Tips on longer stretches of sleep at night?

CatherineDC2012

Ok ladies...we are on 5-6 hours with a break for feeding then 3-4 hours before we get up in the morning. So maybe 8-2am then 3am to about 7am. Any tips on how to stretch these out or is she just not ready and she'll start sleeping longer when her little belly doesn't need to be filled as often? Thinking about that book 12 weeks to 12 hours- but I heard it involves some "allowed crying" and I'm not down with that!! Any experience with this book?

PoppySeedWindsor

Uhmmmm can I ask how you're getting a 5-6 hour stretch at night? I was gonna recommend reducing stimulation but you're waaaaay ahead of me...

snowbound

Wow! I think those are some pretty awesome stretches compared to my lousy 2-3 hour ones! No advice, really. Just wanted to chime in because I'm a little envious at the moment..

Mrs550

My twins started sleeping for 7 hr stretches once we started getting them in a routine. We give them baths starting at 830, bottles and swaddles at 9 and rocking to sleep by 930. I think the bath really made the difference though.

mamahann

I would cry tears of utter happiness to get 5-6 hours followed by 3-4.

thomas930

You are very fortunate to be getting those stretches right now. IMO, baby will sleep longer when he or she is ready. Waking to eat right now is completely expected and should be for a while.

janellemj928

I'm with the others who are jealous. I'm lucky if DD goes 4 hours, it's only happened twice. Like @Mrs550 we also have a routine, but it doesn't seem to help her sleep longer.

heids4787

Yep - your baby is doing awesome!! I'm lucky if I get 3 hour stretches, and DD usually is ready for the day at 5:30/6 am with maybe one 45 minute nap later in the day. Coffee is my friend. ~O)

hordol

Mine was getting one 4 hr stretch a day but has regressed back to 3 at the most for the past week. I think 5-6 at this age is awesome!

mammasuzelov

My little lady sleeps 10-3:50 and then 430 - 7/8

I think it's because she cluster feeds right before she goes to sleep so her belly is nice and full. We have a night time routine of pjs and singing and a dark cozy room but I feel like it could change in a heart beat.

Rogue237

hbell12 said:

Wow! I think those are some pretty awesome stretches compared to my lousy 2-3 hour ones! No advice, really. Just wanted to chime in because I'm a little envious at the moment..

This! Those stretches sound super long as is to me haha.

CatherineDC2012

OH my gosh! I didn't realize we were doing so well! A few bad stretches of no sleep during the day coupled with some fussiness from I think gas and I lost all sense of our progress at night! Thanks for chiming In ladies this was really helpful!

@Acers I totally agree with the swaddle!!! It's life saving. Without it tight she's up in two hours. Same with being asleep BEFORE the bassinet, any little eye opening and forget it, awake time!

MadBloom

I get 2-3 hour stretches.... You're doing great.

ksulli

I nearly cried tears of joy at 1:30 this morning because I'd been sleeping since 10. That's 3 1/2 hours and our record at 8w and 13lbs.

PoppySeedWindsor

ksulli said:

I nearly cried tears of joy at 1:30 this morning because I'd been sleeping since 10. That's 3 1/2 hours and our record at 8w and 13lbs.

Same thing happened with me! Merri went down at 10 and I fell asleep, then woke up in a panic to learn it was 2:30! I don't know the last time I hadn't seen 1 am.

moonsparkles

So no experience with the book you asked about, but I am reading one called the Sensational Baby Sleep Plan.  Her strategy is to stuff baby full during the day (wake him for feeds if necessary), and he'll sleep longer stretches at night. 

Our last feed has been starting around 6.30pm and he doesn't wake until 3.  But two nights ago he slept the whole night.  He is five weeks tomorrow.

Caveat - feeding for us did not go well AT ALL in the beginning and so I started pumping in addition to get supply up and to supplement after a feed.   Now, almost every feed, I am giving him a bottle afterwards.  So he does get stuffed full.  If I was still just EBFing, I think he'd be awake every few hours, 24 hours.

fourthnlast

Emma doesn't nap during the day, but she sleeps like a champion at night. She is a 9pm-5am sleeper, then eats and goes back to sleep until 8ish. I really, really wish she would nap better during the day so she isn't such a crank ass, but I do admit, I love the sleep at night.

Avion22

My only experience is with our baby, and I haven't read any books on sleep.  But our LO started sleeping longer stretches gradually, as he was ready.  We went pretty quickly from 3-4 hours to 5, then 6, and now 7 hour stretches.   

We use a bedtime routine.  7pm = diaper change, jammies, feed, then sleep, then I wake him up again at 10 to eat again before I go to sleep.  This is the only time I ever wake him to eat.  The 10pm - whenever is the stretch of sleep that has increased.  Last night we got 10-5:15.  Then he's usually up again by about 7, regardless of when he wakes up for that feed.   

NatalieBier

I did 12 hrs in 12 weeks with my other two and it worked! I think they need to be 6-8 weeks though before real sleep training can begin. Also, highly recommend the miracle blanket. Last, someone once told me 14lbs is the magic #. Hoping to test all these theories out here in the next couple of weeks!

Jennick602

jodibolivar said:

LO is seven weeks and sleeps 930ish to 230ish then 330ish to 630ish. Up around 830 for the day with three 2 hour naps usually. However something is up the last few days and day naps have been more like catnaps making for one tired boy. I think your doing great! Sounds very age appropriate to me.

Exactly this! Driving me insane!! Only sleeps longer if cuddled!
Dr said 6 week 'PURPLE' crying!