Waking frequently

[Rosey]

I have a babe that likes to wake often during the night. Since DD was 5 months she began waking hourly, now at 7&1/2 months not much has changed except sometimes she will sleep for 3 hours when she first goes down for the night. We feed to sleep and a feed is what I offer during the night as its the quickest option for everyone to enjoy slumber land once again. My MCHN said that's why she is waking often but I'm honestly too tired to try and change the habit... And I wouldn't even know where to start.

So I'd love to hear your experiences with a frequent waker and at what age did they begin to naturally lengthen their sleep? Did you do anything to help them sleep for longer stretches or did you let them take their own course?

[Artechim]

13.5 months and still going...

*sigh*

[Rosey]

13.5 months and still going...

*sigh*

Oh Hun you poor thing! How are you dealing? You must be a zombie.

[Arcadia]

Cosleeping works for us. I also try to feed to almost asleep and then take bub off and pat them. That seems to ensure they only wake for hunger not comfort.

Both mine were/are frequent wakers and at 18 months ds still feeds twice overnight. Dd stopped waking for a feed when I night weaned her at about 19 months.

Hang in there. Sleep in the day, go to bed early, trust yourself and your baby! It's normal for babies to need feeding through the night. Just because some babies sleep through doesn't mean yours should or biologically is able to!

[MrsFabuloso]

I have had frequent wakers too. Usually until they turn about 18-ish months, then it is less frequent, but still frequent, 2-3 times a night. Until about 3, then maybe once a night. DS2 wakes 2-3 times a night now, at 21months. DS1 and DD still wake often. Not every night, but some nights (on a bad night these days, maybe once a week)I am up 10+ times. All they need is to know I am there and they are back to sleep, but still I wake a lot throughout the night with them.

[leckert]

I think ds1 (2hrly night wake ups at 5.5mths) started to settle down with the waking around 18mths (give or take a bit); eventually down to around 1 feed a night around 20mths. Soon after turning 2 started consistently sleeping through. I breastfed until 26mths. I did get exhausted early on but took to having nanna naps on the weekend to try and catch up on some sleep (was working full time as a teacher when ds turned 4mths) eventually I got used to the less sleep (used to need 9hrs sleep/night; now I function on 6-7hrs of semi broken sleep). I sent DH in to settle ds1 from around 2yrs.