Sleeping through the night

soperbby · June 2015

My LO is 12 weeks and it doesn't seem like he is even close to start sleeping through the night. He is still up every 2-4 (if I'm lucky) hours to nurse. When did your babies start sleeping through the night? Any suggestions? Going back to work next week and I need some real sleep!!

mrsbb515 · June 2015

That's really though ! I'm sorry. My 9 week old sleeps 6-7 hrs lately. If your LO isn't rolling over yet I suggest swaddling or one of the swaddle transitioning suits. We hadn't been swaddling him since we thought he didn't like it but as soon as we did it again he has been sleeping better ! Good luck

jlkapp85 · June 2015

Do you swaddle? We swaddle our son at night with a blanket or the swaddle me sack (Velcro) and he is sleeping in two chunks. Usually 9:30-3 and 4-7. He is almost 8 weeks and this is starting to become his usual pattern. It stops him from waking up from arm reflexes/movements. Hope you get some rest!

JAP09-02 · June 2015

We also swaddle. My LO is 9 weeks and slept from 10:30pm - 6am three times this week. Otherwise he usually wakes once around 3am.

Maybe try sneaking in an extra session in the evening. My LO tends to cluster a bit in the evening. Or you could try offering feedings more frequently throughout the day (ie every 2 hours rather than every three). Another thing to keep in mind is that a growth spurt is common around 3 months of age. Maybe that is what is going on.

How is your LO's daytime napping? Is there a long evening nap you can try to shorten by 15 minutes? My LO is not a great day napper by any means.

All in all though some babies will night nurse for a long time and that is normal too. Hope your transition back to work goes smoothly & you can get some rest.

smezger · June 2015

Where does your LO sleep? I found that my baby (11 weeks) sleeps better in his crib. He was in a rock and play that was elevated, but he couldn't sprawl out and stretch. Since we moved him to his crib he sleeps 8+ hours. Good luck!! Your baby WILL get there!!!

xuxachi · June 2015

Seems like your LO isn't eating enough during the day so waking a lot at night. You don't talk about his daytime eating and naps but I would also have a look at how much and frequently he is eating and try to shift his intake to daytime hours. Tanking up in evenings is a strategy some is by cluster feeding and/or doing a dream feed at 10/11 pm before bed. There are lots of books out there with advice, but mybabysleepguide.com is a great resource that covers a lot of the methods.

JennyB318 · June 2015

In addition to everything mentioned have you established a bedtime routine? Things you do every night in the same order? We feed, interact, swing, bath, feed, and then put her to bed awake. The routine is at least helping me, aFTM, feel like I have some idea if what I'm doing.

mdaugherty8 · June 2015

My baby started sleeping through the night at 5 weeks old. But he has always been a good sleeper. As soon as he was born he was sleeping 4 hour stretches at night and 5 hrs within a couple weeks. I also highly recommend swaddling (if he can't roll over yet) and a bedtime routine. At close to the same time every night (between 8:30-9 for us) we give him a bath (lavender), fresh diaper, lotion, sleeper, then feed him, then swaddle him, and put him down. We give him his last bottle in his room and with the lights dimmed so he associates it with bedtime. We also only swaddle him at night, another thing to associate night time.

mandybarney · June 2015

My LO is also 12 weeks and still waking every 2-3 hours at night. We started a bedtime routine a couple of weeks ago and that has definitely helped. He gets one long stretch from 8-12 but he's up every couple of hours after that. I am going back to work in two weeks as well so I'm really hoping for some longer stretches. He is EBF and swaddles, white noise in his RNP. I am going to take the advice of PP and get the crib. Maybe he wants to sprawl out? But his startle reflex wakes him so frequently.

rooboo111 · June 2015

Have you tried a dream feed? I started it when my boy was 6 weeks old and he has slept for 6/7 hours every night. Google it, I swear it works!

Babykells3 · June 2015

DD is 13 weeks and I swear by swaddling!! She sleeps generally from 10pm-6:30am and has for a few weeks now. It may change for a day or 2 when she's going through a growth spurt but then she goes right back to her routine. Like PP said, if he isn't rolling yet then swaddle him up! Good luck!

shanafourde · July 2015

I haven't swaddled since the first couple of weeks. She sleeps 8.5 hours (10-6:30) on nights I give her a bath. 6 hours (10-4) plus 3 or 4 more hours (5-8) if I don't give her a bath. What helps us is that dad gives baby her one bottle of formula before bedtime. Otherwise I breastfeed her for the rest of her feedings .

Babog10 · July 2015

Can I ask about swaddling, do u still do it if the weather is hot? It's kinda warm here in Ireland (we do get warm weather occasionally haha!) and I'm afraid that my LO will be too hot if I swaddle him?

Megaphone2752 · July 2015

I live in Arizona and I was worried about the heat, but I got a short sleeve and footless sleeper and she's been totally fine. Once I started really committing to swaddling again around 10 weeks, she's almost always slept for 6 hours, fed, and then slept 3 more.