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Original poster

What exactly does "sleeping through" mean?

45 replies

kiwicath · 19/02/2004 19:45

Hi ya. It's not of any great importance really but I'm wondering what exactly the term "sleeping through" means. I've always thought it was from bedtime at night (7pm ish) to wake up time (7am ish) however I'm being told by numerous proud mums that their baby "slept through" from the day they came out of the hospital. I find it hard to believe that their littlins slept for 12 hours solid without a squeak at that early age so I'm figuring it means different things to different people. General concensus please.

OP posts:
CountessDracula · 19/02/2004 19:46

They are lying!

zebra · 19/02/2004 19:48

Unbroken 6 hour stretch, traditional definition.

suzywong · 19/02/2004 19:48

IMO, sleeping through means you do not feel like the living dead the following morning. So this may be three lots of four hours or other combinations, But don't expect anything like that for 6 months, he's only wee.

Clayhead · 19/02/2004 19:49

I would say about 8 hours! Not that I've managed that with either of mine until 9 months or so! 24 week old ds still waking every 1 1/2 or so... Due to this have developed massive cynicism/jealousy of anyone who claims what you've heard...!

suzywong · 19/02/2004 19:52

Hear hear, they are witches and only say it for spite, IMHO

aloha · 19/02/2004 19:54

I think it means at least 11pm until 6am. Ie a decent amount of sleep for an adult. Agree that this term needs a good legal definition

kiwisbird · 19/02/2004 19:58

I define it when I get to sleep through again!

miranda2 · 19/02/2004 20:00

in my book 'sleepig through' meant 7 to 7 (well, 6), and ds did this at 6 months. But a major breakthrough was at c.3.5 months when he slept 11.30 to 5.30/6ish, ie dropped the 2/3am feed - you need a block of about 5 hours to feel human, imo. REally can't believe a baby (newborn) can go longer than 5 hours at teh absolute max between feeds, so assume they are lying!

zebra · 19/02/2004 20:01

The short answer, Kiwicath, is ask the speaker what they meant when they use the phrase! Bit like saying you had "a natural birth" -- rather imprecise and means something different to everyone you speak to, in reality.

Don't let it be a competition... All that really matters is you finding a strategy that gets you the most rest while keeping baby happy (enough) too.

Original poster
kiwicath · 19/02/2004 20:01

Wee he is but he's a real little trooper when it comes to sleeping at nights. From the day after my milk came in he went to bed at 7pm, woke him up at 10.30pm to feed then left him until he woke up by himself which is sometime between 3am - 4am then back to sleep until woken at 7am. I'm just wondering really when he will start to push that middle of the night feed to 5am-6am or if I'm really jammy 7am Maybe I should just shut the hell up and thank my lucky stars I'm getting a relatively good nights sleep

OP posts:
zebra · 19/02/2004 20:01

ARE YOU IMPLYING, Miranda2, that Gina Ford tells lies? The GFers will have you strung up for that, you know.

Hulababy · 19/02/2004 20:03

Traditionally it is a 6 hour stretch.

For 22mo DD I go for 7:30pm to 7am sometimes later)

When she was little it was much much less!

suzywong · 19/02/2004 20:04

the latter, kiwicath, the latter

bossykate · 19/02/2004 20:07

i agree with aloha - a decent night's sleep for an adult.

zebra, couldn't resist a dig at GFers could you?

zebra · 19/02/2004 20:08

Was I wrong that GF claims that virtually all babies can "sleep thru" from birth on her routine? Not many people do make that claim, but I thought she did, she's much more credible than Ezzo, at least!

zebra · 19/02/2004 20:09

(And by 'sleeping thru', I thought she meant specifically the 6 hour definition).

CountessDracula · 19/02/2004 20:10

To me it is an 11 or 12 hour stretch!

Sorry but 11 till 6 is not enough sleep for me!

GenT · 19/02/2004 20:20

The HV would ask me that question and I asked her what she meant. DD was around 5 or 6 months then. She said a baby sleeping without feeding through the night or I having to get up to feed her.

Oh, how I waited for that day, and you know what! it finally arrived. It took 8 months but it is worth it, dd sleeps through 11 - 12 hours now, and that is brilliant for me. I need more than 7 hours of sleep to feel refreshed for antoher day journey.

Original poster
kiwicath · 19/02/2004 20:22

Thanks guys for clearing that up .... sort of . I'm off to feed the nipper then crash

OP posts:
Slinky · 19/02/2004 20:24

To me, sleeping through meant from their evening feed right through to morning without a feed at night/me getting up.

My youngest is now 4 and has been sleeping through since 5 months old. However, although potentially I could sleep for 12 hours if I wanted, since having kids I find I can't sleep much before 11.30pm and I get up at 6.30am!!

suedonim · 19/02/2004 20:37

A five or six hour stretch is 'sleeping through' in my book. After dd2 not sleeping through until she was 2.5yrs I'd even consider it to be with a night feed but settling again straightaway. I always reckoned that life was survivable once night wakenings were down to one.

Evita · 19/02/2004 20:51

I don't think GF suggests that newborns can sleep a long stretch from the outset. It's an absurd idea - wouldn't they dehydrate?? To me it would be that they go to bed and when they next wake up it's when they'd get up for the morning. So that depends on when you put them to bed and when you want them to start the day. Dd slept 10pm til 6am by 2 months, but she had a bf at 6 then crashed again til 8 or so so I never thought of that as 'sleeping through.'

GenT · 19/02/2004 20:54

no matter what time of day....

if my dd was in the car and the journey was 6 hours, I am positive she will sleep through, be it at home, if I get an hour that is a lot...... she is a rascal

bloss · 20/02/2004 09:47

Message withdrawn

JeniN · 20/02/2004 10:09

My HV defined it as 12 pm to 6 am.