# does your baby sleep all night?



## mamasarah (May 28, 2002)

Mine doesn't!

She is 6 mos. and I swear she has been waking up like 6-7 times to nurse lately. This is ok---she sleeps with us, but I've been having major sleep issues because of it and I am so tired. I've been walking around with dark circles under my eyes for weeks.

Are your babies sleeping? Will she EVER sleep?


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## Piglet68 (Apr 5, 2002)

mine is 6.5 mos and has always been a good sleeper. she's down for about 10 - 11 hrs. she nurses alot in the hours before waking, especially these days when she is teething alot, but neither one of us really wakes up for it so it's not an issue. i know we are very lucky...you hang in there, girl!


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## Jude's Mama (Nov 30, 2002)

My guy is 5 months and still nurses every 2 to 3 hours too. Once in a blue moon he will sleep 4 hours? I really don't know why but, I'll take it. It's tough on one's body and soul but................I read in another thread that maybe the babe's need their own space. I guess that could be true but, Mama and Papa would be lost without our little one in bed!

Good Luck and Hope you get a good night's rest!


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## Momtwice (Nov 21, 2001)

Links about sleeping through the night below....this is normal and this will pass!

I love the survey at kellymom.com that says ONLY 16% of babies at 6 months sleep through the night. That means...is my math right? 84 out of 100 6-month-old babies are waking at night!
In other words it is NOT your fault, NOT something you are doing or not doing...it is NORMAL.

http://www.kellymom.com/parenting/index.html

http://www.prairienet.org/laleche/detsleepthrough.html

http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/sleep.html


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## Quirky (Jun 18, 2002)

My six month old baby naps in the evening, wakes up, is very active for an hour or so, and then goes to sleep for good by 10. He will wake 2-4 times a night to nurse; sometimes I can just roll over and nurse him, other times it takes a big production of me sitting up, etc. He wakes up for good around 7-7:30.

I think one of our problems in not getting enough sleep is that we want grown-up time, so we don't go to bed until later....we really need to sleep when the baby sleeps, still!


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## Jude's Mama (Nov 30, 2002)

Jane I totally agree with you. I've been trying to go to bed with DS but, look where I am right now!!!!!!!!!! Oh well.


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## mamasarah (May 28, 2002)

it's funny how EVERYONE asks "is she sleeping all night?" like this is some normal thing, when you're all telling me yours wake up too and what? only 16% sleep through the night?!!!!

maybe this is because so many women use formula and that is more common for them....?

anyway thanks for the support, i know i'll get through it. i just whine sometimes because i love to sleep, and i'm tired these days!







:


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## Serenity (Nov 19, 2001)

Not even close! At 8 mo he's up every 2-3 hours. I really cant stand when people brag about their great sleepers, it hurts those of us who are sleep deprived.


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## DaryLLL (Aug 12, 2002)

The stats on non-CIO babies (aka those raised AP style, the way human babies are hardwired to expect), sleep "thru the night" (aka one 4 or 5 hour stretch) usually starting at around 2 1/2 yrs!

Believe it or not, before that they are waking on a normal cycle, and it is healthy for them. Nightwaking/nursing and co-sleeping prevents SIDS.


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## leafylady (Nov 19, 2001)

:LOL Oh yeah, mine sleeps all night... in between her nursing sessions, which happen about every 2 hrs, even at 8 months old. The funny thing is that she used to sleep for longer periods in her 0-4 month stage.
My son used to wake up to nurse about every 90 minutes until I nightweaned him at 14 months. I'll probably do the same thing with my daughter, but will decide when the time comes.


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## EllasMama (Nov 20, 2001)

My child mostly sleeps through the night (unless she's sick or something), a couple times a night she'll half-wake a bit and snuggle up and go right back to sleep.

Before you all start groaning - my DD just turned TWO and we've been working hard for nearly six months on night-weaning and developing a sleep routine that worked better. Probably equally important, she is just older now, and better sleep does eventually come with age for most kids. DD had never once slept through the night at 6 months, not at a year, not at 18 months. Finally at 2 years old I can believe what everyone told me, "this too shall pass." She still doesn't love sleep like some few kids do (lucky parents!), but we get a good night in most nights now (except when I'm dumb enough to stay up late at the computer!).

Hang in there. I know how tough it can be. It does get easier, though, just not on the accelerated schedule that our culture tends to think (wish?) it would.

Carol


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## Momtwice (Nov 21, 2001)

"Don't expect your infant to sleep through the night. Any sort of "training" to make babies sleep through the night is unnatural and possibly dangerous. Infants are biologically required to feed several times during the night. They do not and should not engage in adult sleeping patterns. Infants should be expected to sleep lightly for several short periods throughout the night."

"Pillow Talk; Helping Your Child Get a Good Night's Sleep"
Dr. Paul Fleiss (pediatrician) Mothering no.96 Sept./Oct.1999


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## its_our_family (Sep 8, 2002)

Tracy is 9.5 months old and not even close to sleeping! He is such a bad sleeper. Not even nursing or co-sleeping is helping right now and it is driving me nuts!!!!!!! I can't even move him to his own bed annymore without him waking as soon as I breathe!

I'd be fine with him waking if he would jsut sleep in his own bed for a couple hours! Last night he was up after 15 minutes 20 mintues 10 minutes 2 hours and then every 45 mintues after that! No one is getting sleep!


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## cutiemom (Feb 12, 2003)

Okay, here's our sleep story:

My DD doesn't sleep through the night, and she sleeps in a crib. Of course, we respond to her needs and don't let her CIO. We co-slept in the beginning, but it was not working. She didn't ease into sleep after nursing and I had to hold her in a cradle position and rock her. At 2 months, I placed her in her crib and she started having a long stretch for the first part of night beginning at 5 hours and increasing to 7. I slept with her some for the remaining of the night either holding her in our recliner next to her crib, on the couch, or guest room. It was still erratic, but better than nothing. She has always gone to bed between 6:30 and 8:00 by her choice (nursing and going into deep nightime sleep) so her long stretch was over in the middle of the night. Between 3-5 months, she woke 1-2 times to nurse with occassionally waking more for other reasons. Between 7-9 months, she started waking more frequently. One night, I was trying to settle her and she just wouldn't settle so I laid her down and left the room to gather my thoughts. To my amazement, she fell asleep on her own in a few minutes with a little fussing. So I determied that I was providing too much stimulation. So now, when she wakes, we give her a few minutes (and I mean only 2-3 min) as long as she is not too upset, to settle on her own. If she doesn't, then I tend to her needs. This results in me nursing her 2 times a night. She goes to bed between 7-8 PM without difficulty (I nurse her and then lay her down either asleep or sleepy) and she wakes up for good between 7-8 AM. She sometimes wakes up more for various reasons. She's been nursing a lot this week since she has a cold.

Her naps were difficult for the first 4-5 months. I held her for all of them. I also ended up having to swaddle her and hold her close while I rocked her and let her cry in my arms for 10-15 minutes until she fell asleep. Daytime sleep did not occur naturally, but I knew she needed sleep! She now has a morning and afternoon nap typically ranging from 40-90 minutes each and I rock or nurse her to help soothe her into sleep. She has on occassion napped for 2 hours, which really surprised me! I started laying her down for naps when I thought she was ready. I still sometimes nap next to her, but I find she naps best in her crib. I do miss napping with her, but I don't miss the struggle to get her to nap!

So that's our story, each babe is different and I've just tried to do what is best for her. As long as everyone is getting enough sleep without her needs being neglected then I'm happy. I am tired of being asked about her sleep. I just say that we're getting enough and she'll stop waking when she's ready!

Although she was somewhat high needs with regards to being overtired/overstimulated until about 4 months, she is very happy and rarely cries as an older baby. She has always been very active and alert, so she is probably thrilled to be mobile and able to explore!

Cutiemom


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## cutiemom (Feb 12, 2003)

I forgot to mention that my dd is 10 months old.

Cutiemom


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## PrinceE&LsMom (Feb 4, 2003)

My son is 6.5 months and sleeps from 11pm until 5 or 6am then eats and goes back to sleep till 9ish. I keep thinking he is a "bad" sleeper because my first son would sleep 12 hours straight from 3 months of age but I guess I don't have it bad at all lol.


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## MarigoldB (Oct 11, 2002)

Quote:

_Originally posted by PrinceE&LsMom_
*my first son would sleep 12 hours straight from 3 months of age...*
So it really IS possible--though somewhat of an exception!

My friend's dd was sleeping 12 hours straight by 8 months old (possibly sooner, but that's the age I asked her about). My ds at that age was (and is) still nursing every 2 hours throughout the day and night. Her baby was breastfed but started solids before 6 months old. I thought maybe that was why, but I've really come to the conclusion that every child is different and there are many "normals" out there!


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## corey&mikasmom (Mar 15, 2002)

I think all babies/kids are different. My first, who just turned 6, woke at least every 2 hrs for what seemed like forever. She often still wakes once a night. My 2nd, almost 3, still night nurses and is waking at least once a night now since his sister was born in Sept. He was only a little better at sleeping than his big sis. My 3rd is a pretty good sleeper. She's 5 mo and goes for about 4 - 6 hours then wakes to be changed and eat and goes back for another 4 - 6 hours usually. I don't think we did much different, I think it's just their personality. Also my younger 2 have a harder time staying asleep if they are wet. It's a pain when you're still mostly asleep and so tired but in the long run we found keeping a couple diapers ready at the foot of our bed and changing them when they stir buys us more sleep time.


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## istamama (Jan 5, 2003)

i think sleeping all night is a myth.

my dd is 4 1/2 months and has this pattern; she naps from 2 to 5 hours during the day, then by 7 pm is really ready to sleep; if i don't get her to bed she's real cranky. then she sleeps for a long stretch - maybe four and sometimes 6 hours. after midnight her sleep is lighter and she wakes every 2 -3 hours to feed. when she's teething she sometimes wakes every hour to feed even before midnight. someone lent us Ferber's book (don't scream, i'm against his 'scientific' methods of dealing with darling little human beings who need warmth and cuddles) and after scowling at it a while i read the chapter on sleep patterns in children - and it was actually quite interesting. apparently infants do sleep deeper before midnight, and after midnight enter REM sleep more of the time, with perhaps another period of deeper sleep after 4 am. this was borne out by my experience.
So what i have done, even though it has other drawbacks, is go to bed when dd does, at 7pm!! at least then i get a good chunk of deep sleep, only having to nurse her at the most once before midnight (except when she's teething). then i am not so worried about what happens after midnight. about 3am I change her diaper - I put it off til then cos i've found that when i get up i wake up and can't get back to sleep - and yes, I used disposables at night as they allow this. then she, and I, sleep fitfully til 730 am, unless i lie in bed thinking (free time to think is hard to come by these days!) or attempting to meditate.
the drawbacks are i don't get much time with dh. everything has pros and cons. every babe is different. it's all normal, just hard to cope with!
from a cold snowy place,
istamama.


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## mamajama (Oct 12, 2002)

I just realized the other day that my 3 year old has NEVER slept through the night!! Ok maybe just once or twice but...wow I've just gotten used to it I guess. He is a very high-energy little boy always chattering (even in his sleep







) and always moving. My 5 month old wakes a few times to nurse but actually seems to sleep better than his big brother. It will be interesting to see when he's older if this stays the same (here's hoping







) Everybody's different.


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## mcimom (Jun 8, 2002)

My girls all sleep differently - i.e. DD1 wants to co-sleep and sleeps better that way, DD2 sleeps much better on her own and wants it that way, we'll see w/DD3, but that said...

All 3 of my girls pretty much did the same thing, once they got their days and nights turned around, they woke up about 4 times/night (every 2 hours) for the first couple weeks/month. Woke up 2-3 times a night the second month. Woke up 1-2 times a night during the third month and by 3 1/2 or 4 months old were sleeping all night - meaning to bed b/t 7-9pm and up for the day b/t 6-8am.

I co-slept completely for the first month, put them in a crib or basinette for the second/third month and at the first nurse, co-slept the rest of the night and by "sleeping through the night" time they of course just stayed in their original sleep vessel for the duration.

All of my girls were nursed to sleep until 12-15 months.

My DD1 at 3 1/2yo, goes to bed at 8pm in a twin in her own room and comes to bed w/me and the little one sometime around 4am and co-sleeps until 7-8am (or as long as I stay in bed w/her). My DD2 at 2yo, goes to bed at 8pm in her crib in her own room and wakes us all up b/t 6-8am (once she's up, she's up!).

DD1 used to only nap if you co-slept w/her, now she will nap on her own. DD2 naps fine on her own and will often ask to go to sleep for a nap. She is just now showing an interest in sleeping w/other people.

Like I said, we'll see for DD3...right now she nurses to sleep after the girls go to sleep (8pm) and I'm usually able to put her down in her basinette (which is in our living room) around 8-9pm and she sleeps there while DH and I watch TV until 11pm. She usually wakes around 2-3am, nurses in bed w/me laying down for about 20 min., and then we sleep until around 6-7am when she nurses again, I get up w/the older girls and she sleeps until 8-9am. So I guess that's nursing twice in a 12 hour period at 2 1/2 months.


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## Tani (Feb 18, 2003)

BWAAAAA HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! shyeah, right...

No, she does not sleep all night. I am not naive enough to think that there is some magical way to get her to sleep 12 straight hours on her own, but I'd settle for one decent nap in her crib/my bed per day, and at least 3-4 hours in her crib for the beginning of the night, after which I'd gladly bring her to my bed for the rest of the night. This is what I had with DD1 and it was a nice balance of co-sleeping and personal space.

Oh well, they're all different, this too shall pass.... I just get a bit burned out sometimes...

I also have an acquaintance at DD1's preschool who just cannot believe that the baby isn't sleeping all night "yet" and goes on and on about how terrible and awful it is that she isn't a "good" sleeper. Makes me feel far worse about the situation than I otherwise would; I just try to ignore her or lately just lie about the sleep altogether.


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