Sleeping longer *after* a diaper change

[KrisM]

We've had 5 really good nights of sleep here. He still get up 2 or 3 times to eat, but goes right back to sleep. He doesn't wake up in between feedings at all. I hope I'm not jinxing anything by writing it!

Two of the mornings, he slept until 8:30. The rest, he was up about 6:00. Both of the late mornings, I had to do a diaper change at about 4:30. I fed on one side, changed his diaper and pajamas, and then fed on the other side. He went right back to sleep both days. While doing the change, he was wide awake and playing with his toes, talking, and laughing. I was sure he'd be up for hours!

So, is it coincidence that he sleeps longer after having a brief full awakening? Or, should I always change his diaper at 4:30 AM?!

[dr mom]

I have noticed the same thing with DS! Most of the sleep books I've read say that you shouldn't do middle-of-the-night diaper changes, since you want them to learn to sleep through the night and if they were asleep you wouldn't wake them to change a diaper. But DS usually gets really restless around 3-4 am, and seems to sleep better if I change his soaking-wet diaper for a dry one. And when HE sleeps better, we ALL sleep better, YKWIM? :)

[aguinn]

i'm trying to remember when i started to use the overnight diapers (dispos) with DS, and it might have been about 5 months. we still use them, and he sleeps through the night. when we were still BF'ing, and even now if he wakes up in the middle of the night, i would not change his diaper unless he had a BM. the only caveat is if his diaper has leaked, then we do a nighttime change.

otherwise, no changes at night and little buddy sleeps well!

;)amy
proud momma to DS

http://lilypie.com/baby2/030729/1/5/1/-5/.png[/img][/url]

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbo...n_gold_12m.gif Weaned @ 13 months

[KrisM]

We use cloth and do FuzziBunz at night. He's generally not feeling the wet, unless we've leaked onto his pjs. If his pajamas are wet and he's wet, he's probably unhappy. But, maybe I'll try a pretend change at 4AM and see if he sleeps better then, too. We only have so many pajamas and nighttime diapers, so if I don't have to change him, I won't. But, I can unsnap, etc. and wake him up.

I was still getting up early, but I love having a shower without him awake!

This will likely evolve over time, but I say do what works. We too, read that you should bother changing a baby's dipe during the nite, but hey, his diaper was full from feeding in the night, so we would change it usually once or twice in those first months, depending on how many bottles he had or woke up. Who would want to go back to sleep in a dirty dipe? Anyway, now he goes all night and we don't worry about it since he generally just has a bottle before bed.

Do what makes all of you most comfortable. And just as you get into the routine, be prepared for it to change again. ;-)