sleeping through

[JessandKirra]

Does it ever happen :( ? is there anything we can do to help it along :confused: ? Do we continue to be zombies until they are 6 :eek: ? any tips would be good,,, Ill try anything. 4 months old.

[Briannabear]

Hi! Our DD has been sleeping through for months now. She goes to bed at about 6:30-7:00pm and sleeps through till about 7:30-8:00am in the morning!! (Awsome, I know!!). We had to do a bit of work to get there though. Please feel free to PM or email me. Every baby is different, but I can fill you in on what worked for us! :)

[ThomasMum]

Our DS Thomas only wakes up once at night since he was around 2 months old, and for the last 2 days he's been sleeping through the night. We don't have any tricks or anything, but we always have bath with him everynights since he was a little bub, he loves his bath time!

Perhaps if you havent done the 'bath-time' session, you could give it a try?

Don't worry about being Zombie :D , once you have bub no matter how good your bub is you will never have any good sleep! A friend of mine from work who has an 11 years old told me that she too still hasnt had any good sleep lol!

Like Brianabear said, every baby is different, hopefully as your bub gets older the patterns might change!

Love Peace

ML

[Harmony83]

Babies tend to choose themselves when they are ready to sleep through the night. Our little one who is 4 1/2 months has only just started to sleep through (he still wakes up sometimes at 2ish for a feed!)

I read somewhere that you could offer them some water instead of a feed, I've heard its worked for a lot of people, but I've never tried it! As Thomasmum said though even when they do sleep through the night, you still don't get a good nights sleep!!!

Good luck with it! :D

[Rell]

Hi Kirraandjess
Boy can I relate to your problem. My son has only just started sleeping through at 9 mths!! People had sugested giving water instead of milk but this didn't work for him, he just refused it and kept screaming. I agree with Harmony83 they will decide when they are going to sleep through and there isn't much we can do about it. Hang in there, there isn't too many adults who wake for a feed so they will eventualy grow out of it. Oh now that Nathan is no longer waking for a feed he has gone back to waking up and talking for up to 2 1/2 hours!!
Good luck

[pinkandblue]

Hi

My daughter slept in her cot for the first 3 months and did not sleep through the night. At 3 months we put her into our bed because we thought this might help her to sleep. This didnt work because she still woke up for her milk and her dummy. At 2 years old we got rid of the dummy and she still woke up 95% of the time. Last week we finally put her in her own bed in her own room and she has just started sleeping through the night. She is now 2 1/2 years old.

Is your son/daughter sleeping in the same room as you? If so, it could be the noise you make during the night (just rolling over, snoring, etc) that is waking him/her up.

[juju]

Kirra and Jess, I hear your pain!!! My 4 mth old's night time sleeping has deteriorated. He goes to sleep on his own much earlier now but wakes up at 12:30, 3am and 5:30. Argh!!! We've tried the no-cry methods but to no avail and we are reviewing the sleeping arrangements of having him in our room. I hope all goes well for you!!

[Kaylene]

I know what you are going through. Ruri did not sleep for more than 2 hours at a time from the day she was born until 10 months, 2 weeks and 3 days old. She then slept almost 6 hours straight.

I too was a complete zombie and am still trying to get myself back together. It was a hard slog and I thought I was going to break many a night. She is almost 12 months old and is sleeping 8pm to 1am (feed) then straight through to 6am on most nights.

How I finally got her to sleep was I booked into the Riverton Centre. As I was so severely not coping with lack of rest and I was getting very ill, they rushed me through. We were due to go the following week and she started sleeping!!. Just the threat of going to baby sleeping school I suppose was enough, either that or she was just too damn tired to keep it up.

Good luck with your personal nightmare :( . I know its hard but there are places you can go. If you get to the stage you are getting physically sick or you just cant do it anymore go and see your Dr. They can refer you to the Riverton Centre. They have worked wonders for many babies I know. If you want to know more just msg me.

Kaylene

[JessandKirra]

There are some replies out there that really shocked me. 9 months still waking up and others every two hours. I really feel I have moaned about something I really shouldnt have. I think it just feels good to vent.

Our little girl has slept in her own room from 2 weeks old. It was actually her little noises that was keeping us awake. I have tried taking her to bed with us recently, but she just doesnt like. She went from bassinet to her cot when she was 2 1/2 months. That was a lot easier than I thought it would be. Isnt it funny what you think will be hard is easy and what you dont think of at all, is hard :D .

I went to my GP yesterday, he suggested switching to formula and "get yourself a good nights sleep" hmmmm.... I think I need to speak to my lovely nurses 1st.

Any hoo, thanks for the feed back, its nice to know (as terrible as it is) that others are facing the same milstones. Best of luck to all.

jess

[onabreak]

Hi my dd has been sleeping through since she was 5 months old, now 9 months old. I found the best thing was to keep her in a routine. It is such a godsend when they sleep through because you can finally relax and have some time to yourself. My daughter was born 10 weeks early so she was put in a routine from the day she was born. The nurses put her in a routine from day one when she was placed in a humidy crib. She was in neonatal care for nearly 8 weeks, so my DD was pretty well trained when she came home.

[mummyb]

hi
i think those of you that have sleeping through babies are very lucky indeed <
m little one is 13months and still wakes during the night ,more often than not he ends up in my bed .i dont mind so much any more and actually miss him if he sleeps later in his bed.
i just do the best i can every night and hope one fine night he will just stay a sleep the whole night through and come running in to vist in the morning:)
there is always tresslian and karitane for real advice and practical help .good luck all :p

[JessandKirra]

My girlfriend had a 2 year old who was still waking at two am to come to mummies bed. She was still in a cot. Not sure what age they come out of a cot, any way... She recently moved house introduced a childs bed and tada, the little one sleeps through every night. She just hated being "caged" as my girfriend said, so congrats to her, she has 6 weeks to go till the next little one arrives.

What age are they supposed to come out of cot?
Sorry what is tresslian and karitane?

[Foxymoron]

Do speak to your MCHN ;) it sounds like your GP is from the dark ages! If breastfeeding isn't presenting a problem for you then I wouldn't consider formula. It's a great option for those who cannot breastfeed, for whatever reason. You can however, get your dh to get up and formula feed so you can sleep through a breastfeed! You will wake a little bit full for the next feed but it can certainly take the pressure off you. Babies are all different and learn to sleep through at their own pace. It isn't a reasonable expectation for a baby to sleep through if they are waking from hunger ( which many still do at this age). There are lots of things you can do to minimise how wakeful your baby is for those night feeds ( soft lighting, nappy change before feeding) and can make it easier to get them back down. My first born was a night owl, and I can totally sympathise with you! She used to holler and cry all night then sleep like an angel all day. It settled by the time she was 9months :)

[BigW]

Hey guys - I know I'm a bit behind the times.... :p
My little man (now almost 4 months) manages to sleep really well at night. He has always been in his own room from when we brought him home and seems to enjoy his own space. He began sleeping 7pm - 3pm at 6 weeks, then at 11 weeks moved to sleeping through the night 7pm - 6.30am. He's fully breastfed.
I found a few things really help with his nightime settling. One being his bedtime routine; we have a bath around 6pm everynight, then have his final feed for an hour or so before he clocks out. Another thing is, I make sure I eat well in the morning, so my milk seems to sustain him longer at night. If I manage a cup of yoghurt and maybe a milkshake before lunch, it seems to work wonders. (just getting some good fats in helps) I also try to get as much feed into him during the day as I can, so he's got some reserves for night time.
He still gets up every now and again for a feed during the night - usually about 3am when he's having a growth spurt - however, he sleeps very soundly otherwise. Don't get too hung up on these little people sleeping all night yet, their tummies are still so very small, and they can be hungry almost constantly! I wish I could eat so well most the time. :)

[bulldoza]

My little man is 18 months old and still wakes at least once a night, and he doesn't get to sleep until 9 - 10 pm. He co-sleeps with us its the only way we can all get some rest. When he wakes up at 2 or 3 in the morning the Mrs takes him out of his cot, which is next to the bed and gives him a feed. He then would stay in the bed untill about 7 - 8 am (usually he's of and on the boob from about 5 am till he gets up).

We have a regular evening and bed time routine (shower etc), he's very active in the evening and thats without any large amounts of stimulation. Where still waiting on the day he sleeps through.

I guess our litte man having reflux and cholic for the first 9 months didnt help him and us either. Those early days, he would only sleep up right on the Mrs chest, or I would carry him around for hours untill he was in a deep sleep (love those grave yard shifts) Even then she would only average about 3 1/2 sleep a night.

[tickle]

My little man was a horrible night waker. From 12 weeks he started sleeping through and then at 6 months he started waking again (8 times a night). What made it even worse was that we went on holidays to Europe. He was messed up for ages after we came back. No matter what we did he just wouldn't sleep!!
It has been four months since then and we have gradually gotten better. He has slept through 5 nights of the last 7. YAAAAAY :D :D . I feel somewhat like a normal person. I have vowed to have him sleeping well before this next babies born.

For me I found the best tactic was to be responsive to their needs. I got so desperate that I would let him cry but it made our situation so much worse!! He would think that he had been abandoned. I will never do that again.

Anyway sorry for blabbing. It will get better eventually!!!

Ellen

PS Just after typing about how well he is sleeping, he has woken up!! That will teach me!!!
Oliver 14 months
edd 07/05/06

[Ineedsleep]

my darling daughter is 19 months and doesn't sleep through! she wouldn't sleep more than 20mins during the day either when she was little. I tried all the things recommended - but nothing worked. I bought a amby baby hammock at 4.5 months as i was about lose the plot and heaven for day sleeps, night didn't change for me. She wakes about midnight and i can get her back to sleep but she wakes again shortly after so i bring her into bed and she wiggles and kicks so we don't get a good sleep. aarrgghh

I have to try to teach her to put herself to sleep but I keep putting it off until tomorrow!!

[JanetF]

For me I found the best tactic was to be responsive to their needs. I got so desperate that I would let him cry but it made our situation so much worse!! He would think that he had been abandoned. I will never do that again.

You are exactly right! This is exactly what happens to the poor babies who are left to cry. I'm so distressed that CIO/CC are portrayed as the only options when they're so harmful. A met need goes away, and an unmet need persists, so that's why your baby is settled when you respond. Babies only cry when they need us since they have no other means of commnuication at their disposal. I still feed my son at least twice overnight and have never been really sleep deprived. He's been in my bed from day 1 so no getting up for me. Just pop him on the boob and that's it. He's back to sleep in a very short time, no tears, no real waking up for me. Trying to get a tiny baby to sleep away from you and for more than 5 hours at a time is just not going to work. Sleep "problems" are not usually problems at all, just a lack of information about how babies sleep. It's normal and healthy and a vital part of their development to wake regularly and is thought to protect against SIDS. If you want the studies and the articles by countless scientists and doctors about this, just PM me. And no amount of sleep training leads to healthy settled sleep in older children because they're so traumatised by being left in their bed to scream. Just not worth it! If you get desparate, try Elizabeth Pantley's "No Cry Sleep Solution", and Pinky McKay's books, "100 ways to soothe the crying" and "Parenting by Heart." She's currently writing a book on sleep too including all the factual information about the dangers of CC and CIO. It's well documented.

[~MUMMY~]

wow some of you have it easy !
my son is 3yrs old in 2 weeks and has NOT slept through a single night his whole life !!! except the night after he was born !

first few years was he needed a bottle or a new nappy... but now it is like he is just not sleepy... i ran out of ideas about a year ago so i just let him be... im use to the thought of never getting a full nights sleep...

He goes to bed USUALLY 9.00pm and wakes up 2am and refuses to go back to sleep...he usually comes into my room at that time and he just lays there singing to himself or playing with a toy or something for nearly an hour before he will fall asleep again..if i put him back to bed he just crys to the point he makes himself sick...then he is up again at 5am ! and will NOT go back to bed ! once that sun is peeking over the hill he refuses to stay still !
these were the time he always woke up as a baby to get a drink and a nappy changed and now he doesnt ask for a drink and usally doesnt need a new nappy it seams like it is just a routine he cant get out of !

he only has one nap during the day for an hour... usually just after lunch.

[JessandKirra]

well later down the track and we are 6 months old on monday. Still not sleeping through. But down to 1 wake a night. LAst night we went out for dinner so whe wasnt in her own bed until 10pm, then slept through till 7.30 am. We should got out every night!
Now its the roll one way cant roll back syndrome.

Still... Happy with one call out. Obviously she is waking more than that but has figured out how to put her self back to sleep!

Cheers. Jess.

[JanetF]

I'm glad you're feeling better, Jess. Babies are supposed to wake at night, so your little one is right on track :)

[Briannabear]

Babies are supposed to wake at night
Why? Not all babies do... :)

[Briannabear]

By the way Jess - its great to hear that your little one is sleeping better! :D

[strawb]

Oli has just started sleeping through the night.

He goes down at 7ish and I wake him for a feed at 10.30 and he can sleep until 9am sometimes :eek: he has only done that a few times.

He first slept through when we put him in his bassinet for the night and I thought it may have been due to it being smaller and it took a few more nights for him to do it in his cot.

Saying that he still wakes up at odd hours sometime but i cannot complain.

I do think certain books place a lot of stress on the sleeping through the night and it stresses us mums out!

[jaydensmum]

Im not much help with these questions as my DS has slept through since he was 1 month! :D I think some of the suggestions i have read is:
- make sure they are full before they go to bed. (full belly, full sleep!) :D
-clean nappy
-wrapped properly (tresillian wrap)
-maybe give them a bath before bed (it helps relaxs them)
-heat up the sheets with heat packs (make sure you take them out before they get in)
-having a mobile over the bassinett/cot
-dimmer lights
-give the bubs a massage

I cant think of anything else. Basically anything that might relax you enough to go to sleep, do it for the baby. I hope that helps, best of luck. Let us know how you go.

jaydensmum. :)

[JanetF]

Bec the point is it's normal for babies to wake and it's when we think it's abnormal and something to "fix" that we get stressed about it. And yes, although some rare babies sleep long periods of time, most don't, and it is physiologically necessary to them especially when tiny, to be waking regularly. My son has never "slept through" although we get the odd 5 hour stretch nowadays. But I've never seen it as a problem because it's normal so I haven't been stressed out by it. Sometimes I've wished he'd sleep a little longer but with a cosleeping, breastfed baby it's super easy to whack him on the boob and go straight back to sleep :D

[Kamaikia]

I think its important to remember that babies wake for a reason. Now I know its hard night after night but you just have to deal with it (feel free to complain though, I know I do at times). I too have been lucky - my boy has slept through from a few weeks old and before that he would only wake for 1 bottle a night. Occasionally though he will wake and want a bottle - obviously he is hungry. Remember babies have growth spurts, they need some extra food sometimes. And sometimes they just don't feel well - if my boys a bit off colour I can be sure of a restless night. It

[sasholi]

Hi all. My LO is 7 months and started sleeping through the night about 3 weeks ago when we got rid of dummy!

My advice - throw away the books that "gurantee" if you follow their routine your baby will sleep through at 8 weeks - doesn't happen!

Each child is different. Just keep going.

Try and nap during the day when bubs is sleeping to help you feel a little better...!

[Kamaikia]

You know I am still deciding wether I agree with controlled crying or not (i'm leaning towards not) but I think that in a situation where baby isn't sleeping at all maybe its better than having a parent who is so tired that they can't parent properly. Yes controlled crying may affect children when they are older but I think having a parent who can't enjoy there child, who sees it as work, is so tired that they lose it at the smallest things - that is just as likely to affect the child, probably more so than controlled crying. I'll have to read some of janets stuff.

JANET
(Trying to get a tiny baby to sleep away from you and for more than 5 hours at a time is just not going to work.) -

I' m just curious why it can't work. I have managed to get my son sleeping through again and out of my bed and back to the cot without controlled crying. And to be honest we are both sleeping better and alot happier because of it.


And to mummy - how do you do it. I don't think I could stay sane if it were my son. Your sound like you are handling it great though.
My nephew did this for around 12 months. He would be up by 1am at the latest and want to play til around 4am then up at 5:30am. He had severe colic as a baby and my sister seems to think that this is to blame. In 2 years he had never slept for more than 3 hours at a time. She was considering taking him to one of these sleeping schools when he just suddenly started sleeping through. Within a week he was out of his cot and into a bed in his own room.

[JanetF]

Hi K :)
I'm just trying to say that it's not going to work all the time, and especially unlikely to work with a really little bubby. They're just not equipped to deal with it, yk?
:)

[rynosmum]

Yes controlled crying may affect children when they are older .

Hi Kamaikia, What are you referring to in the comment above ? We Control cried our little on quite early on. We had three nights with a maximum on/off cry on the first night of maybe 1/2 an hour and down substantially for the next two nights.

Now my little toddler still has two big sleeps each day (generally 2 hours each) plus goes to bed at 6:30/7:00 and up at 6 (or 5 recently due to the earlier sunrise). He will even walk me into his room and grab his pillow ready for his nap - no crying just quiet understanding that it's bedtime ... and maybe a few little giggles and some talking for a while.

I hear people say all the time that Controlled crying can cause ongoing issues but honestly, I'm challenged to know what they are. It has been a fantastic process for our family.

[SweetSerenity]

My Son's 10 months now and he only slept through from about 2months, but as soon as he started teething (which was at 4mths) he hasn't slept through the whole night. He has 5 teeth now, the 6th is on it's way so i don't think we'll get decent sleeps until all his teeth have come!!! :confused:
We'll see.
He usually has his bath at 7pm, has some dinner, then a bottle, then sleep.
He normally only wakes once or twice through the night, but when his tooth is cutting through we have horrible nights.
Although last night he slept all the way through till 6:30am, whihc was odd for him.
Natalie xxx

[Kamaikia]

[QUOTE=Kamaikia]You know I am still deciding wether I agree with controlled crying or not (i'm leaning towards not) but I think that in a situation where baby isn't sleeping at all maybe its better than having a parent who is so tired that they can't parent properly. Yes controlled crying may affect children when they are older but I think having a parent who can't enjoy there child, who sees it as work, is so tired that they lose it at the smallest things - that is just as likely to affect the child, probably more so than controlled crying.
QUOTE]

Rynos mum - Please read all of what I wrote. And also read Janets comments before mine as my words were more directed towards what she was saying. Like I have said before - I neither agree or disagree - whatever works for both mum and baby is best. I know one thing though - If needed I would probably consider it.

[rynosmum]

Hi Kamaikia - I hope I didn't offend you, I was really only asking for more information on what you mentioned. I actually want to understand if there are proven long term affects on babies who have had controlled crying.

I did read all of your post, and Janets but still don't see any explanation on what the long term effects may be. :confused:

Perhaps it has just been a long day......

[Kamaikia]

No offence taken. Janet and many others always say that controlled crying can create havoc later in life. I was just saying that yes it may do (who knows) but so does a tired and worn out mum.
Look if you are interested in reading some info - ask janet. I did as I wanted to see some proof and she pm me a million articles to read (all of which are still sitting there waiting for me to find time).
And it has been a very long day here also :)

[Terrible2+1cutie]

my sons who are both 2 years old and 10 months old both slept through the night from early on, Blaze slept from 3 weeks old from 8 pm to 8 am and Bailey slept through the night from 5 weeks from 10 pm - 6 am. I was extremely lucky.

[jessica]

I'm always in awe of babies who learnt to sleep through so young - lucky mums and lucky babies - a baby who has slept contently is the happiest baby of all!! My bubs didn't sleep through till we used CC at about 6months - however because I was still breastfeeding she still woke at 3am (on the dot) for a feed - I was happy with this for a while but soon realised that she wasn't really hungry but just wanted to say hi! I stopped the 3am feed at 9 months (using CC) and haven't looked back since.

Can I just say to Janet (without meaning to be offensive or rude) that if you have never been really sleep deprived (as you said) and you have not used CC then I think it's diificult for you to understand what CC can really do FOR a child - it has been a remarkably safe, happy and positive experience for us. Just because opinions are published in journals does not been they are based on fact.

Good luck to all sleepless bubs and mums,
If only children could learn just how wonderfully blissful sleep is!!!! ;)

[logan's mum]

I have just purchased "the no cry sleep solution" by Elizabeth Pantley. She has some great ideas for helping your little one sleep through the night even if they co-sleep, are in your room or in their own. I'm still reading but can't wait to try them out.

[mariafresnel]

we bought the up to date informatoin and routines from 'saveoursleep.com.au' our daughter is sleeping straight through, settling herself and when she (if she wakes up) it's more than likely teething (we can help her with a water drink b/t 12am and 7am)......do yourself a favour spend the little money required to get information on 'how to' right up to 2 years old and beyond - there is everything on this website and it's all up to date....big benefit, my hsuband has been able to read it /learn it/and help be part of implementing it........it's been a god send! Hugs Mx

[PinkBinkie]

Hi
My baby girl is now 5mths and started to sleep through at 3mths after I dropped her 2am bottle which didn't seem to worry her. She usually is asleep by 9pm and wakes after 5am. She loves her night time bath, especially in this warmer weather. Last week I introduced her to a soft pink blanket which she loves. She holds it and pulls it over her face, soothing her off to sleep. She also has a dummy. She is very active and if she does wake during the night it's normally from getting a limb caught in the cot bars! She also loves sleeping on her tummy and side. I just think that there's no harm in giving everything a try. It's not as if we've done this before! We are all just learning along the way.Each baby is a little individual angel and you'll soon work out what she likes, and then she'll change again! Just to keep you on your toes. But once they start sleeping through you really can cope with most things and you'll start to feel human again.
Jodi ;)

[mimi]

As the mother of two 'normal' sleepers I don't think I could have survived without co-sleeping and breastfeeding. DD [#2] was a 2-3 hrly waker well into her second year - and now at almost 3 she still wakes once [not always, but quite often] in the night. Her older brother now sleeps from head-hits-pillow 'till morning [age 5] and we have had no need to use CC/C.I.O. or sleep training of any kind! :D

I do think it is down to how we view the waking [i.e.normal/abnormal] and how we 'organise' our lives around it all, that determines how we cope with babies' sleep - or lack of it!!

I [i]can see, with lives being so rushed and so full of time constraints and outside commitments, how many mums see the need for routine and order in their lives - including in the area of sleep - as an absolute necessity - and cannot condemn them for feeling that way! ... However, whether having bubs sleep long and hard, from the early months or years, is really in the best interest of children - in the long run ... I suppose only time will tell.
:)