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Preemies
eyelovemascara
member
Preemies and STTN
eyelovemascara
member
in Preemies
When is a reasonable age to expect preemies to "STTN"--sleep 4-6 hours straight at night? We've been keeping them on the NICU schedule (which also happens to be the Babywise schedule) and I am so incredibly drained from not being able to get longer than 2 hours of sleep at a time. My girls were born at 32 weeks. They sleep at most 3 1/2 hours at a time at night, and by the time I have them fed and changed and back to sleep, I only have 2 hours or less to sleep myself before they wake up again. I feel just awful!
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Re: Preemies and STTN
I hate to say this, but I think you probably have awhile. My LO is 2 months adjusted and has managed to STTN twice (well...sleep til 5 am anyway). I'm pretty sure both times were flukes since she's back to getting up more often this week. About 3 weeks ago she started relaibly sleeping through her midnight feeding so we are getting 4-5 hours at a time once a night which helps a lot.
Good luck! I know how hard the sleep thing is-LO has reflux and has to be held for 30-45 min after every feed so I lose an hour every time she gets up too.
Our precious girl, born at 27 weeks.
We'll miss you sweet Debbie Girl (4.21.12) and sweet Cindy Girl (8.9.12)
noah was about 3 months adjusted when he started to sleep a little longer, about 4-5 hrs). he did this for awhile, and then went to 12 hrs continuously at 8(ish) months adjusted.
we never woke him for his feedings, he kept up that 3 hr nicu schedule himself, and eventually dropped a middle of the night feeding on his own. It was VERY tiring, and VERY hard while working...but, i'm not a cry it out mom, and he eventually did it himself.
Welcome to parenthood :P
My 32 weeker slept in 3 hour stretches as well. He started sleeping through the night about 5 hours at a time around 6 months old (actual age).
Nope, I still would have preferred the sleep to snuggles :-P
DD started sleeping long stretches at about 6 weeks adjusted - after she hit about 6lbs. This was also the pedi's minimum for us letting her STTN, so it worked out. Try and work something out with DH or another helper to let you get a 4-6 hr stretch, you will feel so amazing and recharged after.
I think in this department preemies are like full term babies---every baby is different. My son was born at 35 weeks, but he did not sleep more than 2.5-3 hours at a time for close to 5 months. My husband and I were zombies for many months.
We felt like we were so lucky the few times in there he slept 4 hours. He also had colic, so most of the time he was awake he was crying and he was sometimes up for 8-12 hours in a row with no naps, most of that time crying.
Sometime around 5 months he started sleeping longer stretches. At around 6 months, he started sleeping great...730 pm until 630 am or so.
I hate to say this, but you may have a long way to go or just a few weeks. It is really hard to know! Know that it WILL get better, it is just hardto predict WHEN. Hang in there, mama.
I think full term babies often start sleeping for longer around 6-8 weeks so until your LOs are closer to 6-8 weeks adjusted it's probably not going to happen. Sorry.
I think my LO started sleeping 4-5 hour stretches around 8 weeks adjusted, which was around 12 weeks after birth. I was pretty beat, so I feel your pain. I'm sorry.
Of course, the dreaded four month wakeful sent us right back to 2-3 hour stretches but hopefully you'll avoid that!