Dd awake for long period at night. Can I sort it?

[Sleepglorioussleep]

In any twenty four hour period, she'll usually have a longer stretch of sleep, four to five hours. This is great when it comes when we go to bed, but less useful at other times. Whatever happens, when she wakes for a night feed she us generally properly awake for two hours after that. My other two dc just woke up, fed and went to sleep, without me consciously making it happen, and I'm finding the long awake times challenging. Anything I can do? Or just wait for it to settle? Dd1 is five and ds two and a half.

How old is your DD2? My DD went through this for a while but eventually got over it.

Hi uksky, she's six weeks tomorrow. Glad to know it passed for you. She's happy to stay asleep some nights if I have her on me long enough to go into a really deep sleep but it's very unpredictable. Fingers crossed for tonight!

So sorry I have no advice - but I am going through exactly the same thing with my DD (9 weeks, adjusted age 5 weeks). Like you, I didn't have this problem with my DS.

I offer my sympathy - but I'm also writing this to bump it in case someone out there had a magic solution!!!

Joyce-good to read your post. I'm sorry your sleep messed about with too, but glad I know about at least one other who's awake in the small hours too. Had a very silly night last night-no nice five hour sleep and dd2 awake solidly from one til five. She did sleep loads in the day so I could at least see the reason. And survived the day without being too crabby and horrible to anyone! Hoping for better tonight-scared of what happens to me when sleep deprived. tried to nap this afternoon but she was unsettled then too. Ah well...

I would give her a bottle before she goes bed hungry baby milk. I tried breastfeeding and everyone I know had sleepless nights who breast fed. Bottle fed babies seemed to be satisfied more and sleep. I don't know if this is right I'd ask your health visitor first.

My DS was like this at that age. It improved a bit when I stopped turning my bedside lamp on for night feeds and fed him in the dark. I felt a bit daft when I realised

But some babies are just like that. DS stopped feeding to sleep during the day at 12 weeks - it was a right bloody pain.

Thank you! I'll def try the bedside lamp thing-also a bit not to have already, although is quite low wattage. Am bf, seems good but I take your point about the bottle. Turning in now for what I hope will be a better night-dd has had a busy time on the baby gym and awake/napping in good pattern today so i'm hopeful. Joyce-I'll be around to chat three ish if not. Although that's when mumsnet towers updates its server too!

Good luck hope you get some sleep - as I say don't quote me on that just check with health visitor. I would hate to give you wrong advice. But would love to give you right one and some sleep lol! You never know till you ask! I have new questions everyday lol. Hope it goes well :)

Well, I hope the night is going well for you, SGS! So far, so good here - DD fed at 1:30 but actually went back to sleep! I didn't feed her any differently and I don't have the light on, so I couldn't change that. She possibly slept less during the day, though.

Anyway, hope it's going well for you - and that MN wasn't updating the server if you wanted it. It's really annoying when that happens, isn't it?!!

Glad your night better! Much better here. I fed dd two or three times, but no long waking up time. Did sit for a while holding her, but the other times she went in the basket fine. Hope we get another good one tonight!

Excellent - that sound very promising! I am about to try and get DD back in her basket again now. But I suppose even if she does settle, DS will be probably be up soon! Still, I've had more sleep tonight already than most of the last week, so I should probably count my blessings! Fingers crossed our run of sleep luck continues tonight!

Feels so different on a bit of sleep! Hope ds gives you a lie in! Our other two are always up early so that means when dd2 awake still at four or five I know it's not long til wake up! Anyway, no reason to think better sleep won't continue. Much more settled today-think the horrendous night might have been growth spurt. Have a good day.

Hi

Just wanted to second the suggestion about not turning the light on, making sure your curtains block out most light (i dont use blackouts though) and not talking during night feeds. Someone suggested teaching dd about day and night in this way at 6 weeks and I thought they were crazy, but within a week she went from being all over the place to having her good solid sleep at night- only 4 hours but better than before and it also helps her settle back to sleep for a couple of hours after the night feed. I also always give her a bath before bed and put her in a sleepsuit rather than 'day' clothes, but less sure that this has any effect.

Hope things get better for you.

Hope you have a good night tonight Joyce

You too, SGS!