extending night sleep......how?

[lilye13]

hi all,
I am curious if anyone has found a way to extend the night sleep successfully.
Nicholas is 3 months and one week old and he will sleep for 5-7 hours straight in the evening starting at about , oh anywhere from 5:30 - 8:00pm. This is somehting he actually started to do on his own so we have just been folllowing his lead. The only thing is that he will then wake up for feedings about every three hours from about 11:30pm on ( 12pm, 3pm 6 am).... We read Weisbluth who does not recommend keeping him up later to sleep later, and actually that hadn't work when we did try it. We are not complaining becasue we are happy that he has a long sleep to begin with since he only naps for 30 -60 mintues at a time during the day but needless to say mommie is getting weary. Unless I sleep when he does at 6:00pm then I I only get short sleep spurts. Any advice?
thanks!
elizabeth mommie to nicholas
7/22/03

[sntm]

really, he'll have to just do it on his own. jack always had his long stretch first, too, but started getting up just once at night at around 3 1/2 months. he's had some all-nighters too.

one thing to consider is a specific bedtime, though. makes it more predictable for him.


shannon
not-even-pregnant-yet-overachiever
trying-to-conceive :)
PREGNANT! EDD 6/9/03
mama to Jack 6/6/03

[Momof3Labs]

It actually sounds like Nicholas is doing great!! The way I read it, he's sleeping 10-12 hours at night with two wakings to feed. That's about where Colin was at when he was 3 months old. As Nicholas's tummy can hold more and his body matures, he will start sleeping longer and longer (on his own). Colin was doing 10-12 hours straight at night by around 5 months, and has been ever since.

Weissbluth actually says that it is normal for a bf'd baby to wake 1-2 times per night until 9 months of age, but at the rate you are going, I'd bet that you will get full nights of sleep long before then.

Hang in there, and look for the light at the end of the tunnel!

[lizajane]

here is what we did-

when we realized that ds was waking up out of habit and not to eat (he would wake, nurse for 2 minutes instead of 10 and pass out) we starting giving him a pacifier instead of nursing. this method is ONLY for when you are SURE he doesn't need to eat! we knocked out one waking in less than a week. and when the next feeding became a 2 minute comfort session, we did the same thing and knocked out that waking in less than a week.

i got this idea from baby whisperer.

just know that i am NOT recommending skipping a feeding!!! but if you realize he is just waking for a minute or two of comfort and you can't talk him into actually eating, this method was effective for us.