing the amount and increasing his day time ounces. Make sure your baby sleeps enough during the day 4-6 hours (no more than 2 hours at a time) and they will be able to sleep better at night.

Renee - posted on 12/19/2008

My suggestion for babies still waking up every 3 hours during the night is to put them on a schedule during the day. Every morning wake them up at the same time and feed them, keep them up for a total of an hour and then put them to sleep. Then feed them every 3-4 hours (even if you have to wake up your baby for a feeding!). Feed them their nighttime feeding at the same time as well, and give them an extra ounce or two. It will take longer for this feeding, but well worth it.



By doing this, your baby will begin to understand the day/night routine and with the little extra feeding at night, will help him/her to skip at least one feeding.



And keep in mind, your baby may still wake up out of habit. My son (9-19) eats at 9:00pm every night and sleeps until 3:00am. He eats about 5oz of formula before bedtime (I find it tides him over longer, but when I feed him breastmilk he still does very well) so I knew if he woke up at midnight there was no way he was hungry. He would fuss for a couple of minutes and go back to sleep. By letting him fuss for a few minutes and fall back asleep, he is learning how to self sooth, a very important skill!



Don't get discouraged!

Marie - posted on 12/19/2008

how is all of you are getting your babes to sleep through the night already? I am so jealous! My son was born 9-4 and still gets up every 3 hours! Any advice?

Nicci - posted on 12/19/2008

Hello all.My name is Nicci. My son was born 17th September and i'm sort of in the same boat as Jennifer. I know whats its like to be up every couple of hours. We have the occasional sleep through from 7pm till about 3pm but not always. I am findind that when he wakes it is for a confort feed because it no sooner does he wake up then he is back asleep again. Thanks Holly for the advice you gave to nicole...I think i'll try it as of tonight. Wish me luck.

Jennifer - posted on 12/19/2008

Hi - my daugther was born on 9/17 and I'm at my wits end during the night. She wakes up 3 or 4 times a night always wanting a feeding but doesn't always drink that much, sometimes it takes up to an hour to get her to go back to sleep. I'm wondering if this will ever end and she'll sleep for longer than 3 hours a stretch. I thought we were making progress about 5 days ago she slept from 10:30 to 4:30 and again the next night about the same, but she has since reverted back to her waking up every 1 1/2 to 2 hours. I am exhausted to say the least!!



Any advice would be greatly apreciated.

Holly - posted on 12/18/2008

Nicole - I'm with you! My DS was born on 9/5 and was doing the same thing. Two weeks ago I tried an "experiment" to see if he really needed the feedings in the middle of the night. Low an behold with a little rocking and a paci, he fell right back asleep. In our case he was just used to the middle of the night soothing and cuddles. He's still waking, but just when he gets out of his swaddle - all I do now is tuck him back in and give him a paci (no more rocking required). I'm ready for sleeping straight through without any waking, but our visits mid-night are now only for a few minutes which is much better than the 30 - 45 minute interuptions we had every night a month ago.



You're the mom, you know best - if you think he isn't hungry, try skipping, you'll know if it isn't right and you can always go back to feeding when he wakes. Trust yourself!

Amanda - posted on 12/15/2008

Hi, my son was born on Sept 11 and for about 6 or 7 weeks now wants to go to bed around 7:30, 8:00 and sleept right through until 7:30 in the morning has a full feed and sleeps until 10 or 10:30... don't know if you are breast or formula feeding but he started this when i started pumping into a bottle for him... so if he is still breastfed try pumping his bedtime feed into a bottle, i found he was just more satisfied eating from a bottle and i know how much he's getting. good luck

Naomi - posted on 12/15/2008

Every baby is different for when they sleep through the night. Don't rush it. I know you're tired. Yes, he needs that feeding.

Carley - posted on 12/14/2008

My son was born on 9-25 and he goes to bed between 8-9pm and he sleeps until 6-7am if he'll take a paci I would try that instead of one to two oz bottles.

Cheryce - posted on 12/14/2008

if he's only eating a small amount in the middle of the night... its seems like its more of a soothing method for him. the soother should work wonders for ya. if not... then go back to the bottle. ive been very lucky with my son. he's been sleeping though the night since day 1. he goes to bed around 10pm and wakes up anywhere from 8am-10am.

Meagan - posted on 12/12/2008

I'm in the same boat with you on my 3 mth old. Try using a pacifier at 3am, seeing as his not eating that much and he probably just wants to suck. Good luck!

Jacintha - posted on 12/11/2008

My daughter was born on the 8th of sept and she goes to bed at 9:30pm and sleep right through until 7:30am sometimes 8am and then goes back to sleep until about 10am and then she wants a bigger bottle...



my advice is....give him his dummy that will sooth him back to sleep and will help you out too



i love that i now get a full night of un-interrupted sleep... until she starts teething lol :)