Hi guys, I need some help trying to ge tmy bub to have his big sleep when Mum and Dad sleep.
He does a good 6- 7hrs anywhere from 4pm onwards but then we only get about 3/12 - 4 hrs before the next one. His last bottle yesterday was at 4 so I tried waking him for a "dream feed" last night at about 10 to see if that "top up" would get him through to 3ish but it was actually worse. He woke up for a feed at 1, which was only 3hrs and then again at 5.45am, which isn't so bad.
I'm not sure how else to do it. I can't keep him up any later cause he'll scream when he's tired and then just got to sleep regardless. Is everyone else's bub just sleeping through the nite without any particular effort or have you done something to help them get the timing right??
Please help, I hate to think I have to get my sleep at a time when I'd like to spend time with my DH.
He's still just learning what it's like to be out in the big world so it's still very early days! Many babies at this age are still working out the difference between day and night, let alone sleeping for more than 3-4hours at a time. It sounds like he is doing very well to put in 6-7 hours in one go!
The only thing I can think of is to put him down at 4 but give him a top up feed at 8pm to see if he sleeps longer then. However, you run the risk of him waking. I always tried to have my babies awake from 4.30 - 7pm as this was Daddy time when he got home from work and was able to help bath and put them to bed. Then they had the long stretch of sleep from 7pm. They were about 2 months old when this really started working though. Until then I just let them go with whatever they wanted.
I wouldn't be expecting your little man to work out his sleeping in the near future. It takes them quite a while to work out day/night and when to sleep longer. My DS is 3 1/2 months and still isn't sleeping overnight when I do. So unfortunately you may just need to spend time with DH and DS at the same time or use the time to sleep. DH and I are still crossing at the bedroom door, LOL! It will turn around soon though, they all do, we just have to be patient.
Good luck.
Wow, your bub is doing really well to be doing a nice long stretch of sleep like that! I understand why you'd prefer for it to be later though. As Nai said, he is still really little and still working out things. He will get there eventually.
I know you said he is tired at 4pm and will scream, but could you encourage him to just have a nap at that time, get him up at say 6-6:15pm for a bit of wake time then put him down for the night at around 7pm? This is what I do with my DD and I give her a dreamfeed a bit later to help her sleep her longest stretch while I sleep. She is 7 weeks old and it is working well. We have a basic feed/play/sleep cycle throughout the day which ends at 7pm when she goes down for the last time. She has naturally fallen into a pattern of sleeping up to 8 hours overnight.
I'm sure your bub will have worked things out soon though, you are doing a great job .
Hun: firstly, you are doing such a good job. Those early days are tough work.
Now I second Trish, your bub is doing wonderfully getting such long stretches of sleep already. I know it doesn't seem like a long stretch but trust me, my DS woke 3 hourly until about 6 months and didn't 'sleep through' until 12 months.
Just go with the flow hun. I know there is a temptation to try other things but he will just sort it out in his own time. Before you know it he will sleep through a feed and life will settle again.
My six month old still wakes once or twice in the night for a feed. My two year old STILL doesn't sleep through the night. It's just something they do in their own time... welcome to parenthood!!!
Some toddlers dont even sleep through the night!
I think (without sounding harsh) that you should accept that this is what life with a baby is like. He is only 5 weeks old, and his routine will be all over the place, as expected. There is nothing that you can do that will make him sleep through the night, he will when he is ready.
Having said though, there are things that you can try to encourage him to go to bed at a later time, this would mean working on his day routine too, as well as night routine. Shifting day sleeps, or holding them off even for 10 mins if you can. I cant really help in that aspect coz til about 9mths old I pretty much went with my babys lead!
Trust me, I know its not easy with a new little bub! Its a bit of a shock to the system, and you do want to spend the time you have with your hubby, but the saying "Sleep when the baby sleeps" pretty much explains itself.
Sleeping through the night
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