Still only 2 hr stretches? Anyone?

mamahawk12 · September 2012

DS will be one month old tomorrow and he is still only sleeping in 2-2 1/2 hour stretches at night. He seems to be on a pretty consistent schedule, getting up at the same times each night. Really wondering when we'll get one of these 5-6 hour stretches I keep seeing people mention...

Ladies with great sleepers - what's your trick???

merricksmom · September 2012

It doesn't always work but it seems to 75 of the time...I either give her a bath or wipe her down with a warm washcloth and then I rub her down and massage her with lotion. I brush her hair, the little bit she has...lol after that I half swaddle her with her arms out, we do a bottle or BF. Then full swaddle and then the swing for an hour. Then I move her to the RnP. I can usually get 5 hours that way. Sounds a bit long winded but from bath to swing its usually a 45 minute process.

CLeigh03 · September 2012

Ugh mea that's rough! What is his day sleeping like? I go against the norm I think and never have let either of my boys just sleep the day away, I will wake at 2.5, 3 hours max. We also establish a bedtime routine early on (bath/lotion/jammies/swaddle/bottle). I'm sure you have tried all the tricks, I hope the stretches increase for you soon!!

merricksmom · September 2012

I agree. On the rare days that she does nap I only let her do 2 hours max and then we play for 1 or 2 hours. I know people say its impossible to get babies this young on a schedule but I think she finds the night routine soothing so it helps her relax.

CLeigh03 · September 2012

Oh - also, what is his bedtime? I always thought newborns went to bed a bit later (10/11ish) so that is what we were originally doing with DS, but then found he really wanted bedtime around 8 and that is when he does his longest stretch.

Crossingfingers · September 2012

Carson still sleeps in 2 hour stretches as wel and he hit 6 weeks old yesterdayl... Well, he wakes at 11, takes 20 mins to eat and go back to sleep, then at one, then 3, then 5. I could set my clock by him.He also never sleeps more than an 45 minutes to an hour during the day .. Sooo, no advice, but you're not alone!

bigbootyjudi · September 2012

The Houdini swaddle!

merricksmom · September 2012

By the way, your LO is adorable! I loooove all of the rolls in the pic. My first wasn't chubby at all and Stella is a little chubber. I love kissing her chins and arm dimples!

latnprincess · September 2012

2 hr stretches here too. Well he goes 3 hr stretches between eating, but after feeding which takes an hr, he is up 2 hrs later. I've tried swaddling, houdini, partial swaddle, no swaddle. Nothing makes a difference in his sleep pattern. I would LOVE 5-6 hr stretches!!!! But thats fine I guess. What I would really love is 2-3 hr stretches during the day! Once daytime hits, he's a cat napper. I'm not used to it. My first DS was an awesome sleeper/napper. Two 3 hour naps. Down at night easily and doing 3-4 hr stretches. I'm calling in the big guns (my veteran mom friends with 2, 3, & 4 kids) for advice and I'll let you know what they say. lol..

mrs mosby · September 2012

DD is only doing 2 or 2.5 stretches as well. We got one 4 hour out of her and I was in heaven. Her older sister didn't start sleeping for 4 plus hours at a time until 4 months do I'm not getting my hopes up.

mamahawk12 · September 2012

CLeigh03:
Ugh mea that's rough! What is his day sleeping like? I go against the norm I think and never have let either of my boys just sleep the day away, I will wake at 2.5, 3 hours max. We also establish a bedtime routine early on (bath/lotion/jammies/swaddle/bottle). I'm sure you have tried all the tricks, I hope the stretches increase for you soon!!

Rough, indeed I thought we were in a good routine during the day and he's really started staying up for longer stretches. I agree with the earlier bedtime though, he usually falls asleep around 8 or so and we've been waking him up around 10/11 for the bedtime routine. Maybe we should move up the routine and just let him sleep once he's down at 8. Jack was definitely sleeping longer stretches by this point, so frustrating (and exhausting!)

mamahawk12 · September 2012

mrs mosby:
DD is only doing 2 or 2.5 stretches as well. We got one 4 hour out of her and I was in heaven. Her older sister didn't start sleeping for 4 plus hours at a time until 4 months do I'm not getting my hopes up.

Oh my gosh, I'm going to pretend I didn't just read that. I don't know if I can survive this way until 4 months! Hopefully (for both of us!) we'll get some good sleep soon!

latnprincess · September 2012

So my friends are saying Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child helped them tremendously. I'm gonna look into this book...

JayandEmm · September 2012

Ajm11:
Obviously it's different for everyone, but the key for us has been swaddling. We stopped swaddling a few days after getting home from the hospital, because we thought she didn't like it. I decided to try nursing, swaddling/change diaper if needed, then finishing our nursing session. This has worked for us. She isn't the best daytime napper, because I don't swaddle during the day. I want that to be our night time thing. By swaddling, we have gone from 2 to 3 hour stretches to 4 to 6 hour stretches. I hope you are able to find something that works!

This is what has worked for us! Houdini swaddle and white noise is heaven sent! W goes to bed after his last cluster feed at 10 or 11 and stays asleep for 5 hours, then we get a 3 or sometimes 4 hour stretch after that.

Novem06 · September 2012

We are in the same boat. DD is following her big brother's bad sleeper footsteps:(

mrs mosby · September 2012

meaknigh:
mrs mosby:
DD is only doing 2 or 2.5 stretches as well. We got one 4 hour out of her and I was in heaven. Her older sister didn't start sleeping for 4 plus hours at a time until 4 months do I'm not getting my hopes up.
Oh my gosh, I'm going to pretend I didn't just read that. I don't know if I can survive this way until 4 months! Hopefully (for both of us!) we'll get some good sleep soon!

I know it was horrible and DH and I were both back at work FT. They must have good metabolisms where they burn through my BM super quick or something (at least that's what I tell myself because we tried everything)

On the bright side DD1 is a great sleeper now. 12 hours straight and pretty much asks us to go to bed at night.

byrne15 · September 2012

ds #2 does 2-3 hr stretches (which makes me pretty happy).

ds #1 went for 45-60 minute stretches until he was like 8 months old.

Manda-Kay · September 2012

Mine is up evey 3 he's FF so i thought he would sleep longer. Going to the doctor today because I'm wondering if he's sick or his reflux is not getting better with meds.

k.martell · September 2012

It just takes time. I don't remember what time DD started but for both I try the paci first. If anything it gives me a minute or 2 to get a bottle ready.

DS has started going from 90m to 3-4 hours of sleep at night (1 - 4hr stretch then the rest are 3). We changed formula which helped a lot but I also started cluster feeding him. He gets 3-4 oz around4-5 and then around 7p, snooze until 9-ish and then for his bedtime routine I change him, mini massage with baby oil, singing and then another 2-3 oz, depending on what time he ate last, rock to keep him asleep and then in the bassinet.

CLeigh03 · September 2012

meaknigh:
CLeigh03:
Ugh mea that's rough! What is his day sleeping like? I go against the norm I think and never have let either of my boys just sleep the day away, I will wake at 2.5, 3 hours max. We also establish a bedtime routine early on (bath/lotion/jammies/swaddle/bottle). I'm sure you have tried all the tricks, I hope the stretches increase for you soon!!
Rough, indeed I thought we were in a good routine during the day and he's really started staying up for longer stretches.  I agree with the earlier bedtime though, he usually falls asleep around 8 or so and we've been waking him up around 10/11 for the bedtime routine. Maybe we should move up the routine and just let him sleep once he's down at 8. Jack was definitely sleeping longer stretches by this point, so frustrating (and exhausting!) 

Good idea!! Try bed time at 8. I also second Healthy Sleep Habits Healthy Child. If you haven't read the book just jump straight to the months one to four chapter. I'm re reading it as my son grows!

irer · September 2012

I really don't think there is a trick. Ds1 was a terrible sleeper doing 2 hr stretches for longer than I care to remember. Ds2 is a good sleeper who gives me at least a 5 hr stretch, sometimes up to 7 hrs...I have done things exactly the same. Good luck and hope it gets better soon.

Maizey06 · September 2012

allielemon:
No advice here, but my 5 week old still only sleeps in 2 hour stretches at night. I'd love to hear the secrets! When I first put him down around 730 8 he will usually stay asleep until 11 or so, then he's up every 2....it's exhausting. I wish I had some advice but just wanted to let u know you're not alone :

This is us too. We sometimes we get 3 hour stretches but I am feeling I am doing something wrong. DD does refuse to be swaddled so that might be our issue.

mollyxcate · September 2012

Chloe sleeps the first stretch of the night really well, she will get 3-4 hours. After that it is every 2 hours. During the day she will sleep 4 and 5 hour stretches sometimes, and sometimes do 2 hour stretches.

I wish I would occasionally get a 5 hour stretch at night because those 3-4 hour stretches always start way too early for me to go to bed.

mamahawk12 · September 2012

Ok, so I'm really glad to know I'm not alone. I guess I was just spoiled with DS1 so this non-sleeping business is new to me.

From this post I've gathered: check out amazon for the sleep book, let him lead when we start our bedtime routine, and give the miracle blanket another whirl (similar to the "houdini" swaddle everyone talks about).

If this all fails, I'll take it for what it's worth - I've got a crummy sleeper!

ETA - and in the mean time, if all you b!tches with amazing sleeping babies could stop posting about it, I would appreciate it!

austenfan919 · September 2012

I could have written your original post a week ago. We haven't done anything different since then, but DS has stretched out his sleep time on his own. It was 2.5 hours for a couple of days, then a couple days of a 3 hr stretch, then last night we had almost 4 hours between feedings. His long stretch is usually the first one of the night, then it is 2 to 3 hours between feedings until morning now.

So hang in there, you might be almost through it!

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