Anyone else's babies "snack" at night?

jennandjohn606 · September 2009

My 7 week old has started waking up every 1.5 hours at night and "snacking" for 3-4 minutes before going right back to sleep. Her first asleep stretch is usually for almost 4 hours so I know he can do it, but then the 1.5 hour pattern continues until she wakes up for the day. I know the reason she only stays asleep for such a short time is becasue she eats so briefly. I've tried undressing her, blowing on her, tickling her, changing her diaper. Nothing seems to work.

Anyone else have this happen with their little one?

Any ideas to keep her awake so she eats more and will subsquently stay asleep for longer stretches?

Nicavesani · September 2009

Maybe she's not really hungry and just needs comfort. Have you tried giving her a pacifier and patting her bottom instead of feeding her every time? Maybe if you do that she'll go back to sleep. It doesn't sound like she's really hungry, so feeding may not be necessary. GL!

Lesley0228 · September 2009

My DD started doing this around 4 weeks. She would sleep for about 4 hours straight and then be up every hour or two until the morning. She was only eating enough to get her full enough to go back to sleep and was waking again hungry. I did the same things you listed and it never seemed to work. Its only really gotten better as her first stretch as gotten longer. She sleeps now from 9pm until 3 or 4am and then is up again at 5am or 6am usually, but I'm getting up for work at 6am anyways, so thats no big deal. Sorry, no advice, but I understand.

jennandjohn606 · September 2009

I have tried just comforting her or giving her a pacifier but nothing besides feeding seems to do the trick.

lindzed · September 2009

My DS was doing this. My doc said to let him actually cry for maybe a minute before going to pick him up. She was right, it turns out he was just waking up alot and as soon as he saw me he thought it was time to eat. Once I waited for him to really be awake he actually started only getting up once at night. I of course am not saying let your child scream all night, but it may just be part of the normal sleep cycle of waking.