Dream feed help

[Blossom789]

DS 13 weeks has always gone to sleep at 9pm, not been able to get him down before this in the Last week, DS has had three really terrible nights getting to sleep. He's been hysterical and wouldn't take a feed for what felt like hours but was actually about 45mins. I'm thinking we need to get him to bed earlier as he's getting overtired. So I'm going to try getting him down earlier (previous attempts have failed) - last night despite tears he slept from 8pm-4.45am I'm thinking of doing the dream feed. Never done this before as I'd usually go to bed with DS.

How much do I wake DS to get him to feed? Will he not wake up and be upset with me for waking him? I'm worried about it affecting his sleep.

[DoubleCarrick]

Weirdly we've had this over the past week with 14 week old ds. Last night (tonight) we seemed to have nailed it. (who knows what will happen tonight).

We decided not to dream feed though and had wakings at 1 and 5 for a feed.

Dh just used to lift ds and if he was peckish he'd take the bottle without waking at all. We might start doing it again soon but we've had complications with medication so have stopped it lately

[LapinR0se]

You just pick him up, keep the lights and interaction to the very minimum. Place the teat on his cheek and his reflexes should make him turn towards it.
Just pop it in and give him as much as he seems to want.
When he's finished put him upright on your shoulder and gently sway a bit till the burp comes up. Then very gently back into bed.
You might want to go up a nappy size too.

[LapinR0se]

PS what's the rest of his routine like?

[Blossom789]

We've been doing bath, massage, feed upstairs with low light and minimal interaction. He has started sleeping between 7/8 hours in one chunk then up for feed and down for another two although these are more restless. I try to leave him when he stirs and he'll usually go back to sleep.

[LapinR0se]

Oh sorry I mean over the course of the day

[Blossom789]

Oh right.. not do much of a routine during the day. After keeping a note of what he's doing he always has 6 feeds from waking to sleeping at night, and sleeps for 3hours in the day usually one longer nap in the middle of the day but times are all over the place.

[LapinR0se]

Ok! Just wondered what was causing the massive overtiredness in the evening.
At 13 weeks they still need an afternoon nap around 4.30 - 5.30pm and then a split feed before and after bath for a 7pm bedtime.
You could then do a dreamfeed at about 10.30 and you might get a wake up at around 5