PDA

View Full Version : Please tell me what is considered sleeping through the night?



MNmomtobe
10-22-2006, 12:23 PM
Everyone asks me if my 4 1/2 mo old DD is sleeping through the night and they are surprised when I say no. She sleeps for about 3 hours, wakes up- I changed her and feed her, then she will sleep for another 3-4 hours. I thought sleeping through the night meant they don't wake up at all to feed? (or cry for that matter).
When do most DC stop their nighttime feedings? We let her CIO last night and we did that for about 2 hours off and on then I finally fed her. Well, I felt so darn guilty about it but everyone tells me I have to be tough about it. It feels wrong though.
Another issue is her reflux. I really need to keep her at an incline for at least 30 minutes after she eats. I feed her in her infant-toddler rocker. Well, I usually end up falling asleep as does DD. Then DD ends up spending only about 3 hours total in her crib at night. I have tried elevating the mattress but she rolls down even at a very slight incline.

SnuggleBuggles
10-22-2006, 01:35 PM
No thoughts on the reflux issue. My ds was a spitter but no reflux and he just slept in his crib after I nursed him laying down.

Sleeping through the night is considered 7+ hours straight by the standards I have read in books and online. Not waking up to eat, diaper...I consider it sleeping without waking up needing something. Some babies (more toddlers) will wake up but be able to put themselves back to sleep with no interventions and I would consider that sleeping through.

My ds was sleeping at least 7+ straight hours between 2-6 months BUT after that he went back to several night wakings. So, your friends and peers may be patting themselves on the back prematurely. Heck, I remember when my online birth club went through a period of nightwaking when the kids were 18 months old. Turns out that all the books mention this as it is a new emotional milestone phase.

Teeting, travel, illness, physical milestones like crawling, emotional milestones like separation anxiety will all factor in to their sleeping this first year. Just when you think you are gold something will crop up.

I tried CIO but it just didn't work for us. I know they don't recommend doing it till they are 6 months old. Till then you should respond to their needs.

I remember feeding ds through the 1st year+ if he woke up. We really went through good and bad sleep phases. You'll find something that works for you that gets you through the night as rested as possible. Don't worry about what others say.

You'll find plenty of various opinions on sleep. I'll throw out this link of sleep articles. I found them reassuring and helpful.
http://askdrsears.com/html/7/T070100.asp

GL!!
Beth

Mommy Of A Little Angel
10-23-2006, 05:58 PM
DD is 5 months and she typically sleeps from 10 to 5, then eats, then sleeps again until about 8 or 9. We call that sleeping through the night here. These are our optimal nights. She doesn't always do this (like last night for example) but she typically does. She just started this routine maybe a month ago. When she wakes up before that (say 2 am) we try to get her back down, but most times it just doesn't work so I end up feeding her. CIO is too hard on me to do it right now. I have tried and failed miserably at it. I keep telling myself I will wait until she is a little older.

As for the reflux, DD has it too, but it doesn't sound like it is as severe as your DDs. She takes Axid twice a day (like Zantac, but the ped says it tastes better to babies) and she has done really well on it. Does your DD take anything for her reflux? We haven't had to incline her after every feeding with it (we typically do, just not at night). It's something to try.

It sounds like your DD is doing really well with the sleep. Reflux is hard on everyone! Keep up the good work though and I hope that your nights get longer!

juliasmom05
10-24-2006, 08:49 AM
I've always heard that sleeping through the night is 5-6 hours of uninterrupted sleep. DD was never a "good" sleeper and woke up at least once or twice a night until 15 months.

We did CIO at around 6 months, because I was a total zombie and DD was waking up every 30 minutes and nursing for 30 minutes all night long which made me not a very nice person to be around. That said, it's not for everyone. Don't worry about what people say your DD should be doing. All kids are different. If CIO makes you uncomfortable, don't do it. If it's not working, don't do it. Your DD may be too young. If it works for you, great. Do what is best for you and your DD.

FWIW, it sounds like your DD is right on track for sleeping.

Marci

Mom to Julia 4/05

jhrabosk
10-24-2006, 01:32 PM
People lie.

Seriously, it feels as though every person who asks you whether your baby is sleeping through the night just does it so they can tell you theirs is. I say it's a big load of bull. :)

Your DD sounds like she's doing just fine. One of the most important things I learned from Dr. Sears is that we all have to do what works for us and our families. Like the pp said, only do CIO if it works for you. If you're ok getting up and feeding, then do it.

For us, we spent some time trying to get DD off her night feeding (maybe a little older than yours) by going in and giving a pacifier. I finally decided that if spending 15 minutes feeding her got her to sleep another 3 hours, rather than getting up every 30 minutes to give the paci, then I was going to feed her. That worked for us.

As far as the reflux...I don't have any advice. Maybe you can talk with your doctor for other suggestions?

Good luck!

MNmomtobe
10-29-2006, 12:49 PM
Thanks to everyone for their replies. DH and I have decided that if DD is hungry, she will cry til she is fed (I would too!) so we are just going to feed her. I won't worry so much about it and DD will sleep longer when she is ready. In answer to the reflux question- DD has been on Prevacid for the past 2 months and it works great for her. I just hate moving DD back in the crib after she has fallen asleep in the rocker/bouncy seat after doing the "upright for 30 minutes thing". I just need to do it though. I also need to make sure I wake myself up to do it!
Thanks again everyone.

clc053103
10-29-2006, 01:39 PM
ITA that half the people who bragged to me about their baby sleeping through the night were exaggerating. If I questioned I would then be told that they meant, say, 12 midnight to 5. Sorry, that to me is not sleeping through the night!

Every baby is different so don't be intimidated if your baby doesn't do exactly what others do.

I picked up a few tips from various books- one was the 10 pm "dream feed" from Secrets of the Baby Whisperer. May be worth a read! I also followed On Becoming Babywise. at 3 months, DS could go 7-8 hours straight without a bottle. but again - that was DS, a very large boy who ate a lot at every feeding and didnt' have reflux.

Best of luck to you in your pursuit of sleep! I promise you some day, DD will surprise you!