Why are everyones babies sleeping through but mine??

[carls]

James is nearly 5 months and I have no idea what to do anymore. Everyone elses babies at this age seem to sleep through the night with one or no feeds, whereas James still wakes every 3-4 hours for a feed (if I'm really lucky - if I'm unlucky every 1-2 hours for whatever else I dont know).

I have tried a process of elimination with the following:

* lullabies on/off
* am ssshhh station on/off
* heater on/off
*dummy/no dummy
And all combinations of the above

I am now down to giving him solids after every bottle during the day thinking maybe he isnt eating enough (he never takes more than 150ml every 3 hours and averages 100ml).

I have tried stretching his feeds out to four hours so he drinks more but he is hungry at 3 hours.

He only cat naps during the day for 40 minutes at a time.

I know deep down that controlled comforting is the answer but I just cant bring myself to do it. I just pray day to day that each night will be ok, and that he will grow out of it.

His routine is generally as follows

5pm feed/bath
6pm bed
7:30 wake and sometimes self settles or I pat him back to sleep
8-9pm feed no dummy to sleep
12am feed no dummy to sleep
May wake sometime here and need to be re-settled
3am feed may need dummy to sleep
Will wake sometime here and need to be re-settled and
5:15 wake, need to be resettled, needs dummy, I could be up every 15 minutes when dummy falls out
6am feed
7:15-7:30 wake

I think this is far too many times to be getting out of bed, especially seeing as some mums are only having to do it once!! So really my days are starting around 5am as when I go back to bed I'm just lying there wondering when the dummy will fall out!!

Does anyone have any advice? :crying:

[red crayon]

hi carls,

i used to feel the same way as you when spencer was little and never ever slept through. in fact spencer's nightly routine was pretty much the same as james. like you, i did the sshing and the patting, the dummies and the feeding. i know you said you're not into controlled crying but i ended up going to sleep school and spencer has slept through ever since. he was 11 months when we went. if you want any info, pm me.

[Starlet]

I don't have any advice, but I just wanted to let you know you are NOT alone. My DS2 was exactly the same and has only JUST started sleeping all night, he is 2 years and 3 months old :banghead:

I don't know why, DS1 has been a great sleeper from the word go.

:fingerscrossed: ur little man starts sleeping good soon.

[Mum&bubs]

I dont have any advice either sorry because i still dont know why my DD who is 13 months old still doesnt sleep through>!? everyone keeps telling me its cause shes breastfed?

[mum33]

i cant really give any advice either butjust want to tell you i also have a 5 month old son that doesnt sleep through the night. he gets up 2-4 times a night for a feed.

re: Mum&bub

i dont think being breastfed has anything to do with it. my son isnt breastfed, he has formula.

[carls]

I dont have any advice either sorry because i still dont know why my DD who is 13 months old still doesnt sleep through>!? everyone keeps telling me its cause shes breastfed?

This is what I thought and did a power-wean from breastfeeding onto formula. Little changed.

[SnoozesWithCats]

James is nearly 5 months and I have no idea what to do anymore. Everyone elses babies at this age seem to sleep through the night with one or no feeds, whereas James still wakes every 3-4 hours for a feed (if I'm really lucky - if I'm unlucky every 1-2 hours for whatever else I dont know).

Ha! Bet they're NOT all sleeping though! You're just not hearing from the ones that are in your boat (or people are going "yeah, she sleeps through" when they mean "she did it once two months ago and I'm SURE she's about to do it again ANY DAY NOW!")

As for us ... HerTinyness has slept through the night ONE time, when she was three months old - she's now at 7 1/2 mos, current "wake count" about 2 or 3 times a night - worst period was about a month ago when it was every hour and a half, and I'm not particularly expecting her to sleep through any time soon.

By all means, explore alternative to try to get her sleeping better, but you are definately NOT alone, there's loads of other mums in your boat. Not that this necessarily helps, of course!

[lexi'smum]

Just wondering how many naps does he have a day?
I know you say they're 40 mins long, bt how many?
Maybe ??? I dont really have any clue about your DS, but just a suggestion, that he is going to bed too early and this results in waking so often.
My DD was the opposite, the earlier she went down, the more she slept through.
Although she went through a stage of staying up later, around 8.30, till she was ready for bed,( this is what now works for her) and this resulted in sleeping till around 8 or 9 the next morning.
Sometimes, with some babies, routine may not be best, your DS may be this way, everyday can be diffenent, and it could be easier for him to adapt.

Also maybe he is not as hungry as you think, and its just a comfort/routine issue with him, try giving him a bottle of boiled water for one of his feeds when he wakes in the night, or if you are bottlefeeding, try not to get him out of bed to do it, just allow him to drink the bottle in bed, if its a comfort issue, he'l soon get passed it, especially if his only getting water.

It may take alot of persistance, but try not to give in, or you will be starting all over again.

These are just my suggestions though, I really have no idea how your DS is, so if they dont suit the I hope you find something that does. Good luck with it.

[HugsAndKisses]

hey just thoght i'd tell ya my son was not a great sleeper right up till about ten months and i tried alot of different methods but in the end controlled crying did work for us....
it was hard in the beginning but now im so happy i did it now cause i just put him to bed an he only cry's a few mins if that and he's asleep...:yelclap:
but i must say i really belive routine is the biggest part for children sleeping well as we never used to have one it made things really difficult so thats my advice i hope it all works out for u:hugs:

also just thought id mention even now at 13 months justin has been waking alot due to teething so dont feel alone im sure every mother has sleepless nights...lol:yes:

[misskittyfantastico]

My DD is nearly 8 months and doesn't sleep through....I think it doesn't do you or bubs any good to make comparisons because every baby is different and will do things when they're ready...hang in there. Before you know it bubs'll be all growed up!

[Melo]

Oh its you MilliesMum! Nice new name! :D

My DS doesnt sleep through either, we were up to him every 45 minutes the other night..

:fingerscrossed: it will get better soon! :D

[lukaelmo]

Nah, they aren't all sleeping through... The dude is 10 months and doesn't sleep through.

You are not alone :D .

I always feel as though I am the only one too, but as you can see, you are not. I go through stages of not being able to take it anymore, all the way through to calm acceptance.

Today I am calm acceptance :D .

[2 Cherubs]

Same here my DS doesnt sleep thru the night...wakes 3-4 times.
The other night due to him teething he was waking every hour and half :banghead:
Its more annoying when your friend has bub who's 2 mths younger and likes to rub it in that she sleeps all night....Grrrrr
Oh well heres to us mum's that are up in the middle of the night!!:smiliedance:
Kim

[jane82]

my wee man is just one and still wont sleep thru... im sorry ive no advice, my health visitor says i should try controlled crying but dont feel up to it...
good luck!

[zephsmum]

Don't worry, my bub isn't even close to sleeping through either! She generally starts off with a 3hr stretch from 7.30-8pm (if I'm lucky!) then just before midnight I enter zombie-mode and I'm up and down like a yo-yo every hour (sometimes 1/2 hour aagggghhhh!!). If I'm really tired (which is always!) I fall asleep while she's feeding only to be rudely woken an hour later anyway with the added grief of either excruciating back pain due to poor pillow positioning or severe nipple trauma caused by little miss trying to extract the last drops out of a boob she drained only an hour earlier *sigh*....... Oh and don't get me started on how impossible it is to stay warm and keep a breast exposed, while worrying about whether little miss is going to disappear under the doona as overnight temperatures plummet to record lows of what feels alot like -17 (but probably isn't!:rolleyes: )......but seriously, I don't think I'd have it any other way! I am determined to enjoy the nights of discomfort (to put it mildly!) and sleep deprivation along with the daytime giggles and drooly kisses, because it will be over all too soon and little miss will be little miss teenager and sleep deprivation will take on a whole new meaning if she starts missing her curfew!:eek:

[kymmy]

You are not alone!
My son is almost 7 months and not sleeping through
He wakes several times....:yes: