To expect dd to sleep the night through now?

[Peppery123]

She is 24 weeks...nearly 6 calendar months. Iv been told that now is when they start slweping through....shes not...yet. but AIBU to expect it?
I know I will most likely get loads of responses with 3 and 4 year olds still not sleeping the night through. I get it, Im not trying to say that she SHOULD be sleeping through..its actually my health visitor who saw me last week and my huge, unmissable eye bags, and commented well shes nearly 6 months so she will be sleeping longer now and maybe through the night.
Just hanging onto to those words with immense hope. She said most mothers she sees it all starts to get better come after 6 months.
Some nice postives anecdotes would be good to hear. Anyone?

My dd slept through at 3 months. she was a goid sleeper..,it made no difference as I had undiagnosed anemia and was always tired. she was a late walker. ...don't have expectations. ,your baby will do it when they they do it.

I've got 3 children, all 3 regularly slept through from 7pm till 6am from the age of about 7mths. I genuinely think its to do with self soothing. All mine were put into their cot sleepy so they could drift off themselves. I never rocked them to sleep (apart from if they were poorly), I always allowed them to go to sleep on their own. I felt it helped so if they did wake in the night they knew how to get back to sleep on their own.

I would obviously go in if they were crying etc or upset. I would never ignore them, before anyone suggests that.

I have friends that have children who don't sleep through and they have to lie with them to go to sleep etc. I genuinely don't think it helps if they can't learn how to fall asleep by themselves.

Mine slept 12 hours from 5 months old. I think that about 50% of babies I know started to sleep well through the night from about 6 months to a year but the other half still wake once or twice.
I do think some parents make it harder for themselves though. Breastfeeding at night at 18 months old, letting the child get up and play at 4 am, watching TV at night etc. You have to keep everything very boring at night and minimise the feeding as well (not at 6 months as they probably still need it but after a year or so).

My son didn't sleep through until 2.5 and even then it was rare, up until he was 4. Every child is different, some sleep well others don't. They are babies, they are learning and growing at a phenomenal rate so sometimes what other babies and toddlers will do will differ to yours.

Just be patient, it'll happen!

They're all so different. DC1 slept through from 12 weeks, DC2 slept through from 16 weeks. Was expecting lots of sleeping through with DC3 - nope! Until 22 months I was still up at least once, usually twice every night. Luckily DC3 would go straight back to sleep after milk so was still being fed overnight. Hopefully you get some good nights sleep soon.

They're all so different. DC1 slept through from 12 weeks, DC2 slept through from 16 weeks. Was expecting lots of sleeping through with DC3 - nope! Until 22 months I was still up at least once, usually twice every night. Luckily DC3 would go straight back to sleep after milk so was still being fed overnight. Hopefully you get some good nights sleep soon.

Hi OP,

I think the HV will have said that as you'll be weaning baby. I found with my two that they started sleeping through once they were on two meals a day.

It will happen. But for people saying it's normal for their 1 year olds to wake 4 times a night and still have night feeds etc. etc. I'm afraid those are bad habits that need to be broken.

@WhiskyIrnBru

My dd didn't sleep through the night till she was 2!

She was breastfed and it was a nightmare. I was an absolute croc for two years!

My son was 2.5 years old when he has his first full night, brought into the sleepyhead fad which worked 3 nights then back to waking up! He finally started sleeping through when he turned 4.

It may help to accept that some babies sleep, others don't until much later. Out of your control I'm afraid...

We were also in the minority in our friendship groups but our DS didn't start sleeping through until he was 3 🤦🏻‍♀️

My brother and his wife know exactly how to teach your baby to sleep through at a very early age. It's because of the dream feed they gave at 11 at night. It has nothing to do that they're both half deaf and clearly didn't hear the kids when I was visiting the holidays .

Mine still wakes 3 times at 4.5 months. She has not shown any inclination to sleep longer periods at all so I'd be surprised if she'll learn within the next six weeks. My friends tend to have to give night feeds for the first year so that's what I'm expecting. I don't want to sleep train any younger anyway (and maybe not at all). Maybe nature just knows what's best for growth. But it is exhausting, isn't it?

Some babies sleep through, others don't. Some children sleep through, others don't. If you have a non sleeper it doesn't matter what you do, they won't sleep through til they are ready. Unfortunately for us, miniamarya was about 10 before they slept through.

DC1 slept 10h from 10 weeks then started waking up from 9m at least once a night for cuddle. DC2 started to sleep alone and through night from 4y. Once just need cuddles rather than feeding it’s a lot easier!

I did the Gina Ford contented baby routine with both mine. DS1 slept from 7pm-7am (with one feed at 10pm for a month or so) from 10 weeks. DS2 was a bit older, around 12 weeks. By 6 months they were sleeping 7pm-7am every night. And no controlled crying!

The GF routine gets slated on MN but reading this thread makes me so glad I used it.

Try it, OP. It’s easy, there’s no crying (don’t believe people who say there is, they haven’t read it) and it works.

Well both of mine are 2 and still arnt sleeping through the night

Where your first two bottle fed? The only dcs I know who slept that well were formula fed.
It's a total mixed bag, my first sleep pretty well (just two night wakes in general) and slept through from around 9 months, my 2nd not until 4 years old and third 3 years (loads of nights where they did sleep through and good phases but reflux lasting for years and teething etc).. We had/have an excellent routine, loads of food, exercise , love. Made absolutely no difference, our kids were totally different sleep wise. 6 months sleeping through is only for bottle fed babies in my experience.

Generally gina ford is always mentioned by ppl who formula feed also.

I think it's definitely just pure luck (or not!) In the vast majority of cases.
DS (3) slept through the night from being 6wks old (8hrs). However this was only if he was in my arms or touching me, he would not settle in his cot for longer than 5mins. I coslept with him until he was 3 and he only went into his own bed in February when his baby sister arrived. He's transitioned brilliantly.

DD (9wks) sleeps 10-4ish, feeds for an hour!! But then back asleep 5-8ish.

I really can't complain but know its absolutely nothing I've done and take no credit. We don't do strict routines and are very flexible with naps etc Just go with the flow.

Also both of mine were/are mix fed but primarily breastfed. Dd might have a morning bottle of formula but never finishes it.

How old are your other two? My first slept through from like 8 weeks old, that’s why we have a 17 month age gap between her and DS1. Then we have an almost 9 year gap between him and DS2 both boys terrible sleepers. DS2 is 4 now and gets in our bed every night!

What kept me sane when the youngest was a baby though was afternoon naps. I used to sleep too. Obviously only possible if your other kids are at school...or will nap too?!

I’d probably say my ds was 3 before he done 12 hours and probably 18 months before he did a 6 hour stretch! I kept reading about baby’s sleeping through from so young and I drove me mad I feel your pain honestly health visitor should never have said that as I don’t actually think it’s true

Mine slept better after 3. Sorry i tried everything but it seemed to be developmental!

I was woken twice last night by my nine year old

My aunts DD didn't sleep through until 18 months.

My first was about 11 months second about 8 or 9-- it definitely varies.

We noticed the biggest change in when DC turned 1. At 6 months there was no way she'd have slept through

Mine did sleep through at 6 months but many don't, she will in time , just try and keep the bedtime routine etc