How do I drop a night feed?

[MoonUnitAlpha]

My ds is 16 weeks tomorrow - he's always been a good night time sleeper and has done an 8 hour stretch at night from quite early on. His typical night has been feed at 6.30pm, asleep by 7pm, feeds at 3am, 5am and awake around 7am.

About a week ago I started doing a feed when I go to bed between 10 and 11 in the hope that this would replace the 3am feed and he'd sleep through til 5am. More often than not though he still wakes at 3am, although this seems to be more habit than hunger as it's a few sucks then back to sleep.

Is there much I can do to gently discourage the 3am waking? A few people have suggested offering water but I think he's too young for that still.

You could try just holding and comforting him and seeing if he can get back to sleep that way. There will probably be tears, far easier just to feed back to sleep.

16 weeks is still very young, and there's a 4-month sleep regression to get through too....my DS fed twice a night until 10 months. Sorry, not what you want to hear!

Hmm, yes - sleep regression as well! I was wondering if it was better to make changes beforehand so we have something to get back to, or maybe wait til afterwards

I know two night feeds isn't that bad, but I'll kick myself if all I've managed to do is create an extra feed! Everyone I know in real life seems to have a baby that sleeps 11-5 at the least.

They are lying, trust me.

www.kellymom.com/parenting/sleep/sleep.html

They are lying, trust me.

www.kellymom.com/parenting/sleep/sleep.html

Maybe try dropping the 10pm feed and getting to bed a bit earlier?

They change so much over the weeks and months anyway, regardless of what we do. Best to go with the flow, ime. Oh, and pay no attention to what other babies do

They ARE lying! DS wakes up every 2 hours, and has for the last, erm, ten weeks (also 16 weeks). He'll only go back to sleep with a boob.

[sob, howl with rage, shriek, etc]

Sorry don't have any more to add. just had to hijack with my tales of woe, so you can start thinking of your LO as a 'great sleeper' :)

DD is 8 months and fed FIVE times last night. Does that make you feel better?

I had thought she was only having a couple of feeds (we co-sleep and she helps herself without disturbing me too much, so I wasn't too sure!) but I decided to count last night, and the little piggy had five!

I guess I find it frustrating that he sleeps 8 hours, but the wrong 8 hours iyswim! Also want to move him out of our bed and into his own room soonish, but don't want to do that if it means getting up more than once a night

Think I will give it a few more days with the dreamfeed and trying DP settling him at 3am, and if it doesn't work I'll just stop with the dreamfeed. Just hope I haven't messed up his sleep now by interfering

I'm not exactly an expert of sleep (see above!) but have found the "no cry sleep solution" book REALLY good. All about how to nudge the baby's sleeping habits, gently, towards a calm, restful situation for everyone. Lots of tops for getting baby into own cot/room etc. I'm using some of her ideas for creating a sleep association that DOESN'T involve sucking, for my ds. Trying to get it so he doesn't always have to feed to sleep. Might be worth checking out of your local library?

I do have NCSS actually - I was quite good when he was very little at following the suggestions for not feeding to sleep and putting him down to sleep, but the feeding particularly has slipped. I haven't managed to eliminate sucking to sleep at all, just swapped boob for dummy sometimes But, he can often be rocked/patted to sleep so we do have some options, and a couple of times has even gone to bed awake and fallen asleep by himself... unfortunately haven't managed to replicate this regularly though.

My dd was sleeping thru (11-7) from 4 weeks to 12 weeks and then had a growth spurt and it all went haywire. She was getting up anywhere between 2 and 5 times a night until at 28 weeks I declared myself utterly exhausted! (btw she is bf)

I roped in DH and he got up with her because as soon as she saw me she thought "mummeee mulk!!" So he started getting up with her and within 2 weeks she was up only once for a feed and then within another 2 weeks she was sleeping 8-7! With the habit you just have to break it- in my case my hubby did the breaking ()but it was worth it it just takes a little time. Worth a try anyway!