for those with long night stretches ..

ludali · September 2013

What's your secret? What is your set-up like? FF can chime in, but I'm EBF...

- Do you have a bedtime routine? What is it?
- What time is LO usually down for the night?
- How long does LO usually sleep for?
- What is the routine when they wake?
One boob or two? How long on each or how long total?
- Do you swaddle? Arms in or out? Blanket, Swaddle Me, Other?
- What contraption does LO sleep in? Crib, RnP, swing, other?
- Do you use gas drops? When?

DD is 9.5 week preemie, 3 weeks adjusted. The first stretch of sleep is usually the longest...asleep usually by 8 or 8:30, first stretch is no more than 4 hours. Everything after that is about 2.5 til about 6 or 7 in the AM when it appears she's "awake" for the day. When fully swaddled with a sleep sack and Velcro wrap, her gas MAJORLY builds up. She seems to wake mostly for gas and wanting to poop, then it turns to hunger as I'm working with her and we're approaching 3 hours since last feed. Its also rare that I can get a good burp out of her overnight... Gas drops have never seemed to be the answer for her and would rather not resort to them if I could get something else going.

Thank you for your input!! Feel free to brag away!! Lol

catskitch · September 2013

I also want to know if you wake up to pump since it's such a long stretch

ludali · September 2013

Good addition @catskitch!

ELauren88 · September 2013

We have no big secret in this house. I leave LO downstairs with H after her "last" feeding to go to bed. I do this in case she decides to wake up at night, BC I never wake up H to help.

But he puts her to sleep by rocking her either in her RnP or on his chest while watching TV (he even usually has the lights on). We dont swaddle because she haaaaates it, and we give gas drops maybe twice during the day. I don't do it at night, BC if she ever does wake up, I try and keep the lights off, so I can't see the dosage line.

As far as feeding goes, we always try for at least 10 minutes on each side. Nothing special about her last feeding.

So, she goes to sleep around 10, and usually wakes anywhere from 4-6. She hasn't gone past 6 yet, but she goes back down around 7 and sleeps until about 9 or 10. I got blessed with a pretty chill baby, and I'm pretty terrified for when/if she decides to change it up on me!

ETA: as far as gas goes, we spend most of the day helping get get her gas out. Constantly patting her back, and occasionally bicycling her legs. By the end if the day, I dont think she has anything left!

ELauren88 · September 2013

catskitch said:
I also want to know if you wake up to pump since it's such a long stretch

Tonight is the first night I've woken up first and pumped. I do not specifically wake up to do it.
BUT, I am a sthm, who trys to EBF. I have a friend who works ft, and wakes up twice a night to pump to keep her supply/stash up. Her baby is 9 months.

WildRumpus · September 2013

ludali said:

- Do you have a bedtime routine? What is it?
Not really, but we need to start something soon! We've just been going with the flow and its been working

- What time is LO usually down for the night?
He usually takes a long feeding around 11, then goes down.

- How long does LO usually sleep for?
3-4 hrs usually, sometimes only 2.5, but he seems to be going longer stretches lately

- What is the routine when they wake?
Unswaddle, diaper change, feed, reswaddle, rock for a few minutes, then back to bed

One boob or two? How long on each or how long total?
I try to do both, it's usually 10-15 minutes per side

- Do you swaddle? Arms in or out? Blanket, Swaddle Me, Other?
Yes; we put LO in just a diaper at night, swaddle with an A & A blanket and then zip him into a swaddle pod. Arms in!

- What contraption does LO sleep in? Crib, RnP, swing, other?
Our Mama Roo swing at the moment, but we're going to start trying naps in the p&p

- Do you use gas drops? When?
Very rarely

carrotcake06 · September 2013

Mine are just about 12w, 6w adjusted.
We EBF w an occasional BM bottle.

For the past 2ish weeks, we've been feeding between 9-10p and they've been going until 330-400a.

No real set routine, except that I ensure they BF 7x a day which means that I cluster feed them at the end of the day to ensure I get 7 in. Usually this is their fussy time anyway and they're pretty much always up for eating. I'll feed them around 5, around 7, and then around 9. At 9ish, I turn off the lights and that's also right after our 3yo goes to bed so it's quiet and no longer sounds like a freight train is running through our house.

They usually are drowsy or asleep after this feeding, so they get swaddled and go in the RNP. They usually grunt themselves to sleep if they aren't already in 10min or so. If they cry or get really fussy, H will put them to sleep.

I pump when they wake up. I'm super full at this point and H does the changes, so I pump off 1-2oz off each side to get soft enough that they can latch. No switching sides bc I tandem BF twins. 1 per customer.

No gas drops. Never used them.

I do a lot of burping and relatching to make sure they drain the boob. The whole thing takes 45-60min, though they're getting faster.

They'll go back to sleep until 7ish. Nurse again and I pump after the feed this time and usually get another 2ish oz. I freeze 4oz a day for my stash (but amts really aren't relevant since there are two of them).

CourtJack · September 2013

Piper sleeps a six hour stretch every night. She goes down between 8:30 and 9:30 and sleeps till 2:30
or 3:30.

Our night time routine is feed, cuddle, swaddle (arms in) and lay down in bassinet and give soother.

After the six hour stretch, she starts grunting and straining to get out of the swaddle. If putting her paci back in doesnt relax her, I get her up and feed her. She's wide awake as I get her up so I know I'm not waking her unnecessarily. Ill feed her, diaper and cuddle her and put her back down. That usually takes 45ish.

I don't pump during thr stretch. I pump the boob she doesn't nurse from in the morning.

No gas drops here.

After saying all this though - I really don't know if anything I'm doing has anything to do with her sleeping habits at this point. I think I'm just lucky. My first didn't sleep this long this early. And I pretty much did the same thing.

My goal is to just be as consistent as I can right now so that when she's a bit older she has some sort of predictable routine.

afrochick09 · September 2013

Not really any secret. We realized LO tended to fall into deep sleep around 9, so we planned accordingly. When it's bath night we do that before, change her, and feed her like crazy until her tummy is full and she zonks out. LO won't stay asleep unless she's swaddled. If her feet can move, she'll startle herself awake. If she slightly wakes up (eyes not open, but making noises) I give her a pacifier and she sucks herself back to sleep. Usually she'll sleep 5-7 hours.

When she does wake up to be changed and eat, she'll sometimes only eat on one side for 30 ish minutes then zonk back out. If she does that, then i'll pump. Hurts way too bad not to!

To answer some of the other questions, LO sleeps in her crib. When she wakes, I'll change her since she's usually wet, feed her, burp her, put her in her crib or with MH if she's still slightly awake, pump, then put her in her crib if she isn't already, then sleep myself. We've only had to use gas drops a few times for really fussy nights. Hope this helps! Good luck.

No Longer ERL · September 2013

We cluster feed from 7-10...he eats every hour. He gets swaddled after the 830 feed. I nurse to sleep or drowsy. He sleeps in the RNP.

LiylaRae · September 2013

We really have no secret either. Around 6 we put LO in her pajamas and depending on if she needs a
Bath or not, we give her one then put her pajamas on. Then around 7:30-8 LO eats for the last time for the night (usually a long time, I'm bf). Then we watch tv and try and rock her to sleep, then she goes in her rnp for the night.

After all is said and done LO will wake up around 2:30-3. We do diaper change and then I feed her, only off of one boob for like 10 minutes. Then I put her back in her rnp and she'll be good till 6:30-7, then we will get up for the day.

Although I think LO is going through a growth spurt right now because tonight it's been every 1-2 hours and she acts like she is starving to death every time she wakes up. Definitely makes for a tired mama!

Also LO hasn't been swaddled since week one, she hates it. And I did notice that once we started putting pajamas on LO every night that is when she started sleeping really well at night, don't know if it's a coincidence or not.

Hope everyone's suggestions help and your LO starts sleeping more for you

ludali · September 2013

This is helpful! To be honest, we've been avoiding pacifiers but have used then here and there to help soothe. When my brain is off at night, I honestly don't think of pacifier or just reswaddling. I feel like a Mom failure!

Kebert618 · September 2013

Ooh I'm so jealous!! 5 weeks and the most she'll sleep is 3 hours...usually 2.

lydsyjane · September 2013

This probably won't help you since you're EBF, but I started giving LO a bottle of formula before bed, and during the night also. It helps her sleep longer because she's more full. I think I might start just pumping before bed so I can use BM in a bottle instead of formula.

tanabeans · September 2013

LO is 5 weeks, she used to give me a 6 hour stretch but now I get two 4s as a 3.

Our routine is cluster feeding and fussing while I get our bed ready, extra outfit and fill humidifier, brush my teeth. She won't go down until fussy stops. I bounce till she calms down then nurse side lying. If she does t fall asleep repeat bouncing.

No swaddlers, she hates it even arms out.

She will wake me by grunting and ill flip us over for other boob and change her diaper quickly without waking her up fully. Usually I lay next to her with my hand in her bet and she will crash out. If not side lying booby till she sleeps.

I think our good sleep is the side lying feeding, I only do one side, I block feed during the day, and I don't time, she eats however much she needs to which is less at night. We wake up about 6:30 or 7 with her straining to poop/fart and cluster feeding.

She is pretty congested so this makes it hard to sleep that's why I started the humidifier. I bring her with me into the bathroom and close the door so the steam loosens it up for the day which is nice cuz I'm guaranteed a cry free shower

I don't wake up to pump but I did the right one this morning cuz I was so sleepy I skipped and it was hard as a rock. I try not to give her an engorged one cuz I have forceful let down

V&G101808 · September 2013

catskitch said:
I also want to know if you wake up to pump since it's such a long stretch

I pump at midnight and sleep until 5 when I pump again.

We're night owls so DH and I usually go to bed after my midnight pump. From midnight to 5 he takes care of LO (usually sleeps until about 4). After my 5AM pump we switch shifts. He sleeps in and I'm up with LO. He'll usually sleep again until 7:30 and after that he's up for the day. (I keep him entertained while DH catches up on sleep).

Dueinf the first shift LO sleeps in a RnP but he will not go back down in it after 4. So usually we nap together on the couch until 7:30ish. After that I'll put him in his swing or wear him.

I EP so LO gets a bottle at each feeding.

Edit: we stopped swaddling. He wears footie pjs or a long sleeve onesie with socks and sleeps with a blanket wrapped around his lower half in the RNP.

J&Jaggies06 · September 2013

- Do you have a bedtime routine? What is it? Not really anything set yet. Mainly just swaddle each night since right now she doesn't get a bath every night. - What time is LO usually down for the night? Sometime between 8 and 10 - How long does LO usually sleep for? A the beginning if the night she goes 4-5 hours each time she wakes up to eat the sleep after gets a little shorter but still usually at least 3 hours. - What is the routine when they wake? Diaper change, re-swaddle, nurse to sleep One boob or two? How long on each or how long total? One side 10-20 min - Do you swaddle? Arms in or out? Blanket, Swaddle Me, Other? Swaddle arms in with A&A blanket - What contraption does LO sleep in? Crib, RnP, swing, other? Usually bouncer is where she gets her longest stretches but we try to use the crib some too but that usually only lasts 1 hr - Do you use gas drops? When? Rarely

magdalina.h · September 2013

She just loves sleep. It's actually a problem for us because she prefers sleeping over eating.

floridababy3 · September 2013

HauntedRadio said:
Bedtime routine: yes. T/Th/Sa is bath night. We do bath, boob/book, bed. The other nights no bath. Dim lights and soft voices.

Time: I try for between 9-10 as best I can.

How long: 4-6 hours usually. Sometimes 3 1/2.

Wake up: H changes his diaper and brings him to me. He dictates the food, sometimes it's one side, sometimes both. More recently just one. I don't watch the clock.

Swaddle: yes (again, recent), arms in. Sometimes I have to re-do after a few minutes. He'll sleep with the paci for a few, spit it out, and then wake up frantically trying to get at his fingers. I re-wrap and give the paci back and he's fine. I use a Halo - never got the hang of using a blanket and Swaddle Mes were too restrictive for his feet and he broke out easily. I stopped swaddling for about 4 weeks, just started again about 5 days ago when I bought the Halo.

Contraption: crib/RnP combo. Last night he was in the RnP all night because the Halo was dirty. He slept 6 hours. Tonight in the crib swaddled, he slept 6 hours. Now he's in the RnP swaddled arms out for the rest of the night.

Gas drops: no. I use less than half of a dose of Mommy's Bliss Gripe Water when he has the hiccups.

Sorry for the novel but you asked :P

Eta: no, I don't wake up to pump. If he keeps sleeping long at night my body will figure it out eventually.

Eta #2: sorry. Wanted to add that at almost 7 weeks I no longer have to make sure he's asleep before putting him down. I can put him down awake but calm and sometimes he falls asleep right away, sometimes it takes a few minutes. I leave the room while he's awake. If I hear a lot of noise I try to decide if he's fussing or talking. If fussing I go back and soothe, talking I let him be.

Almost exactly this. The only difference is we love swaddleme and swaddle super snug and use white noise. DS sleeps in a swing on my side of the bed. Since going to the swing we are getting 4-6 hours. I was waking to pump but then decided my body should adjust so I can sleep. The troublesome tots website helps a lot.

Jennypro · September 2013

- Do you have a bedtime routine? What is it? Bath (: 5 ounze bottle burp some gas drops cuddle then in his swing till he falls asleep about 9
- What time is LO usually down for the night? Start the bed time routine about 8
- How long does LO usually sleep for?9pm-6am & 7:30am-9 ish
- What is the routine when they wake? Around 6 am wakes up get but change a four ounze bottle some cuddle time with mommy and once back to sleep he goes back in swing and is out again till 9(=
One boob or two? How long on each or how long total?my preemie never did latch so I pump a fresh bottle out he drinks 4 oz and then he is out for the night
- Do you swaddle? Arms in or out? Blanket, Swaddle Me, Other? Blanket arms out LO can't sleep unless touching his face
- What contraption does LO sleep in? Crib, RnP, swing, other? Swing loves the movement !
- Do you use gas drops? Yes When? Every 5-6 feeds

Critter015 · September 2013

I don't think there really is a secret. DD started out eating every 3 hours and was giving us 4 hour + stretches at night from the beginning. By 4 weeks she consistently had only 1 feeding during the night and by 12 weeks she was sleeping through the night and has ever since.

DS is just a whole different baby. He wants to eat every 2 hours, is fussy and difficult to put down, and at 6 weeks can barely make it 4 hours at night. I do have a bedtime routine and I have swaddled them both. I think it is just their individual abilities and there isn't much we can do.

tdmklm · September 2013

Rice cereal. Slam dunk.

MoMmy Of GrAcE · September 2013

I wouldn't say there is a secret. DD1 never STTN (full 11-12 hours) until I was admitted to have DD2. DD2 is sleeping an 8-9 hour stretch starting around 9/930. I give her last feeding once DD1 is down, sometimes she nurses to sleep, other times she stays awake for 30 min or so. I use gas drops after every feeding, don't swaddle, bath around 8 (nurses 2-3x before bed), and she sleeps in a bassinet next to our bed. Also, I put her down on her side, not back. When she wakes up she has been nursing from both sides, about 30-40 min total, and sometimes goes back down, but not always.

cortneyloo · September 2013

- Do you have a bedtime routine? What is it?

I typically feed her at 8:45, then again at 9:45 to get her nice and full. We keep the lights off and do everything after she's eaten in nightlight lighting only. We put on white noise and get her into a fresh diaper, then she gets a bedtime massage with that Johnson & Johnson nighttime lotion. The white noise stays on all night. The sound machine we have has been a lifesaver both for calming her down and keeping her asleep.
- What time is LO usually down for the night?

10:30
- How long does LO usually sleep for?

Anywhere from 5 1/2 to 7 hours, then she'll go back down for another 2 hour stretch.
- What is the routine when they wake?

DH changes her diaper (I always insist this be done first because she doesn't like it and I know the feeding will calm her back down), then I feed her in pretty much complete darkness. We don't talk to her during this time, no eye contact, and I keep burping very gentle so as not to get her riled up.
One boob or two? How long on each or how long total?

She eats from both sides at every feeding. She'll usually do about 10-15 minutes per boob.
- Do you swaddle? Arms in or out? Blanket, Swaddle Me, Other?

We always, always, always swaddle. If we didn't she would startle herself awake with her flailing arms! Arms in, Summer Infant brand swaddler.
- What contraption does LO sleep in? Crib, RnP, swing, other?

She sleeps in the RnP with the vibrate function on. We turn her just the slightest bit on her side too because we discovered she's more comfortable that way and doesn't squirm or grunt so much when she's in that position.
- Do you use gas drops? When?

We never use gas drops. I'm not opposed to them, we've just never needed them so far.

What's helped us a lot with nighttime sleep habits is making sure she has her days and nights figured out. During the day for her naps we don't try to make the house quiet or shut her in a dark room. We carry on business as usual, so that might mean the tv is on, the dogs are playing loudly, she's napping right in front of a bright window, etc. At night though we make sure everything is completely quiet except for the sound machine, and overhead lights and even lamps are never turned on for anything. We've learned to do a lot of tasks with only the glow from a 4 watt bulb! We also only reserve swaddling for the evenings so she'll learn to associate that with overnight sleep.

cortneyloo · September 2013

Oh to answer your other question, I don't wake up to pump. Sometimes by the time she wakes me up I am uncomfortably full, but I'm trying to teach my body to get used to her longer stretches now (which eventually it will). I'd just prefer to sleep before I have to work a 12 hour shift rather than setting alarms to make myself a dairy cow in the wee hours of the morning

janneann1127 · September 2013

Sadly, I think you will find that there really is no secret. Some babies do it, some don't. If your baby sleeps six hour stretches this young, consider yourself lucky. If they don't, it's perfectly normal.
Both of my kids have been great sleepers. That being said, neither of them went more than 4 hours at this age. With my first, he was weaned from night feedings and sleeping completely through the night by 5
months.
You can drive yourself crazy trying to figure out what you could do to make it better… But most likely, it is nothing that you're doing (or not doing). They will sleep longer when they are ready.

Want a personalized experience?

for those with long night stretches ..

Re: for those with long night stretches ..

Choose Another Board

Search Boards