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Original poster

What can I do to help my little man sleep longer through the night?

31 replies

Mummy2be2 · 22/02/2019 14:26

Hello ladies

I ebf my lovely little boy he's 10 weeks old

Is there any of you lovely mummies have any tips on how I can get my little one go longer for feeds at the night time past week for a few nights he's gone 5 hours at first then feeds but after them first five hours he'll only go 3/4 hours and then wake up and won't settle back down unless I take him down stairs and put him in his swing after another feed which at 4/5 in the morning isn't really ideal

Just hoping someone could give me a few tips please

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Lipsticktraces · 22/02/2019 20:15

Are you saying your baby sleeps five hours after being out down and another three to four hours after that when fed? Just that is pretty amazing if so!

Fraula · 22/02/2019 20:22

What time is he going to bed? Would he be rocked back to sleep, or patted and shushed in his cot? Have you tried white noise?

ShowOfHands · 22/02/2019 20:25

5hrs and 3/4hrs!?

That's beyond the average sleep for a 10 week old. My DC didn't manage 5hrs until nearer 12 months. Awake every 1-2hrs at 10 weeks in fact. Blimey.

Sorry to be no help!

kirinm · 22/02/2019 20:30

My daughter is 5 months and doesn't sleep as well as your 10 week old. No advice I'm afraid!

ItsNiceItsDifferentItsUnusual · 22/02/2019 20:31

Really sorry but I agree - that's good going for a 10 week old!

My ds2 did the not settling past 4am thing and I feel your pain there. It's never fun, even less so when you've already been up for night feeds. I'm guessing this may ease as his feeds are pushed back as his sleep lengthens further - hold tight!

tattooq · 22/02/2019 20:43

My two year old doesn't sleep that well OP. The early starts aren't ideal, but you can solve your tiredness by going to bed earlier.

newcupcake · 22/02/2019 20:56

What everyone else says you have an amazing sleeper for a ten week old there really is no problem to solve here !

reallyanotherone · 22/02/2019 21:00

Yep, 9 hours of sleep with one feed is amazing for a 10 week old!

If it’s the 4 am starts you could try putting him to bed a little later? So he does 9pm- feed at 2am- 6 or 7am wake up?

Or try bringing him into bed with you (co-sleeping rules apply, obvs). The warmth usually send them back to sleep.

Original poster
Mummy2be2 · 22/02/2019 21:01

@Lipsticktraces yes he sleeps for about 5 hours first time he's put down but not always guaranteed it varies and yeah another 3-4 hours after his next feed but he falls asleep during his feeds at that time so I'm always awake for longer than what he is...

@Fraula he has a bath at about 9/9:30 has a feed then I put him down and he goes to sleep he tends to fall asleep during his feeds so I just place him back in his next to me crib yeah we have one of the sleeping aid teddies that senses when he's making noise and it starts the white noise which works for a little a bit

@ShowOfHands oh wow he was like that for the first 7 weeks we've spent an absolute fortune to find ways of changing it he was in a Moses basket to start with but hated it then we got him the next to me crib and the teddy and swaddle blankets we tried everything we struggled getting him off to sleep aswell had to be bounced around our room to get him to sleep in the end because my back was in bits I just started putting him down when he was getting close to nodding off and it seemed to work

@ItsNiceItsDifferentItsUnusual it's just frustrating because I can't get him back to sleep upstairs but if I take him down and place him in his swing he goes back to sleep!

@tattooq if we go to bed earlier he doesn't sleep as well as he does and he's be up a lot earlier than what he is

@kirinm ohhh noo I'm sorry I feel awful now for moaning about it 🙈

Thank you though ladies

OP posts:
Original poster
Mummy2be2 · 22/02/2019 21:03

@reallyanotherone I've tried placing him in bed with us he just lies there and smiles at me and doesn't go back to sleep 🤣

OP posts:
Original poster
Mummy2be2 · 22/02/2019 21:06

3/4 hours after his first feed is on a good night sometimes though it's not even that and because he has reflux as well though so I'm always awake a lot longer than what he is before I put him down

OP posts:
Fraula · 23/02/2019 08:12

I don't think there's much you can do to solve this. It's wake up time for a lot of babies and toddlers for some time, and he's had a good chunk of sleep for a baby of his age.

You need to try to nap during the day as much as you can. Lie down as soon as he naps at some points in the day, instead of trying to do things. How is his daytime sleep?

Sometimes there isn't actually anything you can do to change sleeping patterns. They tend to change anyway, at around 4 months the whole pattern may change to waking every couple of hours, but possibly getting up later in the morning. Try not to expect a full night's sleep for at least a year, or you may get very frustrated with the situation. I really do understand how awful it is to get used to lack of sleep, but with some daytime naps, your body will adjust in time.

SoyDora · 23/02/2019 08:20

I don’t think you have a problem that needs ‘solving’ as that’s a completely normal sleep pattern for a 10 week old. It may not be ideal, but it’s normal! I think mine started going longer between feeds at around 6 months.

SoyDora · 23/02/2019 08:21

My 7 week old also doesn’t settle after their 4am wake up so I feel your pain there! He’s also up every 2 hours beforehand with half an hour to settle each time.

Darkstar4855 · 23/02/2019 08:26

If he falls asleep during feeds try winding him or changing his nappy to wake him up again. My son is 12 weeks and tends to doze off about halfway through a night feed. I now give him one breast, wind him when he dozes off and then when he’s had a good feed on that side I change him, swaddle him and give him the other breast. He will fall asleep once he’s finished feeding and I just pop him back into the crib. I’ve got night feeds down from 2 hours to 40 minutes now and that really helps my sleep.

The other thing to look at is daytime naps. Different books say different things but I think around 3-4 hours is normal at this age. If he is napping more than this you might want to try reducing this to see if it helps with night sleep.

It should improve with time though - as they get older they do a greater percentage of their sleeping at night.

Ploppymoodypants · 23/02/2019 08:30

My EBF 12 week DD does exactly same sleep pattern as your DS. Looking back at notes it’s similar to FF DD was at same time.
Frankly I am chuffed to bits.
Congratulations on lovely baby and good work with the BFeeding.

Boulardii · 23/02/2019 08:36

I would move this swing you have upstairs. Then it’s not so disruptive to you to get him back off.

What about a swinging crib?

lablablab · 23/02/2019 08:46

My 4 yo sleeps worse than that! I'd give anything to have a 5hr stretch! Confused

Your ds is doing very well with sleep considering his age imo.

AlphaJuno · 23/02/2019 09:40

That sounds good to me! That's a good night for my 10 mth old, she often wakes more than this. A lot of babies are up every hour.

Original poster
Mummy2be2 · 23/02/2019 17:18

I feel awful now for moaning about it!! Thank you ladies you've made me feel a lot better about it!!

Suppose when people tell you they're little one is sleeping all way through or sleeping longer than your own it makes you feel a little shitty which is why I thought I'd ask my friends baby is sleeping loads more than my little man!

It's just frustrating especially when I'm the only one waking up at night as my partner works 11 hour days and doesn't wake up through the week to help even just to wind him or change his bum

Sorry ladies!!

OP posts:
MarieG10 · 23/02/2019 17:36

New born cried most of night for the first month until we were beside ourself. Husband took over and bottle fed on a night and I did breast during day. The advice we were given was routine and routine and omg was it good advice. We moved him to his own room next door and implemented routine of bath followed by feed and then bed. 2 nights of controlled crying with husband dealing with it instead of me (just as well as upset me). After 2 nights it was sorted.

Routine was husband put him to bed by 6.30 and woke him to feed him at 10pm so we could go to bed. Son tended to wake circa 2-3.30 am and husband would do a feed. Took about 20 mins and straight back to bed. He tended then to sleep though to about 6am which soon extended to 7am. Slept through at 12 weeks and were we relieved.

Everyone is different and some don't agree with controlled crying but I heard from a colleague who went with the advice of let baby tell you. Hers never slept and at 8 he was still getting up at all sort of ridiculous times. Of course might not have made any difference if they had have implemented a routine, but they did for their second one and never had an issue.

The only thing is routine can be hard as it restricts you but once the sleep pattern is established you can become a little more flexible

SoyDora · 23/02/2019 18:01

Controlled crying is not recommended by anyone until the baby is at least 6 months old.

reallyanotherone · 23/02/2019 18:05

Controlled crying is not recommended by anyone until the baby is at least 6 months old

Same for moving them into their own room.

Who gave you this advice @marieg10? Goes against everything we were told.

I was led by baby and mine are excellent sleepers.

Laur2017 · 25/02/2019 05:53

Blimey @Mummy2be2 my DS is 7 months and doesn't sleep that Well. I'd kill for a 5 hour stretch! Seems like he's sleeping well for a 10 week old!

MarieG10 · 25/02/2019 08:19

Moving to own room....health visitor (was years ago). Controlled crying a friend who had been through it.

No one recommends it....all I can say it has been interesting to see how advice about raising babies and children constantly changes, and as well "who gives the advice". As well, friends who have had babies more recently have all had different advice in things except when to ween. I am beginning to think some just make it up as they go along

I'm only telling you what worked for us and that was after I was sure he wasn't poorly..he just loved being held which was lovely but not all night. He is a great sleeper now...issue is getting him up now!

Do what you think right. Listen to advice and make your own view

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