BF babies sleep longer?

CRey13 · October 2012

Subject: BF babies sleep longer?

My friend recently you me that BF babies STTN at an earlier age. I'm kind of skeptical but wondering it its true.

If you care to share what do you do and how long does your LO sleep at night? Oh, and how old are they?

My son is 11 weeks, is EFF and sleeps for 3 hours at the longest. So ready for him to STTN. When his time comes I will jump in the air with joy before snuggling under my covers.

MeredithML · October 2012

My DS is 8 weeks, I EBF and he sleeps from 9 or 10 to 6. I consider that sttn and he's been doing it for the past 2 weeks. I should mention that he is quite a big boy at 1 month he was almost 13 pounds so I don't know if that has anything to do with it.

Me+Si=Love · October 2012

My baby is 6 weeks and EBF, and he sleeps from around 10 to around 6 in the morning. Then he usually wakes up to eat and then goes back to sleep for around four hours.

daniellelovesjacob · October 2012

My baby is 8 weeks old and does not sleep through the night. He is on formula and uP every 3 to 4 hours.

TravelSnob · October 2012

Nico just slept 8 hours but usually ranges between 56 with the odd 7.
None of my friends who bf and have older babies are as lucky.

Nico is 10 weeks and we use the baby wise method

lady_tytah · October 2012

Amir is 10 weeks and the longest he slept was 5 hrs.

CoreysGal · October 2012

DS is 6 weeks and has been consistently sleeping from 9:30ish to 4 to 6am since 3.5 weeks. Most days he gets 60% BM, 40% formula.

jlrschmidt · October 2012

I would have thought it would be opposite since breast milk digests faster than formula and most BF babies eat more frequently than FF. However, I am so jealous of all you mamas who have babies sleeping for longer stretches! My LO never sleeps longer than 3 hours at night (most of the time 2) and is EBF.

rMe6411 · October 2012

Calli is 10 1/2 weeks, ebf, and sleeps 6 to 8 hours. She goes to bed at 9.

Buona Fortuna · October 2012

My ds is ebf and is 11 weeks old. He sleeps 10 hrs or more at night. He's sttn since he was 6 weeks old.

nicari_13 · October 2012

DD1 was EBF and STTN at 6 weeks and pretty much has ever since.

DD2 started STTN at 3 weeks and is also EBF.

CGorgz · October 2012

I EBF, she's 7 weeks, and she's been sleeping from 10p until 5a for about the last 3 weeks. She is a noisy sleeper so I get about half of that. Bahhh.

mamahawk12 · October 2012

I've always been told the opposite because formula takes longer for them to digest so they stay full longer.

I've also been told that 10 lbs is the magic number. At 10 lbs they should have enough body fat to sustain themselves throughout the night. Don't know of there is any truth to that. I have tiny babies who don't reach 10 lbs until after 2 months so it could also just be timing.

krissi813 · October 2012

jlrschmidt:
I would have thought it would be opposite since breast milk digests faster than formula and most BF babies eat more frequently than FF. However, I am so jealous of all you mamas who have babies sleeping for longer stretches! My LO never sleeps longer than 3 hours at night (most of the time 2) and is EBF.

This - except my DS sometimes, but rarely, will even go 4 hours. He is usually up every 2 1/2 to 3 hours still. He is 6 weeks old and EBF.

trying4babyhunter · October 2012

My ebf baby sleeps 5 or 6 hours, eats, then sleeps for another 3.

HeartsOnABand · October 2012

My FF baby sleeps a 5 to 6 hour stretch then another 4 to 5 hour stretch. So he still gets up for a feeding most nights. Although, if I put him to bed later than 10 he will sttn. This is just my opinion but I think that it really just depends on your LO and not whether they are FF or BF.

bigbootyjudi · October 2012

I thought the "usual" was that formula fed babies STTN better because breast milk digests faster, making them hungry faster.

Sergio is 2 months old. He's bottle fed, only breast milk, no formula, with rice in his bottles for his reflux. He slept nine hours yesterday and will do so from time to time, but usually he's up twice a night at 2am and 7am. So he sleeps a 5 to 6 hour stretch and then a 4 hour.

hooslisa · October 2012

most nights DD sleeps from 10:30ish to 5:30am-ish. sometimes a little earlier, sometimes a little later, but always 5+ hours.

we EBF

she is a little one...probably only 9ish lbs now

she's been sleeping well from very early on, but i don't have precise records as to how long she's been sttn most nights. probably from at least about 4 weeks. she was 7 weeks this past Monday.

Mrs_Bennett · October 2012

It really all depends on the baby; some babies sleep through the night at a month, some not until a year and a half. There is no fool-proof method to making a baby sleep. Isn't STTN technically defined as like 5 hours or something? It's not very long for a little baby.

DS2 is 2 months today, and he sleeps in 3 or 4 hour chunks at night.

DS1 didn't sleep through the whole night until he was 11 months old. He is the best sleeper ever now, and sleeps 12 hours/night.

Both boys were EBF.

Crossingfingers · October 2012

I EBF and Carson is 9 weeks old. The longest sleep stretch he's ever had was 3 hours.. He weighs 14 pounds.

thepretzelchick · October 2012

He's 8.5 weeks, EFF since birth, and has been STTN since two weeks old. He averages 6 to 8 hours a night, though this morning he woke from a 9 hour stretch. I don't do anything special...swaddle, pacifier, snuggles, bed.

VeniVidiScripsi · October 2012

Bella is 8 weeks and is EBF. She has been sleeping 6 - 8 hours stretch at night for a few weeks now. She also started sleeping between 5 - 7 hours most nights very early on, maybe 2 weeks

jessalynn521 · October 2012

Aiden is EFF and at 2 weeks was sleeping in 4-5 hr stretches and now consistently sleeps a 6-7 hour stretch and then a 4 hr. stretch

delaneykai · October 2012

I EBF and for the last 2 weeks, Quinn has STTN. There were 2 nights that we didn't swaddle and she woke up 1 time in the middle of the night both of those nights, so I think the swaddling plays a really big part of it, too. She goes to sleep around 10-11 and wakes up around 7-8. She'll nurse and be awake for about 30 minutes, then go back to sleep for another 1-2 hours.

kelnyc · October 2012

I EP and she gets up once at night, so two 4 hour stretches. The theory is actually that fOrmula takes longer for them to digest and process, but judging from these responses, it's hit or miss.

Nikko Blue · October 2012

DS is 9 weeks and has only slept 6 hours at the longest. Usually it's 4-5. He's also 12 lb 12 oz, so I don't think a bigger baby necessarily means STTN sooner. I always thought FF babies slept longer sooner since breastmilk goes through their systems so much quicker.

katiem1025 · October 2012

Avery is almost 11 weeks, EBF and sleeps through the night (has been for the most part since 7 weeks). Sometimes she will give us 5 or 6 hour stretches, and sometimes she will give us 8 hour stretches.

They say once they hit 12 pounds they can technically go 12 hours at night without eating.

sourapplemartini · October 2012

DD and DS2 were EFF and STTN (8-4) between 6 and 7w respectively.

DS1 was BF until 5w, then EFF and he didn't STTN until 15m.

missjul61 · October 2012

krissi813:
jlrschmidt:
I would have thought it would be opposite since breast milk digests faster than formula and most BF babies eat more frequently than FF. However, I am so jealous of all you mamas who have babies sleeping for longer stretches! My LO never sleeps longer than 3 hours at night (most of the time 2) and is EBF.
This - except my DS sometimes, but rarely, will even go 4 hours. He is usually up every 2 1/2 to 3 hours still. He is 6 weeks old and EBF.

Same with my baby and he's 11 weeks. Longest stretch has been 4hrs.

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