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Original poster

Do babies generally start sleeping better when they move onto solids?

30 replies

savebraveted · 02/06/2014 20:26

Yes, I know there will be exceptions, but as a general rule? I am currently weaning ds - he is 1 week off 6 months so at the moment we are only on a couple of spoonfuls at lunchtime. He is a dire sleeper - wakes a lot during the night and will take one or two bf and the rest of the time I just offer a cuddle or some water. I was hoping that offering him water might stop him waking up but no such luck!
Once he is on a good breakfast and lunch, I really hope that he will wake less in the night - and might be time for some night weaning?

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CockD0dger · 02/06/2014 20:29

Nope. It made no difference at all.

Sorry.

Flisspaps · 02/06/2014 20:30

Nope, not met anyone who had a baby that slept better on solids. Sorry!'

FelixFelix · 02/06/2014 20:30

DD started waking up every hour three days before I started weaning her. 3 weeks in and she's no better. Sorry Sad

NaturalBaby · 02/06/2014 20:31

No. It took a few weeks/couple of months to make sure they'd had enough solids during the day to be full enough to get through the night without a feed, and then I had to break the habit of waking every few hours. Then there was a sleep regression around 9 months.

RubyrooUK · 02/06/2014 20:32

Nope, I too saw no difference and know nobody who did. Sorry.

(Mother to one totally dire sleeper aged 14mo and one ex-dire-sleeper aged nearly 4yo who just got a bit older and improved a lot.)

ClariceBeanthatsme · 02/06/2014 20:32

Noooooo I hoped it was true too Sad

AntinousWild · 02/06/2014 20:32

No. Anecdotally and empirically, it does not help. Sorry. Hang in there. It will get better.

JiltedJohnsJulie · 02/06/2014 20:33

Made things worse here. Sorry OP.

bonzo77 · 02/06/2014 20:35

No. Maybe a bit worse.

moonmrs · 02/06/2014 20:36

My ds was much better on solids, he seemed to be constantly hungry and I breastfed almost continuously until the hv said to wean him early. Then he slept for 12 hours through the night once he was on 3 meals a day. Possibly co-incidental, but he seemed much happier. But everyone is different.

beccajoh · 02/06/2014 20:37

My daughter did improve, BUT, she was 14 months before she was interested in food, so quite a lot older. I did start weaning her at six months but she just wasn't bothered and went days at a time refusing anything other than milk.

deadwitchproject · 02/06/2014 20:37

IME, no. I had to sleep train using some CC.

DippyEggNSolders · 02/06/2014 20:39

No.

Sleep and food are not linked. There is no evidence to suggest it is, but many many many people convince themselves and others that there is a link between a full belly and sleep.

Most babies are worse on food when it comes to sleep, because their bodies are having to work harder at digesting something that they're not used to.

YellowYoYoYam · 02/06/2014 20:46

Eating solids made no difference here either I'm afraid.

However, DD took to solids really well so I felt confident to night wean not long after moving onto solids and this led to sleeping through.

Abra1d · 02/06/2014 20:47

Mine seemed to sleep a bit better, but it took some weeks to build up the solids to anything meaningful. So it's not a simple cause and effect.

Original poster
savebraveted · 02/06/2014 20:58

Oh dear…there goes my light at the end of the tunnel! He does seem hungry at night though. Was hoping the solids might fill him up a bit more.
He is a lovely placid baby during the day and self settles at nap time and really well at bedtime. Why oh why does he get so cross at night? Wakes up every 1 or 2 hours and cries loads and gets very worked up if I leave him to cry for more than a couple of minutes. It´s as if he hates his cot!

OP posts:
JiltedJohnsJulie · 02/06/2014 21:14

Sorry ted. Hopefully this and this might help Smile

JiltedJohnsJulie · 02/06/2014 21:16

Oh and if he is hungry, could you fit an extra feed in the day? Could he be going through the 6 month growth spurt or sleep regression?

Inapickle123 · 03/06/2014 07:57

Bucking the trend here b

Inapickle123 · 03/06/2014 07:58

Bloody iphone. Since DS started on solids, he has slept so much better. He has severe reflux so less milk has made him so much more comfortable and he actually sleeps! Real sleep!

ShoeWhore · 03/06/2014 08:01

2 slept much better once they were eating a full diet including protein. (So quite a few weeks in)

You don't want to hear about dc3 Grin

Pusspuss1 · 03/06/2014 08:04

Several big studies say solids don't help with the sleep, unfortunately.

fledermaus · 03/06/2014 09:14

Didn't really make a difference no, though by 9 months I was confident enough he was eating well in the day to drop night feeds.

Still woke in the night even without night feeds though!

MrsHY1 · 03/06/2014 09:42

May be entirely coincidental but my rubbish sleeper turned a real corner when on three meals a day.

EmmaLL25 · 03/06/2014 16:35

It helped with naps - he napped much happier and more soundly. Did nothing for night wake ups. Sorry.