When did your baby sleep for longer…

[Babyontheway21]

Just out of interest… I know every baby is different but I’m 5 weeks in and I don’t think I could have ever been prepared for the sleep deprivation lol! Newborns are something else just wondering when it got a little easier or should I just prepare myself that this is life for the foreseeable ?

Also he will only go to sleep when he is being rocked to sleep or during a bottle feed? Any tricks to get him out of this? I’ve tried leaving him to cry he just gets himself in a tizzy and uncontrollably cries.

I think you probably need to prepare yourself for the foreseeable, although every baby is different! He's so tiny at 5 weeks old. I prefer to take baby's lead, especially when so tiny. Saying that I'm typing this as my one year old contact naps so I might be too far the other way. You'll get lots of different opinions but the only thing that really matters is if you are happy with what you are doing. Don't let others push their opinions on you, just do what works, what keeps you happy and what makes baby happy too. Good luck and congratulations!

In the day, ten weeks when I discovered a stretchy wrap carrier. Only did 40 minutes at a time until then. At night he was pretty good, woke two hourly or less often from when we started cosleeping at three weeks.

My baby started sleeping 10-6 at 12 weeks old and now at 6 months he sleeps 8-8, I might be lucky though I don't know.

It depends on each child. A friend of mine told me that all I needed to do was have a routine as hers slept through from about 4 months. At 4 mine did too. 4 years. Her second child couldn’t give two shits about routines.

It got better for me around 6 weeks which I believe is fairly common. However, it will get better, then worse, then better, then worse...I have an 11 month old who often wakes 3ish times in the night. If I feel tired I remind myself that this is nothing compared to when I was waking hourly and getting up at 4am every day! It does get better though so hang in there. Personally, at that age, I'd do whatever you have to do to get them to sleep. You might see suggestions to put your baby down awake but sleepy. It might work for yours but for many it doesn't. This only started working for mine at 8 months.

Mine woke every 2 hours until he was 15 months. I got used to it and stopped feeling so tired, it just took a few months.

Please don't leave him to cry. He needs you and he will have no idea why you are doing it.

Oh and I fed him to sleep every nap and feed. Until he was 2.

Sleepy but awake - has never worked for my babies or for ANY baby I know except one. I don't know why they say it!

Thanks everyone. I did think tough love was a bit harsh at 5 weeks he just enjoys cuddles too much when he’s awake he needs to be in your arms
It’s so hard getting anything done. I probably should be grateful that he was wakening every 3-4 hours before now. I’ll just let him tell me what to do for now although when I’ve been up every hour during the night I can’t help but find myself on google searching “how to get baby to sleep longer” I’m sure I will look back at this time in a few months when he is sleeping 8-8 and laughing (I wish)

I honestly think that the constant hoping and trying to change it makes you feel worse! He is doing what is biologically normal and in my experience you can't change it, so just accept it and you'll likely feel a bit better. It's so tough but we've all been there, you can do it I promise x

A friend’s daughter slept through the night from four months old whereas her son slept through when he was nearly three years old. All kids are different but be prepared for lots of sleepless nights! It definitely helps if your partner is able to help out or perhaps get your mum or dad to come and give you a hand. Sleep deprivation is hard in the early days of a new baby but this will pass. Congratulations.

Handhold OP, sleep deprivation is just so tough I know .

With DS1 he was a pretty good sleeper, only used to wake once for a feed during the night, unless he was teething or it was really hot, he was summer born.

DS2 arrives 21mths later, lulled into a false sense of security by DS1. DS2 was a very unsettled baby, cried all day and most of the night! He did not improve until he was around 7mths, and even then he still woke every night without fail and got into bed with us, until he was 4.

DS2 was the very reason we stopped at two children! Otherwise I think I would have had a third.

Thank you, I’m sure my body will get into the swing of it soon just a bit of a shock to your system lol. I dont want to wish this stage away because I know when he can walk and talk I will be thinking give me that newborn stage any day lol. Im guessing I just take each day as it comes and one day I’ll be surprised that I’ve had more that 2 hours sleep together he is so young still and actually proving me wrong just now he’s been sleeping for 2 and a half hours (not in my arms) which he never does.

@Roselilly36 that actually made me laugh. My baby has silent reflux and we think episodes of colic where he cries uncontrollably for a few hours and there’s just nothing you can do to help. He is on medicine for the reflux now so I’m hoping that helps settle him. You just wish you could take the pain for them.

Hi OP,

I have a four week old newborn. I basically see this as my job and let everything else slide and my partner picks up the slack so I don't feel like I have anything to get done bar care for baby. That means if baby needs to sleep on me it's no problem and less stressful if you have no expectations of baby doing anything but need you!

Have you read about the fourth trimester?

No I’ve not but I will thank you, yes he is my full time job as you say and everything else has been left for oh. Getting dressed in the morning is a dash whilst my baby doesn’t realise I’m not holding him for ten mins lol.

My first started sleeping better at 3.5-4 years old, until then he woke very 1-2 hours. My second started sleeping better at about 2 years. It's normal for them to fall asleep being cuddled or fed, he's far too young to get himself to sleep independently. Google the fourth trimester.

Thank you

Sorry, but ours was about 8m old.

Only now at 13m can be reliably get himself to sleep.

We tried repeatedly but it was evident each time he wasn’t ready, so we stopped, then one day he just knew what to do.

5weeks is tiny I’d not worry yet.

My DD slept through 7-7 with no wake ups at 8 weeks old. There was a quite dramatic change around 6 weeks from 3 hourly wake ups to 5-6 hour stretches. This may be the case for you too you never know! We used a love to dream swaddle and white noise and I think this was a big part of why she slept so well. We did have blips in the 4 month regression and then again just before 6 months at which point we sleep trained as the feed to sleep association was taking a toll on me needing to be there for every sleep

I’ll need to look at sleep training. I looked at the loved to dream swaddle but my baby goes crazy when you swaddle him he kicks and growls until he is out of the blanket. I know this is a big part of him feeling secure so I persevere. He is so tiny I’m sure he will sort himself out with time.

He is so tiny I’m sure he will sort himself out with time

Undoubtedly, he spend 9m curled up inside you, this is all new.

We sleep trained at 6 months and advice is not to do it before then but no harm reading up now!

Each of my 3 children have been so different. My first born daughter didn’t sleep through until she was about 8 months old. My second born son started doing longer stretches from 8 weeks (12am-5am) and then it gradually got longer. My third born son started doing longer stretches at about 9 weeks and then 12/13 hours overnight from 10 weeks. With regards to sleep training I started from birth with my sons, with my daughter I’d didn’t have a clue what I was doing! 😂 We made sure to teach them the difference between day and night (lots of light and noise during feeds and day naps, very quiet and dark during night feeds). Also putting them down awake for naps giving them the chance to get to sleep on their own, we would stand with them and pat/rock them to start with and gradually do it for less time. Then we moved onto doing the same for night time sleep. Also used loud white noise and swaddling.

Just saying my nearly 2 year old doesn’t sleep through the night.
They are all different, my first was a dream with his sleep…. DD not so much.

She’s also an early riser too , she loves a 5am start 🤣🤣