Better sleeping schedule?? Help

Tammy - posted on 10/12/2009

Quoting Heather:

Quoting Tammy:

I've been advised that it doesn't matter how long they sleep during the day, it wont affect how much they sleep during the night. We started a routine bedtime for our son when he was about 2 months old as he was really cranky and would stay up till about 10pm, we do bath, breast, bed (he's three months old now) at 8pm. When he was two months old he would have 2 feeds but now generally he will sleep from 8 till 2am and have a feed and then wake up again at 6am for a feed. We have found this routine works really well for him, as he goes to sleep straight away lately. Initially it would take him half an hour or so to go to sleep. Unfortunately it all depends on each baby. My sister's baby slept through the night from the very start, whereas my son still has a feed and has to be settled a couple times during the night. with an 18mth old it must be difficult to rest during the day but just try to even put your feet up for a bit.

Don't take this the wrong way, I'm just interested. If you don't mind me asking, who told you that it doesn't matter how much they sleep during the day? I'm just wondering. I never had sleeping problems with my daughter but I was always worried that she wouldn't sleep at night if she slept to much during the day.

I am not sure where you live but this was advised through the Triple P (Positive Parenting Program) of Queensland Government, Queensland Health. On saying this, it also says that you shouldn't let your baby sleep for more than 3-4 hours at a time during the day...

Cathralynn - posted on 10/12/2009

So I don't reccomend at this age any crying it out, but that doesn't mean you can't attempt some sort of routine. It helps for later. My daughter ate every 2-3 hours round the clock from birth to 3mo. What we did was only set up daytime and night time schedules. During the day she slept whenever she wanted, we held her or put her in bassinet in the bright living room and did our normal noisy daytime activities. We would change her for nitetime and feed her around 7 swaddle her and then put her to sleep in her room with a white noise machine. At this point we would feed her from there, with no talking, only dim lights and then back to sleep with swaddling and white noise. Whatever it took to get her to sleep. We didn't have too much trouble, she always slept well, but sometimes she slept in the swing if there was trouble. If she wanted to be awake, whatever as long as she was swaddled and laying in bed. Until daylight, then start over. Around three mo she started going 5-6hrs without eating on her own and by 6mo she slept 10hrs. She always had a bed time of 7:30 and still does at 16mo. Bedtime routines are important, you can change em but keep em similar. We did jammies, bottle in the living room, swaddle, rock, bed with white noise. Now we do jammies, brush teeth, read a book, bed with white noise. And early bedtimes work wonders. Good luck!

Melanie - posted on 10/12/2009

Tizzie Hall 'Save our sleep' has a great easy to read and to implement book on sleeping. Not only times but ways to help them learn to self settle and stay asleep. Amazing book she is also online.

Suja - posted on 10/12/2009

Hi there...I have a 6 month old baby and she too was awake most of the night, but once she completed 3months, she started sleeping longer hours and was never cranky...now she sleeps through the night except for one feed and sleeps again until morning...guess even your baby too would change on their own.....

Leanne - posted on 10/12/2009

Quoting Heather:

Quoting Tammy:

I've been advised that it doesn't matter how long they sleep during the day, it wont affect how much they sleep during the night. We started a routine bedtime for our son when he was about 2 months old as he was really cranky and would stay up till about 10pm, we do bath, breast, bed (he's three months old now) at 8pm. When he was two months old he would have 2 feeds but now generally he will sleep from 8 till 2am and have a feed and then wake up again at 6am for a feed. We have found this routine works really well for him, as he goes to sleep straight away lately. Initially it would take him half an hour or so to go to sleep. Unfortunately it all depends on each baby. My sister's baby slept through the night from the very start, whereas my son still has a feed and has to be settled a couple times during the night. with an 18mth old it must be difficult to rest during the day but just try to even put your feet up for a bit.

Don't take this the wrong way, I'm just interested. If you don't mind me asking, who told you that it doesn't matter how much they sleep during the day? I'm just wondering. I never had sleeping problems with my daughter but I was always worried that she wouldn't sleep at night if she slept to much during the day.

Hi, I have a great Australian book called Silent Nights. The author had done lots of research on babies and sleep and states that sleep promotes sleep, ie when they sleep well they are happy and rested which enables them to go to sleep well the next time round. Have you ever been sooo tired that you just cant get to sleep! You toss and turn because you are just tooooo tired! Imagine how a little baby would feel. In my experience the worst thing you can do is keep a baby up to hope that they will sleep longer. They just get overtired and then cant sleep and it becomes a vicious circle. You might like to have a look on the website for the book i mentioned www.silentnights.org I found it so helpful with my babies.

Good luck, and I hate to be a spoil sport but just when you think you have them in a routine it will change again! LOL...the joys of parenting!

Emma - posted on 10/12/2009

I have a 4month old daughter, i had the same problem for a while, but then I started giving her a bottle while she was in bed, she would just nod off while drinking it. Then when she would wake up id just feed her b ottles through the night and breastfeed during the day, it doesnt wear you out nearl as much and your baby gets used to the bottle while still being breast fed. It makes the transition easier in lfuture. She is now going to sleep from 7 till 7 if not longer, and I am getting alot more sleep then I used to. Hope this helps. x

KENDRA - posted on 10/12/2009

my youngest never ws on a good sleep schedual until she was 4 months old but hang in there it does get better

Jessica - posted on 10/12/2009

Quoting Heather:

Quoting Tammy:

I've been advised that it doesn't matter how long they sleep during the day, it wont affect how much they sleep during the night. We started a routine bedtime for our son when he was about 2 months old as he was really cranky and would stay up till about 10pm, we do bath, breast, bed (he's three months old now) at 8pm. When he was two months old he would have 2 feeds but now generally he will sleep from 8 till 2am and have a feed and then wake up again at 6am for a feed. We have found this routine works really well for him, as he goes to sleep straight away lately. Initially it would take him half an hour or so to go to sleep. Unfortunately it all depends on each baby. My sister's baby slept through the night from the very start, whereas my son still has a feed and has to be settled a couple times during the night. with an 18mth old it must be difficult to rest during the day but just try to even put your feet up for a bit.

Don't take this the wrong way, I'm just interested. If you don't mind me asking, who told you that it doesn't matter how much they sleep during the day? I'm just wondering. I never had sleeping problems with my daughter but I was always worried that she wouldn't sleep at night if she slept to much during the day.

i have been told by midwifes to never wake a baby, but i was also told by my doctor that a baby who sleeps well through the day, so regular naps will sleep better at night. My son is nearly 10 weeks old and i have struggled to get him into a schedual!! we are currently on day 3 with this new schedual, and what i have found to work is more sleeps through the day but shorter ones. He was sleeping up to 3 hours twice a day but then he would wake between 1-2am for a feed then again at 4-5am then waking for the day at about 7-7:30am this was killing me!! 

So now i try and play with him a fair bit during the day to ware him out, i have also found that putting him on a play mat between feeds near the tv and some toys he lays there and talks to the tv or his toys which wares him out also. So he has about 4 naps a day inbetween his feeds which range from 20minutes to 45minutes, and then he will have his last feed for the night between 7-8pm then sleep till 2am for a feed then sleep till about 6:45am.

My suggestion would be to try and ware him out during the day so he naps more frequantly, let him play on a play mat this will give you time to tend to your other child aswell as some time to yourself. try and give him a feed say around 7-8pm if you can then bath with some lavander oil maybe to try and relax him more then wrap him and try to get him to sleep. Hopefully he sleeps through till about 1 or 2am for you. i know its easy for me to say to try this but i was in your same position about a week ago and i just tried this one night and it worked.

good luck!

Austine - posted on 10/12/2009

Don't worry, I know it's very tiring but it will pass. My baby is almost 3 months old now. She sleeps from 9pm-2am, wakes up a bit for feeding or diaper change then goes right back to sleep. It is important not to stimulate your baby much. if you are breastfeeding, better, if not keep a bottle or two near your bed and also diapers. Put the powdered milk on the bottle, then just add water when you use it. And always keep the baby's diaper dry. I know it's not advisable but my baby sleeps with us in our bed. Mommy's smell and touch makes them calm and secured, I guess.

Lauren - posted on 10/12/2009

i have two month old twin boys and they have a similar routine. they feed 4 hourly and at 730pm they have their bath, feed at 8pm then bed by 9pm, we find they usually sleep between 4-5 hours waking at midnight or 1am, for another change and feed, then sleep til 4-5am. Some nights they surprise us and do 5 hour stretches but usually its 4 hours consistently. We were advised to not let them go any longer than 4 hourly feeds during the day which stops them sleeping long stretches and means at night they are more likely to sleep as long as needed at night. We are just waiting for a 6 hour stretch but it will all come in good time. Eventually he will sleep longer when his tummy isn't crying out for food. Good luck! I'm right there with you :)

Sharyn - posted on 10/11/2009

At 2 months i really didnt bother with a schedule for my daughter ,... she slept when she needed to and that was that, i slept the same hours she did if necessary to function... at 4 months i started to put her more on a schedule - going to bed at 8pm, but now at 10 months her sleeping has changed again, she sleeps no more then 9hours a night and goes to bed at 9pm so i can get some decent sleep, my husband works until 1.30am too so its not helping matters either LOL ....

Heather - posted on 10/11/2009

Quoting Tammy:

I've been advised that it doesn't matter how long they sleep during the day, it wont affect how much they sleep during the night. We started a routine bedtime for our son when he was about 2 months old as he was really cranky and would stay up till about 10pm, we do bath, breast, bed (he's three months old now) at 8pm. When he was two months old he would have 2 feeds but now generally he will sleep from 8 till 2am and have a feed and then wake up again at 6am for a feed. We have found this routine works really well for him, as he goes to sleep straight away lately. Initially it would take him half an hour or so to go to sleep. Unfortunately it all depends on each baby. My sister's baby slept through the night from the very start, whereas my son still has a feed and has to be settled a couple times during the night. with an 18mth old it must be difficult to rest during the day but just try to even put your feet up for a bit.

Don't take this the wrong way, I'm just interested. If you don't mind me asking, who told you that it doesn't matter how much they sleep during the day? I'm just wondering. I never had sleeping problems with my daughter but I was always worried that she wouldn't sleep at night if she slept to much during the day.

Tammy - posted on 10/11/2009

I've been advised that it doesn't matter how long they sleep during the day, it wont affect how much they sleep during the night. We started a routine bedtime for our son when he was about 2 months old as he was really cranky and would stay up till about 10pm, we do bath, breast, bed (he's three months old now) at 8pm. When he was two months old he would have 2 feeds but now generally he will sleep from 8 till 2am and have a feed and then wake up again at 6am for a feed. We have found this routine works really well for him, as he goes to sleep straight away lately. Initially it would take him half an hour or so to go to sleep. Unfortunately it all depends on each baby. My sister's baby slept through the night from the very start, whereas my son still has a feed and has to be settled a couple times during the night. with an 18mth old it must be difficult to rest during the day but just try to even put your feet up for a bit.

Marianne - posted on 10/11/2009

My daughters just over a month and her schedule is exactly the same as your sons..frustrating isnt it? But from what i've read were just lucky theyre not still doing the 2-3 hour feedings. Sorry I dont have any help to offer, just that I understand what its like! I dont know about 'fixing' his schedule, i've heard mixed reviews on that..like if you change their natural rhythm it will screw up their schedule. I know my brother and his wife did that with their son and are have been having MAJOR problems since..(they adjusted his schedule when he was 4 months, hes 2 1/2 now. (eek!) Good luck to you though, I hope everything works out. Just know theres another mom out there who's super tired along with ya!!!

Heather - posted on 10/11/2009

I'm so sorry. My husband worked nights too. I know how difficult it is. Maybe you can wake him up about half way through his naps. My daughter is one and I've been dealing with her wanting to take late naps and stay up all night. I've been waking her up in the middle of her nap for about a week. She's been cranky, but I'm hoping it will go away. What is his nap schedule like? If you don't mind me asking? You say he goes to sleep at eleven at night? Maybe his naps are hurting his nights?