How to get three week old to sleep longer at night

photogirl07

My 3 week old sometimes sleeps between 2 and 3.5 hour stretches at night.  A 3.5 hour stretch is fine, but the 2 hour stretches are taking a toll on me and my husband who works full time.  I feed my son breast milk from a bottle and I'm wondering if I give him formula at night if he might sleep a little longer between feedings?  Any other advice?  Thanks!

sweetky_06

There is no proof that formula will make a baby sleep longer. A 3 week old has a tiny tummy that needs to be filled often, and is also probably going through a growth spurt. Just keep feeding on demand and know that it will get better - but there isn't anything you can "do".

Ashley&Scott

sweetky_06:

There is no proof that formula will make a baby sleep longer. A 3 week old has a tiny tummy that needs to be filled often, and is also probably going through a growth spurt. Just keep feeding on demand and know that it will get better - but there isn't anything you can "do".

Ditto all of this. It will get better, hang in there.  

Lena122

sweetky_06:

There is no proof that formula will make a baby sleep longer. A 3 week old has a tiny tummy that needs to be filled often, and is also probably going through a growth spurt. Just keep feeding on demand and know that it will get better - but there isn't anything you can "do".

Completely agree. It's completely normal for a 3 week old to eat every 2-3 hours. My DS was fed formula and breast milk in the first month and there was never a difference in how long he slept.

runrinserepeat

sweetky_06:

There is no proof that formula will make a baby sleep longer. A 3 week old has a tiny tummy that needs to be filled often, and is also probably going through a growth spurt. Just keep feeding on demand and know that it will get better - but there isn't anything you can "do".

Yup, hang in there. My 5 week old ebf baby sleeps for 4-6 hour stretches at night. It does get better, it just takes time.

MrsKM82

It just takes time and 3 weeks is very young. They will sleep longer when they are ready. With my son he just started to gradually sleep longer and longer. He went from waking every two hours when he was newborn to 3 to 4 hour stretches. Now at 10 weeks he sleeps from 8-3, then 3:30-7. You can try swaddling to help him sleep better but if he is hungry he is hungry and he will wake up.

mlee116

I agree with the PP's.  My son is a month old today and slept for a little over 4 hours straight last night, then went back down and woke up after 2.5 hours.  I was thrilled!  The first couple of weeks were like 2 hours at a time, then he gradually slept a little longer each week.  

I just think this is what comes with the territory of a newborn.  Be patient, it will get better!

kiarstin

NEwborns eat often and wake up often its the nature of it.  Power through it.

photogirl07

Thanks!  Glad to know that this is "normal"!