Tips for STTN

JuneNYbaby

If your LO is STTN do you have any tips to share that you think help he or she to sleep for long stretches at night?

BLT20051

All the tips in the world didn't help. When he was ready, at 7 weeks right after the dreaded 6w growth spurt, he started sleeping more.

steenger8

I agree. Unfortunately, I think you get a sleeper or you don't. Good luck!

oxleylm

Out little guy has had a few 6 hour stretches the past two weeks. He is 8 weeks today and he just slept 7.5 hours! Yippee! Some things that help us are to swaddle him real tight after his last feeding, we play lullabys for him for noise and not overdress him or he gets too warm. We have also found that our sweetie is not a cuddler... Waaaa!! So sometimes just laying him on the couch next to me with his paci puts him right to sleep.

Ballet513

I agree I think your kid sleeps or he or she doesn't. We get 10 hour stretches and our very grateful!

Achae

Super tight swaddle! Also bedtime at 10 for her. Any earlier and she will wake up once.

Brady77

No tips, I have had one of each.  This little guy slept from 10:00 to 6:20 this morning last night and my 2 yo was up screaming at 11, 12, and 1. 

He doesn't nap very well and she is a fantastic napper.  It all evens out and I have basically done the same thing with both.  Bassinet til 3 months, swaddled, white noise, put them down drowsy but awake etc.

Swaddling well helps a lot though.

needanustart

Don't have a baby
Mine have both been crappy sleepers so I'm the last person to give advice but we so get more sleep with a tighter swaddle. We didn't really get long stretches until we started solids at 5 months. I have hungry guys as they just get up to nurse all the time and go right back down. My best advice is to just come to terms with less sleep than be pleasantly surprised when you start getting more!

freesia12

Not sure if this is the reason, but we have been giving DS formula at night.  He'll feed around 9 and can sleep til 5 or 6.  Formula digests slower so I think it keeps him fuller longer.  He gets BM throughout the day and it might seem like a cop out, but I'm getting some sleep. 

musicalsilver

kari5186 said:

FTM here, but I'm pretty sure it's just the luck of the draw. Your baby either STTN or doesn't.

This sounds about right to me.

LO just started STTN right before we started daycare (literally the two nights in a row before he started) - and daycare has screwed things up again.  I'm hoping once he adjusts to this new routine that he'll get back to it!

And for us, LO isn't swaddled.  So given that he'll sleep 7 hour stretches without the swaddle - I don't know that it's the answer for everyone.  Though I have wondered if maybe he'll do even better if I did swaddle.

costa2011

Unfortunately all babies are different and all of them are going to sleep thru the night when they're good and ready. My DD will only STTN a couple of times a week. Other than that she wakes for one MOTN feeding. I put her to bed around 9:30 and even if she just had a bottle a 1/2 hour before, I will give her a "top off". She will usually take it while sleeping actually. I don't force her, if she only takes an ounce and spits it out, so be it. Anything you can give them right before bed is better than nothing.

I do notice that on days she is up a lot she is more likely to STTN. On days she's more sleepy, she'll def be up.

I've read that it's not just about being hungry as to why they wake up. It has a lot to do w/ their maturity. Their brains are just not wired to STTN yet. The older they get, they easier. Hang in there!  

BLT20051

Also, keep in mind STTN is considered anything over 6 hours. So your LO could sleep from 8pm-2am and that's considered STTN. If you consider 10 pm bedtime even though they've been sleeping since 8 you may not consider it STTN. Everyone interprets it differently.

WhitWed

DD was an awesome sleeper and we were lucky with her; she was doing 8hr stretches by 8 wks. DS, on the other hand, so far has not been; he's still up every 4hrs at 6.5wks.  We have the same bedtime routine for DS as we did for DD.  So I do think it's luck of the draw in some instances. I also think starting a bedtime routine will be good for your LO.  They'll eventually start to get into your routine and this will help setup their day and feeding schedules. Good luck!

CindyRelluh

A bed time routine, and propping on their sides worked famously for my kids, but I suppose it could be coincidence.

nikel13

CTGirl30 said:

Mine is not but my one tip is: patience. ;-)

This.  And, for Lily, her comfort items.  She refuses to sleep without her blanket (it's a one of those swaddler blankets, the big thin ones).

TheTamedShrew

Baconlettucetomato said:

All the tips in the world didn't help. When he was ready, at 7 weeks right after the dreaded 6w growth spurt, he started sleeping more.

This. Right after 6 wk growth spurt she started sleeping 6-7 hour stretches. Swaddle or no swaddle, but hubby and I always sleep with the window air unit on and a box fan, so that probably helps too

Mommy2CB

Watch the Happiest Baby on the Block DVD. All about swaddling, SSHing/using white noise machine, and motion (the swing). My DS2 sleeps 9 hours a night! DS1 did the same when he was around this age, little bit older, though we didn't discover that DVD until he was a little older. Amazing I tell you! BUY IT!