If your LO's STTN...how???

kmb585

So I have heard of many people saying their LO's started STTN at 8 weeks or so and all I want to know is...HOW?? And what exactly do you define as "STTN" (i.e. Hour wise - 6,8,10 hours?) I've read Babywise backwards and forwards and really don't get how you can get a LO to STTN that early. I get the whole "3 hour" thing that the book talks about and we follow that during the day, but my little guys still wake up to eat 2x's at night. I can't complain too much as they do sleep two- 4 hour stretches (they typically eat at 10pm, 2am & 6am) but DS#1 took until 7 mos to STTN and this MoMma needs some sleep before these little guys reach that age! Any advice, tips would be greatly appreciated!!! (Sorry no formatting, bumping from iPhone).

kimarino13

To me, STTN meant 11-12 hours.

At 5 weeks, the girls went 5 hours.  6 hours at 6 weeks, 7 at 7 and 8 at 8.

At 4.5 months (Lily) and 5.5 months (Sophia), they were sleeping 6-6 without waking up at all, and that is when I say they STTN.

RClaffee

My girls started STTN around 3 months. We kept a three hour schedule, but they were just not ready until then. I considered STTN to be 8+ hours of sleep. 

They seem to sleep better when they have a bath before bed. We also found that having a set bedtime was also really important. We start the bathing routine at 7:30 and follow that up with their last meal of the day. 

I hope that helps! 

schoolsoutbride

I really just think people get lucky.  Mine eat every 3 hours during the day.  We do Eat, Activity, Sleep.  I have always put them down drowsy but awake.  They put themselves to sleep.

But they go to bed at 6:30, wake at 2am and 5am and then are up for the day at 6:30-7.

So if I define STTN as 8 hours, I guess they STTN.  But I define STTN as ME not having to get out of bed, and that's not happening!

They don't nap all that well, and I haven't figured out how to fix that.

So I've got no tips. Just tired.  I don't think it's that unusual for babies to wake up 2x a night to eat even at this age (8 months.) Mine are BF, if that makes a difference.

cookiemonster03

Ours are 6w adjusted, so about the same age. They're just now starting to sleep for 4-6 hr stretches. They're small though, and I think that impacts it since their bellies are so little. Honestly, moving from 3 to 5 hrs as our max overnight has been amazing the last few nights, and I hope it is a sign of things to come!

jlefief

Hang in there.  The week before they STTN (9 hours) i was ready to throw Babywise in a fire convinced it wouldnt work for twins.  Sure enough at 14 weeks whic was 8 weeks on the program since they were 6 weeks preemie, they STTN.  One night they just slept like crazy, they did not build up to it really.

sail123

kimarino13:

To me, STTN meant 11-12 hours.

At 5 weeks, the girls went 5 hours.  6 hours at 6 weeks, 7 at 7 and 8 at 8.

At 4.5 months (Lily) and 5.5 months (Sophia), they were sleeping 6-6 without waking up at all, and that is when I say they STTN.

Exactly this!

If they are sleeping in 4 hour stretches now, that is great! They will gradually sleep in longer stretches.  

natb22

kimarino13:

To me, STTN meant 11-12 hours.

At 5 weeks, the girls went 5 hours.  6 hours at 6 weeks, 7 at 7 and 8 at 8.

This exactly for us too. Whose babies STTN at the 8 weeks?! Most MoM's on here will tell you 12 weeks is when theirs first started STTN which was true for us. It lasted a full month and then they started waking again..sound machine = best invention ever, that helped once they started waking back up again. We also follow babywise as best we can

Mrs.Greg

I have no idea how it happened but my DD1 STTN before she turned 2 months old and so have the twins.  Sure, even after STTN, my DD1 had a rough night here and there but overall, all of my girls are great little sleepers.  I EBF so the idea of formula filling up a baby's belly and making them STTN is not true for me.  I BF the twins to sleep (and BF'd DD1 to sleep for the first 6 months) every night... not sure if that helps.  Sorry, I really don't have an answer for you.  I'm beginning to think it's genetics!  How could we get lucky three out of three times??  I was just hoping for ONE good sleeper between the twins but turns out they both sleep good. 

 

cocojack10

At exactly 4 mo, my boys started to sttn when they rolled over and slept on belly.  Before then they were waking up 2x night.  However, that has since changed.    They wake up 2x night to come to my bed.  They got sick at 5 mo and we started to baby them.

Like pp said, I think a lot has to do with luck.  All my nieces and nephew have sttn since day 1!  NUTS!

lovebugkim

My boys have been STTN since about 4 months. They are currently sleeping from 8pm-5am making that a total of 9 hours. I would love to not have to wake up at 5am, but at least it's only once and I'm getting some sleep.

Your boys are still little, but give it time and they will work their way up to it.

LALASEPT05

Consistently sleeping through the night for 10 or 11 hours was not until 6 or 7 months. They started skipping the 10/11pm feeding around 12 weeks so sleeping from 7:30pm until 2:30 or 3:00am which is 7 or 8 hours. We had a hard time getting them passed the 3am waking.

atlb

I think so much of it is pure luck. My girls started doing 8 hour stretches at 2 weeks, and 10 hour stretches at 4 weeks. They have been steady at 12 hours since 6 weeks or so. I largely credit formula with their sleeping habits. They were taking HUGE bottles (4-6oz) at 2 weeks, and they ate every 2 hours, so they simply didn't need food at night. I realize that I got very, very lucky.

The only things I did that could have made a difference was hanging up a blackout curtain and turning on a white noise machine. But really, it's all them.

violaplayer

My guys still can't quite get through the night. 7pm bedtime. Eat at 11pm. Up for the day at 6ish. So it's not too bad. Vast improvement over every 2 - 3 hours like when we first brought them home!

s270453

When they were sleeping 10-6, I called that sleeping through the night....thats more sleep than I get!  They started doing that (at 12 weeks) when I started spacing their daily feedings out during the day.  I would just let them go as long as they could before getting hungry.  That way they were used to having longer periods of time between feedings.  I know they say not to do that, but I figured they would let me know when they are hungry, and they did.  Also if they started losing weight I would alter...they never did that either.  Eventually they got on a schedule while doing this.  

erinruns

Around 8 weeks, I figured out how much my babies were eating over a 24 hour period and tried to get them to drink that during daylight hours.  It meant eating around every 2.5 hours, with cluster feeding in the evening.  I think my girls were ready to do it, which is why it worked for us.  Once we got on that schedule, they started sleeping through the night (9pm-8am).