how to get DS sleeping longer at night?

9 replies

Vmama · 08/05/2007 21:19

my 11wk old ds goes to bed at 7pm after bath and feed then wakes at any time from 10.00 til 1am for next feed then every 3 hours after that. He barely naps during the day -usually 3 half hours from getting up at 7ish til 7pm. last nap is sometime between 3-4.30

he has slept for longer periods and can go for 5 hours when he first goes down -my query is if there is any way to get him to sleep longer after his night feed -should i dreamfeed or wait til he wakes? is it worth giving a top up of ebm or formula in addition to his breast feed? We have always done a bottle of ebm so Dh can help out and i can get more than 2hrs sleep at a stretch. i usually give him 5oz in that feed and he tends to leave a bit.

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luciemule · 08/05/2007 21:49

could you put him down at 6:30, then wake him just before 10ish for a big feed and then see how long he goes? He might then go through until 2/3am and then sleep again until morning.

luciemule · 08/05/2007 21:50

Maybe do a breasy feed at 6:30, then a bottle of formula to fill him more, if you want to, at the later one. My DS fed and woke every few hours for ages and I stupidly let him! Hnence that's why my boobs look like puppy dogs ears!

luciemule · 08/05/2007 21:51

should read breast not breasy!

sanandol · 09/05/2007 09:27

From about 2 months we always gave our son a formula dream feed at about 11pm (just about the latest one of us could be relied upon to stay up until!) The benefits seemed to be that (a) you could figure out how he was doing on a night by night basis by seeing how long it was until he squeaked for his next feed and (b) you got to maximise your own sleep by feeding him when you were off to bed yourself!

The way it (sort of) worked out was that the interval after the dream feed steadily stretched over a month or two until that was the last feed he needed before breakfast at about 7ish.

luciemule · 09/05/2007 09:32

Also if you're completely shattered, after the early evening feed, go to bed straight away and then you'll get in a few hours of decent sleep before 11pmish.

Tapster · 09/05/2007 09:50

Formula may not help sleep at all, and will probably interfere with your milk supply over time. It depends on how long you wish to BF for, you need to ride out the growth spurts by feeding more often otherwise you end up giving more and more formula and that is usually the beginning of the end to BF.Its tough but its worth it, it will get better.

imnot27 · 09/05/2007 10:05

Sorry to butt in, we did exactly the same as sanadol, with a late night formula feed when we went to bed. Worked a treat, and I still bf for 6 months, - gave up then cos I wanted to, milk was still in supply! I know it's different for everyone, but I've done this with all 3 of mine, from day 3!

Indith · 09/05/2007 10:27

My ds is 4 months now and was very similar. He was asleep by 7, woke between 10 and 1 then was every 2 hours.

I tried a dream feed, it just didn't register on his radar. Tried a bottle of formula, his sleeping got worse! Worth a try though I know peopl who swear by these methods.

Gradually I noticed that the middle feed was getting smaller and soon he switched to waking at 1 and 4.30 ish and now at 4 months seems to be waking once around 2. Just go with it, go to bed early and when possible when he wakes in the morning for the day get your dh to bring him to you to feed then send them away and go back to sleep, things will settle down.

Indith · 09/05/2007 10:27

My ds is 4 months now and was very similar. He was asleep by 7, woke between 10 and 1 then was every 2 hours.

I tried a dream feed, it just didn't register on his radar. Tried a bottle of formula, his sleeping got worse! Worth a try though I know peopl who swear by these methods.

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