Sleeping Thru the Night??

Hi S.,

I'm no expert on sleep but each of my 3 children were very different. The first one slept relatively well at night, but not at all during the day unless I walked her in her stroller or drove in the car for 6 months. We found that darkening her room helped, and even then she didn't sleep though the night until she was about 4 yrs. old because I was too tired to take her back to her room at night. The 2nd one slept easily during the day and night. He started off with 3 naps a day for about 7 or 8 months, then to 2 naps a day for another 6 months and then he had 1 nap a day for the longest time, until around 4 yrs. old. He slept through the night by age 2 after I trained him by gradually going to him with longer stretches of time before going in to check on him. With my 3rd, I did things the most different. She started out sleeping most of the day. Eventually she got to having 3 naps a day, around 7 months, and later to 1 or 2 naps a day around age 9 months. If she naps early in the day and it is less than an hour, I know that she will nap again late in the afternoon around 3 or 4pm. She naps a total of about 2 or 3 hours. I also got a video monitor for her, and I love having it!!! I only go in there if she is standing up even if she is fussing. I think that having the video monitor has been helpful in training her to sleep because I only go in there if she is standing. All 3 of my kids really liked soothing music. For the 3rd one, I got a clock CD player and I plug it in and play a CD on repeat through the night. It helps signal her naps too. All of my kids liked the room to be dark too. I hate to say this but you have to train your child to sleep though the night. I put it off longer than I wanted because I was so tired since she had her days and nights mixed up for the first 6 months (i.e., sleeping all day and up most of the night)! I learned the hard way never to wake a sleeping baby. When the baby is closer to 8 or 9 months I think the baby is ready to be sleep trained. By the way, with my first 2 fedding them cereal didn't help them. I think that since your baby is not breast fed, she can go a little longer between feedings. When you are ready to take that challenge on to sleep train, it is well worth it. We moved her to her own room at 7 months and got the video monitor at 9 months which is when I started to train her. However, I was breast feeding still so it went much better after she was fully weaned at 12 months. I eliminated the night feedings first. I started to wean her around 9 months and gradually weaned her over 3 months. Now I'm glad to say she is sleeping through the night and is still on a 1 or 2 nap schedule, and I love it! I hope this information is helpful. Sorry so long winded. P.S. Try to incorporate brushing her teeth before bedtime to help signal bedtime and nap time. I didn't with the other 2, and they had really bad cavities. Good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

S.,

I have a 9 month old baby. He started sleeping through the night at about 5 weeks. THIS IS HOW I DID IT!! I bought the "Happiest Baby on the Block" DVD as well as the "Dunstan Baby Language" DVD. You may have seen these DVDs on Oprah. I just followed the directions and Voila! The "Happiest Baby on the Block" DVD guarantees that your baby will sleep an extra 2 hours on the first night that you try it. Mine did. I swear by those DVD's.

Hope this helps!
-S.

1 mom found this helpful

It is normal for a 6 1/2 week old to not sleep through the night yet. She will evenually. The only thing I noticed there that seemed different is that you are waking her up at 11:00 PM to feed her. If she is asleep let her be. She may not be hungry enough to eat enough to keep her sleeping soundly during the night. You might try keeping her awake and active later. She will be hungrier and perhaps sleep longer just from being awake longer.

1 mom found this helpful

Oh my gosh, she sounds like she is doing great! My first child didn't "sleep through the night" until six months of age! I personally would wake her at 11:30 to feed her. She will still wake around 2:30 probably to eat and this way you could go to sleep around 8:30 and at least sleep that stretch too. KWIM?

I can offer you no help but commiserate two of my kids didn't sleep thru the night until they were 9 months old. And I tried every thing , doc's advice didn't work grandmothers' their were three of them and 5 great grand mothers and none of the stuff helped so I finlly with the 2nd one just suffered thru so it happenes SORRY. KC

She may not sleep through the night for a long time. Right now she still needs to eat pretty often so it is good that she is waking up to eat. I remember feeling this way with my first. I was sooooo tired. In a few months you will look back and think that wasn't so bad. It will pass. Try to nap when she does if possible and enjoy that sweet stage she is in. It will pass too too quickly!

are you feeding her enough? I know the good book tells you 1 thing but I also know that if the baby isn't getting enough at each feeding that they won't sleeo long.
Could you talk to your doctor about putting a little baby cearel with the formula? I know it worked for me and I reaised 4 kids and I have 6 grandkids.
yes I believe the book does some good but you have to do what works for you.No 2 kids are alike and you can't treat them like they are.
Sorry about the lecture.
Have a nice day{and sleep}

Sounds very normal to me and worry can cause all sorts of problems. It will take time but she will sleep through. Right now they have their own schedules and when they get older you have so many other things to worry about I would enjoy this time. Congrats on baby.G. W

I was told by my ped... that after two mths u can stop waking up the baby at night to feed her/him. They'll wake up on there own and let you know when there hungry. Thats when my daughter starting sleeping thru the night.

Don't worry your doing great.

I know you've gotten lots of advice, but I have one thing to add: you know all those books and websites that tell you that by 6 weeks a baby will be able to sleep through the night? Here's how they figure that: they ask moms if their baby has _ever_ slept 6 hours at a stretch. If you asked me that question at 6 1/2 weeks, I would have answered yes: once, at 6 weeks, she slept from midnight to 7am. But it wasn't until 4 months that she slept that long with an sort of regularity, and only within the past month or so (she's 10 months) has she consistently, always, slept 7 to 7. Most babies learn to sleep longer gradually, and you will have setbacks along the way (especially with teething), but you will also, with increasing frequency, get occasional, if not regular full nights of sleep. Hang in there! You'll make it!

I'm a new mom of a 11 week old and had no idea what to expect. Pretty much from what I have heard from other mom's - you are lucky that she is sleeping 4 hours!!! I have a friend that said her boy was hungry every 2 hours (including night) till he was 6 months old. My 11 week old is sleeping long hours in the night already and all my friends say they have never heard of a baby sleeping so well at night. So know that it is possible but not expected. One thing that has really helped us is that we have a ritual at night - bath, I play a song he likes, and massage. We hardly ever have problems putting him down and he hardly ever wakes up after we put him down now that we have the ritual. Best of luck!

Right now, it's way too soon to worry about sleeping through the night. 3-4 months is usually when they start sleeping for longer stretches, although some babies take much longer.

For about 2 months, my daughter would wake up during the night to eat, but after awhile, she would sleep for longer stretches and eventually cut out her middle-of-the-night feeding. The ONLY time I would wake her is if she had been sleeping for 5 hours.

I totally know how you feel, sounds exactly what I went through. I would just relax and let her do her thing.

Healthy Sleep Habits; Happy Child by Dr. Marc Weissbluth. 4 months is the average age for most babies to sleep through the night; many are blessed with kiddos who sleep those hours right from the start, others, like ours took a little longer. But much like any other milestone, they will all achieve this - it all depends on how much you want to work on it. But trying before 3+ months is frustrating for you and the baby.

as a mom of 3 boys. I will tell you that 6 weeks is WAY to early for them to sleep through the night. you really should shoot for 4 months before they are ready to sleep through the night. she should be fed every 4 hours at this point and let her sleep as long as she will through the night but if she wakes up then feed her for sure. I always play talk to, sing to, stimulate mine for at least 30 minutes up to an hour at about that age before they go to bed then let them sleep but most babies that age should not go longer than 6 hours with out eating. about 3-4 months is when they are ready to go longer than 6 hours at night.

Also use the mylecon drops for gas it REALLY helps. I buy the Target brand they are cheaper and work just as well.

Hang in there it wont lastt forever...
A.

I highly recommend reading Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. It does a great job of explaining sleep patterns and needs in infants/children. I read it with my first (I now have three). Babies do not produce melatonin (needed for sleep)until around 12 weeks of age....same reason why elderly people don't sleep as well...their melatonin levels drop way off. Now SOME babies do sleep through the night younger than 12 weeks...but I think that is the exception....

Hang in there...it will pass and your little one will sleep through the night!!!

In my opinion it's a little early to expect your angel to sleep through the night. My children did it at about 8 weeks and I knew at the time that I was very fortunate because they were doing it pretty early. BTW, sleeping through the night means you can expect about 6 solid hours of sleep after the 11 pm feeding. Good luck!

I have had three kids ages 8 months to six and my 8 month olds stills gets up once a night to eat and goes right back to sleep. At 6 1/2 weeks old a feeding every four hours is common. Do your nurse or bottle feed. If you nurse, babies generally do not sleep as long between feedings because it is not as heavy on the stomach as formula is. Do not stress, it is tough, but sleeping through the night is not in your near furture. The joys of having children. She will sleep through the night when she is ready. If she is just getting up to eat and then going right back to sleep, all is well.

Hi S., I've had 4 children and I was pleasantly surprised they all slept through the night at about 2 weeks old. But, it is common for most babies to not sleep through the night for the first few months. Your baby is a bit young to be overly concerned. SUGGESTION: Try altering her body clock by providing more stimulation during the day hours such as taking her along for a jog, a bike ride or a stroll as weather permits. There are many health benefits to both baby and mother with moderate exposure to the sunshine, exercise and fresh air. I often found the simple things in nature helped soothe my babies and contributed to more restful sleep. This may help keep her awake longer during the day in order to sleep longer at nights. Are you nursing? If so, altering your diet may reduce the gas problem.

A 6 and 1/2 week baby shouldn't be sleeping through the night yet anyway. I have six kids and have never had one sleep completely through the night until much later. Might as well resign yourself to the fact that you are gonna be getting up at night for a while, she is still a newborn, and still needs to eat during the night.

Try not disturbing her at 11pm to eat,wait until she wakes up on her own to eat. Remember just as an adult once you break the rim sleep it's hard to go back to sleep.
Also, my son suffered from gas really really really bad but he was little older when his developed like 3 to 6 months old, what we did we rotate his feeding, b/w water, milk, and a mixture of sprite cut with water to reduce the acid and sugar. The sprite/water mixture helped with the gas. His little tummy would be so tight and swole from gas, pour baby, but it worked. With her being so young she shouldn't need a whole bottle only a few ounces should do the trick and then include water as part of her feeding routine this will also help eliminate the gas from the milk.

As for sleeping through the night I didn't wake my son to feed him. I fed him when he arose, but then he had my entire routine down to "t" while I was carrying him. When he went to sleep at 10pm he didn't wake until 5am, which was my time to take my mom to work, by 6am he was back sleep again :)It all depends

I am a new mom as well and I completely understand your frustration. I know the doctors say not to start rice until later, but I put rice in the bottle she had right before bedtime. It held her over longer than without the rice. I started with 1/2 a Tablespoon and then worked it up to 1 T. I did have to cut the nipple hole a little to allow the milk and rice mixture through. I found that it worked great. I started rice at 6 weeks. There is a sleepless night ahead, don't give up!

For the most part, she is set on the schedule you have her on. I wouldn't worry about it too much now but when you are ready, just let her sleep a little longer than 1130p and feed her when she is ready. OR Try to keep her up a little later than 830pm and when she does fall asleep, let her sleep until she wakes up and maybe that will last a littlelonger than 230am.

Good luck!

As I'm sure you've been told - each child is different. I did, however, have my 1 1/2 month old son sleeping thru the nite thanks to a book called "The Baby Whisperer." The just of it is: start clustering the feedings in late afternoon up until bedtime. For example, if she's eating every 4 hours offer the bottle every 2 hours or so from 4-8:30 and fill her up. Then, instead of waking her at 11p for a feeding, offer it a bit earlier and just roll the nipple from the bottle across her lips gently till she opens her mouth. She will drink the bottle without waking and since she will be taking the bottle so gently you should not need to burp her. Read the book though, it had a lot of great suggestions in it and I was glad someone had recommended it to me!

Good luck!!

S.,
I was about to lose my mind with my first baby (collic and all). A lady suggested Baby Wise. It's a book. Sorry I don't remember the author. It was great. Not really something you can implement in the first month, I'd say. But my baby was 7 weeks old & it worked great. We followed the book's overall 'plan' & he was sleeping through the night at 3 months (which is not as quickly as the book states). But the sleeping patterns were established very quickly & we knew how better to plan & progress.
Hope that helps.

A.

S. - Congratulations on your new mommy status and welcome to the world of constant worries! From what I've read and heard, you'd be really, really lucky to have a baby sleeping through the night this early. My daughter slept 6-7 hours at 9 weeks, and even that was pretty early. I did do the "dream feed" like you're doing, waking her at 10 or 11 for a feeding to encourage her to make it through the hours that I really don't like to see. It sounds to me like you're doing a great job, and I know that you're ready to say good bye to 3AM, but I'd give it some more time. Your location says Lakewood - I'm assuming that's the neighborhood in Dallas, not a town somewhere else. I highly recommend the New Moms Group at Presby Dallas. Moms share what's going well and what's not, and there's a facilitator who knows her stuff to answer questions. It was an absolute lifesaver for me! The info is on their website, but not too easy to find. Please send me a message if you want to know more! Hang in there, mama, easier times are coming. (Then you'll find something new to worry about!)

Well, I hate to burst your bubble but I have a 3yo who still doesn't sleep every night thru the night. He has never been a good night time sleeper. Though my daughter was sleeping thru the night at around two months. So,I guess my advice is all babies are different and will have their own schedule no matter what you try to do! I do think your baby is too young to be worried about it though. Good Luck!(from just another sleep deprived MOM)

S......six weeks may be a little too early. It will come eventually. I totally understand being ready for mine to sleep through the night. I read somewhere that when they reach 10-12 pounds they are ready to sleep 7-8 hours. How much they sleep is strictly up to the baby and is different for each. Do a little research on bedtime routines and sleep training now so when your little one is 4-6 months old you can teach her to put herself to sleep and you won't have to depend on crutches like bottles/rocking etc. to fall asleep to. I used the sears method but there are alot out there. Good luck

Stop waking her up at night if she is hungry she will wake you up. And you are setting a pattern for her to wake up and eat. Again I say she will wake you up. And forget the housework when she sleeps you sleep. You will love this in the long run. Trust me MOM of 6. They are 37 down to 8 yrs old.

You're not expecting too much at all. My daughter slept through the night at 6 weeks old. We used the techniques in the book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. It gives you tips for napping and getting them to sleep through the night. And it will take you through the years as they grow up too. For example, if your daughter is now 2 and suddenly not sleeping through the night. It is WONDERFUL!! I highly recommend it.

S.,
While you might be ready for her to sleep through the night, she might not be. I don't mean that in a bad way...what I mean to say is she is still growing. My now 6month old did not sleep through the night until she was 4 months old. She had colic, consitpation, and reflux. All of things can affect how they sleep. Hang in there! She will get there. She is close since she is sleeping at large chunks of time. Also, my little one had to hit 11 lbs. before she started sleeping through. Good luck!

I have a little man that will be two months 3/11/08, and we are still hit and miss on sleeping until 5:00AM.
All good thing will come in time. Sleep deprived? I'm with you! Thomas goes to sleep around 8:30- to 10:00PM and is awake by 5:00AM the latest.
Hang in there.
Tina - Heartland, Texas

I think you are expecting too much. I am the mother of 3 and I none of mine slept thru the night until at least 3-4 months. Every baby is different and although you may hear stories of some sleeping through the night at this age..... I would just consider those mothers extremely lucky. You are doing fine and just try to hang in there with the sleepless nights.

I wouldn't wake her up to feed anymore. Just feed more in the day. She should start making it longer and longer through the night.

S.

I believe you are expecting too much. Your gorgeous bundle of joy wakes when the tummy is empty & needs to be fed. I'm the mother of two, both are parents themselves, and the grandmother of three. Trust me...your baby is normal. If she didn't wake up when she does, then worry!!!

C.

At 6 1/2 weeks?! My son didn't sleep thru the night until he was about a year old. But hey-every child develops differently!

Yes dear, give her time. My daughter breast fed my grandsone every hour and a half. He was born big and hungry,didn't sleep through the night until he was 6 months.Her new baby daughter was born what we call tiny she only weighed 6lbs and 18 inches long at 3months she stated sleeping through the night. By 2 months my daughter was sleeping through the night. She would go to sleep a nine and not wake up until eight I thought there was something wrong with her because her older bother didn't do that. Doctor said no. At 28 she still goes to bed at nine but,she gets up earlier

about me mother of two, grandmother of four in quinlan TX

This is something in which you will have to have patience. And every time your baby goes to sleep try to take a nap to. However I suggest you that during the day try to have your baby surrounded by the noises of the day such as television or radio. Put the baby in a playyard close to you while you do your chores. This way the baby can notice the difference between night (peaceful and quiet,) and day.

Congrats on the little one! It is a bit early but every baby is different. My two kids were and are still great sleepers and started out that way very early but just hang in there!! Again, every baby is different. The advice I have for you is never wake a sleeping baby! I noticed you mentioned that you wake the baby up to feed at 11pm. Let her sleep through this feeding if she chooses too. If she is hungary, she will wake up. I suggest to allow her to sleep as long as she will. Try to keep her awake a little longer than the 8:30 snooze. Good Luck! Hang in there-- you are doing great!!

You never know when she will sleep through the night, and even after she starts sleeping throught the night, she will go through stages where she will wake up and it starts all over again. The best advise I can give is sleep when she sleeps so you don't end up a zombie like me. Best wishes and congradulations...it's all worth it!

Hi S.,
There are a couple of things you might try. For the gas try a little Kayro white syrup in her bottle. I found an all time all natural remedy called Pitts Carminative which is absolutely wonderful, but hard to find. Usually an old fashion drug store or have your pharmacist order it for you. Works for adults too. As for sleeping at night, try putting a little bit of rice cereal in the night feedings, increase it as you go, but be sure and use a nipple with a large hole. This is a tried and tru baby doctor approved. Worked with all my children and grandchildren. Most recently my now 4 month old granddaughter. Her parents were at the same juncture you are and when she finally tried it...sleep for everyone! One other thing you might check on the colic, my granddaughter was lactose intolerant the same as her mother. WE changed to a non lactose formula and the colic went away.

Nana L.

my daughter is 5 months and still nurses every 2-3 hours. you might try not waking her to feed (dream feeding is the term) and just nurse on demand and see if that makes a difference. She is so little to expect more than a four stretch (if a breast fed baby) of sleep plus her naps are amazing!!!!! hang in there and you guys will figure it out together.

Put a little Rice cereal in her milk. It will stick with her longer. Rice is the first cereal they are given and is not likely to upset her at all. My sister had to put her son on it realy early for the same reason and had no problems.
M.

S.,

I would say, "Quit worrying! She will sleep through the night when she is ready!" I have three children, two boys and one girl, and all of them were around 6 months old when they began sleeping through the night. Their feeding schedule was much like your daughter's. Other people would say, "Oh, my child is 6 weeks old and I put some cereal in his bottle at night, and he sleeps through." Didn't work for mine. When they're hungry, they're hungry, and babies don't care whether Mom is asleep or not!
My advice to you is, Relax!!! Keep doing what you're doing, enjoy this time, and nap whenever she is napping!

S.,

You and your baby are doing awesome. Every baby has his or her own little eat/sleep pattern but most tend to go for the one that you are experiencing with your little one. She is on track. It will be later on that she will begin to sleep more through the nights. The first night that she does, you will be surprised! It will just happen. Get your rest whenever you can.

T.

First off, stop worrying so much. It can be very hard to get a child to sleep through the night. My 4 year old still wakes up every once in awhile. Your daughter will do it when she's ready and she is still very young. Just an idea - after she goes to sleep at 8:30 don't wake her. See how long she'll sleep. She will let you know when she's hungry. Best of luck to you and don't stress it gets easier!

I have a 5 month old who still wakes up once to feed. If you are nursing, your baby will certainly feed more often. Does your baby use a pacifier? Sometimes we try to see if she will take this instead of feeding. If she is really hungry, she will still fuss. When they are in the first few months, really, you should feed when your baby seems hungry. You can't spoil them too much this early. Also, babies growth spurt often in the first 6 months so you might see some days where your baby wants to eat all the time. You may not get good sleep but this will get better soon.

Do what works for you, but I have to say I think it's silly to wake a baby to feed it. You're teaching her to wake up every night at 11 to eat. I've got both sides of the spectrum with my kids. My daughter was 'sleeping through the night' by the time she was 6 weeks old. Of course as a PP said, sleeping through the night is only 6 hours solid sleep. My 9-month-old is still waking up on his own at 11 and 4 to eat.

Bottom line, don't expect her to sleep through the night yet, but also don't add more stress to your life by continuing to wake her up every 4 hours to eat.

Hi S.,
There are a few of things to remember, first each child is different and what works for one, may not for the other. Second, sleeping through the night is just 5-6 hours straight. Third, about the time you think you have it figured out, they go through a growth spurt (at about 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, etc.). Third, my pediatrician told me to NEVER wake a sleeping child...it just teaches them to get up at a specific time. Fourth...you may not want to take advice from someone whose children didn't sleep through the night until they were over a year old and neither did my friends children! And lastly, eventually they all sleep through the night in their own time.
Good luck!
A.

Yeah, I wouldn't worry to much. This sounds sooo familiar. My daughter is almost 1 yr and has only slept though the night 7 times! She is finally sleeping around 7 hours at night sometimes 9. But until a month ago she was waking up 3-5 times a night! I was nursing until she was 9 months and then she didn't want to nurse anymore so we switched to formula. That didn't make a difference in her sleeping habits though. My daughter never took long naps - so you are lucky! I think some kids just sleep well and some do not- I keep thinking maybe our next kid will be a good sleeper! HA! One thing I did try is I put a small pillow that was firm in her bed (it came with her bedding) and when she wakes up she grabs it and lays her head on it and falls back to sleep. Oh, and I did get her one of those aquariums (spelling?) that she can turn on for light and music in the middle of the night. Maybe that will give her some comfort when she wakes up in the middle of the night and she will fall asleep without crying or needing you to wake up and comfort her. Good luck- and remember you are not alone in this! :)

Get the book Baby Wise. I have three kids, all Baby Wise. They will generally sleep through the night by 8 weeks. Hang in there.

Dear S.,

Sorry that your little one is not sleeping well yet, but it probably is a little early. I have two sons, 7 and 4 and neither of them slept through the night before 4 months. It takes a while for them to learn the difference between day and night, right now to her it is all the same. I think you are on the right track to just accept it and know that this is temporary, she will start to sleep through the night but it might be a few more weeks. Best wishes.

T. P

You sound about average right now. If it helps, my son started sleeping through the night (11-7ish)at about 10 weeks, which we have been told is pretty good. You are doing the right thing. Just remember all kids are different. I do agree with the suggestion to try a Swaddle Me Blanket if you haven't already (my two week old loves hers), and Mylicon for gassiness.

Well my daughter is 16 weeks this week and she has been sleeping through the night since about 11-12 weeks before that she would wake about 3am everyday for a feed and finaly just stopped at frist he would go all night 2-3 nights a week and still get up at 3 at times but now it has stopped I feed her last feeding about 7:30 or 8:30 all depends on her I have always let her control her feeding I tried all the book stuff but this has worked very well for me she sleeps until 6:30 am of sometimes even 7:30 so I feel we are on the right track but as far as napping she does not nap good there is maybe one or two days a week she will take a 3 hr nap but not often she normally takes a 1 hr only good luck it will just happen and she had bad gas colic should I say but it has all gotten 100% better My daughter is even on Netramigen. But I promise it will get better this is my third and my 8yesr old never nap or slept all night he would wake for a bottle but this one is sleeping through the night it will just happen also there is times she starts waking again but I think those are times she is just growing..

She is still too young to sleep through the night. Some will, but most wont. It sound like she is sleeping & eating great!

Everything sounds completely normal...feel lucky that she sleeps as much as she does. God bless

I think I would try not waking her for the 11 p.m. feeding. Apparently she's not hungry yet if you're having to wake her. She might be ready to stretch a little longer on that feeding. I nursed both my kids, so I'm not really familiar with formula. Unless your doctor said to wake her because of a weight issue, I don't think I would. My Mom gave me some very good advice (I was an older first time Mom at 38), she said never wake a sleeping baby unless the house is on fire! :)

Blessings!
L.

p.s. I think sleeping through the night at 6 weeks is too much to expect.

Why are you waking her up at 11? She may sleep through the night if left alone or at least until 4 ? You are getting up between 11 and 2;30 anyway, so why not test it out. I had a baby that slept from 9 to 5a.m. If she eats good at 8:30 don't worry about it.

Yeah, unfortunately every child is different. My son is 13 months old and still wakes up every few hours to nurse. If the child is not co-sleeping with you all, you can try putting one of your worn t-shirts or another piece of clothing in the crib with her. And you could also try to skip waking her up a 11pm, she will wake up when she gets hungry, sometimes they get crabby when you disturb their little sleep cycles. About the gas, you can pick up some acidophilus for babies at your local health food store in the refrigerated section of the supplement isle. You can also try eliminating dairy, or if your nursing, both of you eliminate dairy. Some other common allergens are soy, and gluten.

Good luck,
Dr. Missy

Yes, you are expecting too much! At 6 1/2 weeks very few babies sleep through the night. It is more common to start happening around 3-4 months (that's how it was for all three of my children). The schedule your little one is on sounds fairly normal to me for her age. You guys are doing just fine! What will most likely happen is that one day she'll sleep through that early a.m. feeding time, but you'll wake up in a panic anyway, wondering what is wrong!

Hang in there . . . you can all look forward to a good night's sleep in a couple of more months.

my son is 10 weeks but I am breastfeeding. I feed him every 3 hrs during the day and let him wake up at night. For about 1 1/2 weeks he's been going from 9 or 10 pm to 5 am. HEAVEN! I did nothing different!
I think you should start the night time routine pretty soon and make your last feeding be around 9 or 10 and before that time, do a bath followed by some good tummy time. (It might take a couple more weeks to have this kick in.) That's what we do. Now though my son is so tired after the bath, he'll go right to sleep after about 30 seconds of cuddling/rocking.
GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!

Sounds like you are doing great! We did the same thing with my son, and he started sleeping 10 hours a night at 8 weeks! We did have to let him cry a little here and there though. However, our pediatrician, who has twins and an older son says that babies that are 8 weeks old can go without any feedings at night for 12 hours. He said they put their kids in bed at 8 at night and didn't get them up until 8 the next morning starting at 8-10 weeks. I think my son did 12 hours starting around 3 mos. You just have to help them along, like said in previous responses. We did also swaddle him and we didn't get up with any whimper or whine after 8 weeks, we just let it go until morning. However, if they scream for awhile, it might be something else like a dirty diaper, etc. Good luck! Sounds like you are doing great and know you WILL get a full night sleep very very soon!!!!

The best you can hope for soon is about 5 hours. (Typically) But every little one is different. It will happen though it feels like it won't right now.

Use mylicon drops everytime you feed her and you will see something wonderful happen. My first son was gassy and a lady from church got me two bottles of this for my baby shower which I grew to know was GREAT!

Sounds like you are doing wonderful to me. You are doing exactly what I did and she started sleeping through around 10 weeks (11 - 6). "Sleep feeds" are the way to go!

I nursed both of my kids, so we let them set their own feeding schedule. I don't know that I ever woke up one of the girls for a feeding. They'd let me know themselves when they were hungry. It seemed to work very well for us.

I agree that she will sleep thru the night when she's ready. Our little one started to sleep about 7 hours at night when she was about 10 weeks old. Until then I thought I would go crazy (my husband works nights)! We did nothing differently--other than try to have a set bedtime routine--and it just happened. Your little one will get there!

If I remember correctly, our baby started sleeping longer stints of about 5-7 hrs at night when he was about 9 weeks old. But I think babies do this when they're ready to and some not until 6 mths of age. Hopefully, it will be sooner rather than later for your family though. I know you're exhausted keeping up with her schedule now, but it will get better. Try to take a couple of naps when your baby does, and it will give you more energy to take care of her when she's up. Hang in there!

There is a great book called "ON Becoming Baby Wise" that was a life saver for me when it came to my kiddos sleeping through the night. I highly recommend it to you.

I did not read the others since there were so many so I don't know if this has been said. I read and used the tips in Babywise. I didn't follow everything. Mainly the schedule. My son was sleeping 6 solid hours by 6 weeks and 8 hours by 3 months. Good luck

My son didnt start sleeping through the night until he was 16 months old. Talking to my friends and the doctor, I realized that this is normal in some kids. Consider yourself lucky if you can have your baby sleeping through the night by 6 months!

We have a 9 month old and she did not sleep through the night until we started putting a formula scoop of rice cereal in her "good night" bottle at a couple of months old. A lot of people told me to start doing that at just a few weeks old, but we waited until she was almost two months old because it seemed like she was trying way too hard to poop (switching to lactose-free formula worked wonders for this though). Once that was taken care of, we cut a larger hole in a few of her nipples (the fast-flows did not work), and put a formula sized scoop of cereal in with her formula bottle and she would sleep most of the night. It wasn't long until she began sleeping all night. Make sure you are holding her while feeding her this though as it is very easy for her to choke. The doctor might tell you this isn't a good idea until she is about 4 months, but it is what we did. Hope this helps! Even if you decide not to do this, all-night sleeping will come soon when she is ready.

I think you are lucky your child is sleeping so good. My 12 wk old doesn't sleep that good. My 1st child slept good starting at 4 wks. I look at stretches of time (5 to 6 hours is great) not the time. And unfortunately some babies are just early risers. She will sleep through the night when she is ready dont worry. Just make sure her room is a comfy temp. & DARK!!! You will miss this time when it is gone, I promise. Good luck to you.

some babies will but most babies don't! My first was sleep 13 hours straight my other two...not so much. My only suggestion to you is to not wake her up at 11. Try having her stretch until 9...feed her before she goes to bed and then just wait for het to wake up on your own. One more suggestion I have for you is to not rush in there and feed her right away...if its gas issues then more food will only make it worse. Babies can get into ba sleeping habits really fast...my daughters would always wake up at the same exact times every night. I would rush in a feed them...but when I stopped doing that they got back into a normal sleeping routine...
BUT 6 1/2 weeks is really early to have a NORMAL sleep routine...my girls were much older when I started that...

S.,

At 6 1/2 weeks, I think it would be a miracle if your precious daughter were sleeping through the night. It sounds like she is sleeping very normal for her age. Hopefully, she'll be sleeping through the night by 10-12 weeks. My son, now 2, was basically the first baby I had ever held, I had no experience with babies! He started sleeping through the night at 11 weeks, but every baby is different. I would suggest two books for you to read. "The Happiest Baby on the Block" and "On Becoming Babywise." I will say that the Babywise book is very rigid, but pick what feels comfortable for you and stick to it. Consistemcy is key in getting your daughter to sleep through the night. Best of luck to you and in the meantime try and enjoy those early morning feedings. It is valuable time that you can spend with your baby daughter.

I think this is an awesome schedule and right where you should be at 6 1/2 weeks. A good rule of thumb is that a baby starts sleeping thru the night around 3 months old and if they are 13 lbs (both, not just one of those). Again every baby is different but that is a general rule. There are LOTS of books out there but there is a good online program called The Sleep Sense program. You might want to check it out just so you get ready for the months ahead http://www.sleepsense.net/ - it is more than just buying a book in the store but you get ALOT more with it. We are using it on our 6 month old who was NOT sleeping thru the night and we were at our wits end...after 2 nights we are doing much better. We do have to let him cry it out but we go in and reassure him and follow the plan. She also gives a stay in the room plan if you aren't comfortable with "Crying it out" once your baby is older. But if you start early with her plan you probably wont' ever have to let your baby cry it out. Good luck!!!

For starters, If she gets gas regularly at the same time every day, you can give her Mylicon infant gas medicine and this will help relieve the gas.
She is too young to sleep through the night but she is old enough to sleep 4-5 hrs at a time at night. My kids' Doctor had told us that if baby's weight is where it should be and baby wants to sleep, don't wake her... until you get to that 4-5 hour mark. So, if she's sleeping at 830, don't wake her to feed her before 1230 to 130am unless she is waking up "asking" to be fed. During the day, you want to keep her on schedule as much as possible with feedings. This will help her to sleep better at night.
Hope this was helpful.

yes, you are expecting too much. Although a lucky few will sleep through the night from day one, many to most babies continue to need to eat frequently even through the night for several months. My daughter was a blessing who started sleeping 5-7 hours at a stretch at just over a week old, but my son is over a year and still wakes at night! The important thing is to make the night time feeding as quiet, calm and quick as possible- be sure she knows it is not play time and give her as little attention as possible so she doesn't think this is a great time to hang-out with mommy (especially hard if you work). As I said my son still wakes up at night, but unless he is sick I do not go to him. I hear him on the monitor as he gets a drink of water from his sippy, 'sings', babbles and humms himself back to sleep. I encouraged him to self-soothe as much as possible based on his developmental skill- the same as I did with my daughter.... it is amazing how different each child can be! Good luck- I know how hard it is to be sleep deprived, but your daughter will be running off to play without you sooner than you can imagine, so try to enjoy every minute you have with that tiny bundle!

Well, I have so been where you are. I have a 5 month old and I was so worried about him sleeping through the night for his first three months. I was so tired and sleep deprived I sometimes felt like if he did not sleep through the night I might die. But find a balance. It is just around the corner. It sounds like you have your baby on a pretty good schedule and eventually her tummy will be able to go a long stretch of time with no food and that will expand with time. I had the same situation as you do and at about 3 mo. my son started to do 5-6 hour stretches at night and now its 8 to 9 hour stretches. Your doing a good job it sounds like. I'd say give it a little more time.

Please be patient. Not sleeping through the night is actually a good thing. (Considering you are exhausted you probably will not, until I tell you why.) Babies that wake during the night have a much lower risk of dying from sudden infant death syndrom commonly know as SIDS. 5 hours of continuous sleep is considered a full night's sleep for the first several months or so for infants.
Also at this age of 6 1/2 weeks her stomach is very tiny only the size of a shooter marble, or a radish. So in effect she needs to eat very frequently to get the nutrition she needs to grow and thrive properly.
Also please do not start feeding cereal or other foods before your baby shows readiness around 6 months. Please check the American Association of Pediatrics for more information. By not feeding her cereal or other foods too soon you may be proventing diabetes, allergies and obesity later on in life.
A valuable resource for finding more information on feeding your baby is lalacheleague.org.
C. in Terrell Texas

Of course, every baby is different, but it sounds like she's on a pretty steady schedule. At this point, she's doing as expected. Sleeping through the night will not look like what you once knew as a complete night's sleep for awhile longer. She'll probably drop that 2:30 a.m. feeding in the next few weeks, provided she's on a regular schedule during the day...also spending time outdoors in the daylight (a little difficult with the weather, but that's changing, too) will help her biological sleep clock begin to recognize nighttime as sleep time. Babies brains are not on circadian rythm until they reach around 12 lbs of body weight or 3-4 mos of age. (weight being the predominant factor) BTW, sleeping through the night at first is usually 12 a.m. to 6 a.m....but it gets better, I promise! Soon, she'll be 13 years old and she'll want to sleep all day and night! LOL

She is doing awesome and so are you, be thankful!

S. - I would say at this point you are expecting too much. Our little boy is now 6.5 months old, but he started sleeping through the night when he was 10-11 weeks old which we thought was wonderful! After hearing horror stories from other parents about their little ones not sleeping through the night for months, 10 weeks was great for us. I know that right now you probably feel like this will last forever, but it won't. Just keep doing what you're doing and try to feed your baby more at the last nightly feeding before you go to bed and she will eventually sleep through that 2 a.m. feeding. If you do hit the 3 month mark and you are still having this problem, then you will want to try just consoling her when she wakes up for the 2-3 a.m. feeding until she falls back to sleep - 3 or 4 nights of this should do the trick (as if I'm an expert or something). Each baby is different, so be patient, and you will probably be pleasantly surprised in the next few weeks or so. Hang in there! God bless you!

Hi,

Your daughter will sleep through the night when she is ready. She is still very little and apparently needs the nourishment of the in-the-middle-of-the-night feeding. I have two boys, now 15 and 10 years old, and they didn't sleep through the night until they were 6 months and much closer to a year old. It wears you out but she'll get there.

Good luck.............

Instead of waking her to feed her, try feeding her a little more right before she goes to bed. See if you can get her to take six ounces at 8pm. Then, swaddle her up nice and tight (get a SwaddleMe blanket if you don't already have one), and put her to bed.
For the gas, get some of they Mylicon drops. They work wonders!

With my daughter (my firstborn), I was kind of like you and figured she'd sleep through the night when she got older. I didn't realize how much I could have helped her toward that goal. She didn't sleep through the night until seven MONTHS!! Needless to say, we were quite tired!

With my son, I knew better. I followed the advice I gave above, and he slept through the night (8pm-7am) at seven WEEKS! So, it can be done. Just hang in there!

Check out askdrsears.com and read about sleep problems. He and his brothers and father a pediatricians who practice what they preach. It is a great web site. Check out their DHA/EPA fish oil for making your baby as smart as possible.
We use it every day.

Sleeping through the night will not happen until the baby starts actually eating cereal or such, which, according to many sources, should not be until they are 6 months of age or so. I know it is exhausting, I have 2, but hang in there. I have a horror story about a mom that wanted to rush it and started feeding cereal in the formula in the first week. At 7 months, that baby was 35 pounds! Considering my 6 year old is only a little over 40, she is a tiny thing, it is a little scary to imagine. So do please accept that it will be a bit of a while, don't rush anything, and congratulations on your new baby.

Sounds like she is doing great for her age! I would not wake her at night, but I would be very happy with a baby who did not wake more often than every 4 hours. Remember that 6 hours is considered "sleeping through the night" for a newborn.

My son slept through the night at 5 or 6 weeks, and my daughter not until 7 months!
An excellent book that might help you with scheduling is called, 'Baby Wise'.

Hello S. just thought I'd share some info with you. My daughter who is now 16 months did not sleep thru the night until she was between 3 and 4 months. After she hit the 4 month mark we were able to give her rice cereal(per her pediatrician) at night and that really helped her sleep. She did not wake up starving because the rice cereal was solid on her stomach. I felt the same way when she was 6 weeks. I kept asking my Mom "how old are they before they sleep thru the night?" Eventually it will all work out!

6 1/2 weeks is way too early to expect her to sleep through the night. She will sleep through the night eventually, just give her time. It may be in 2 weeks or 2 months. My first slept through the night at 8 weeks, but my second didn't until he was 4 months and then still woke up at 5 A.M. for a bottle until around 6 months. I think she sounds like a normal 6 week old. Just be patient.

My husband and I took a class called "Growing Kids Gods Way", The infant class taught us that the child will only cry 15-20 minutes for the first few days. Let them cry at the middle of the night feeding. It will tak eabout a week for them to adapt to the "new" routine. I did this when my son was 3 months old, and it took 3 nights for him to sleep (he was starting the snack feeding). My daughter took a little longer because they say that if they are still crying after the 20 minutes something might be wrong so check on them. But my daughter was just being stubbern. I know that some local churches offer these classes, but it is a video series that you can get off of http://www.gfi.org/ , it is kind of expensive so I would see if a church offers it.

I have never woken up any of my babies to feed them, to be honest. They wake up when they are hungry. Also I wouldn't worry about it and it is too soon to expect her to be sleeping through the night. All babies are different and I went through even asking total strangers in department stores with babies my son or daughters age asking if their baby slept throught the night. The answers varied as much as they do for everything else a baby does so I stopped worrying about it. My kids did not sleep thru the night at 6 1/2 weeks. Don't fret about it, it will come soon enough. Let your little princess eat when she is ready and you will start to see how she will regulate herself...including sleeping through the night. You are lucky she sleeps as long as she does, I know moms who have to feed every 2 hours...now those poor ladies are sleep deprived. Grab mini naps when she naps. Once you have more then one kid this gets to be a bit more difficult but for me, I had my two little ones on the same nap schedule which meant I could get on the treadmill, pay bills and watch All My Children (: It will work out.

I have a 23 week old and this was one of my worst fears! My daughter started sleeping though the night at 8 weeks. She was eating between 5 - 6 oz. at every feeding. I pretty much fed her with the clock - meaning that I didn't feed her at the first sign of her being hungry. She slept a lot - I even thought it was abnormal for a baby to sleep as much as she did! But she is on a great schedule now and has no issues sleeping through the night. My cousin told me "never wake a sleeping baby" and that advice has helped Fallon settle into a great routine. My pediatrician said not to let her go more than 4.5 - 5 hours when she was that age - so I basically stuck to the clock. Seemed to work fine as she has never gone back to any other schedule! :) Good luck!

She while sleep thru the night. i have a son who is now 2 1/2 He started sleeping thru the night about the same age but i also started giving him baby creal mixed very thin at bed bottle around 8:30pm then in the morning at the 7am and his tummy was full and he sleep all night. but i know its hard best advise is to sleep when you can get sleep (baby sleeping mommy try to sleep) Good luck

you are doing great! i know it is hard to keep up a schedule like that! just hang in there. all 3 of mine it was closer to 9 weeks. if not then when you start giving her cereal at 4 months it will hold her over better and for sure then. you can do it! you will sleep again!

My advice would be to stop waking her up to eat. I had two girls and from the moment they came home from the hospital, they have slept throught the night. I never woke them up to eat. Believe me if they get hungry, they will wake up and let you know. Good luck.

Just be patient, S.. I know it seems you will never get a full night's sleep, but you will. Before long she should be sleeping all night. Some babies start sleeping thru the night in a few weeks....those are the very luck parents!!!! Other babies take a little longer to get a routine that allows them to sleep all night. Hang in there!!

Hi S.,
Congratulations on the birth of your daughter. First of all, (and maybe I'm wrong, here), but it seems to me that she should be still eating every 3 hours. My 10-month old twins didn't go onto a 4-hour schedule until they were around 5 months old. Feeding her more frequently will give her more food and perhaps help her sleep longer throughout the night. So, if you're following a schedule (for example), maybe she feeds at 6 a.m., 9, 12, 3, 6, 9 and then a "top-off" feeding if you wake her at 11:00 p.m. It sounds like she's sleeping pretty well during the day, but you didn't say how long her naps last. Remember: the more sleep they get, the easier it is for them to sleep through the night. Sounds a little backwards, but take it from someone who was pulling her hair out a few months back - it's TRUE! ;o) I was keeping one of my twins up too long, and I couldn't figure out why she wouldn't take a nap longer than 20 minutes - 45 minutes. She was overly tired and couldn't fall asleep on her own. I laid her down 20-30 minutes early, and she would sleep for 2 hours! It made all the difference in the world.
So while your daughter is still very young and may not fall into a "schedule" for a little while longer, just do the best you can to be consistent - and she'll follow suit.

Best of luck!
K.

It's too early to hope for sleeping through the night. However, you could expect it after 3 months, providing her tummy is full as late as possible in the evening (that 11PM feeding is great). Here's how (with a pacifier baby): Starting now, keep a pile of pacis near her head, always in the same place. Whenever she's lost her paci and is not hungry, guide her hand to the pile of pacis and then to her mouth. When she's old enough (3 months or so) and she cries out for a night feeding, remind her of where her pacis are. Soon (within a week), she should self-soothe, satisfying her sucking needs in the middle of the night by getting her own paci. Good luck and God Bless!

Hi, S..

I can understand your frustration and concern. This probably is not any help to you, so I left a link after what worked for me. She WILL eventually sleep through the night. It is hard to be patient, but believe me, she will sleep through the night. My middle son slept through the night after he was 3 months old. I had started adding baby rice cereal/oatmeal into his last feeding of the day. He was 8 lbs. 11 ounces at birth.

When my youngest son was your daughter's age, he slept for 30 minutes, had his formula/breast milk, then would doze off for another 30 minutes and that schedule went on for quite some time. I had a c-section and was so sore and tired. I thought I would never get any rest or sleep. I had read a baby book, I'm sorry but I forgot the name, that told me to make the feeding schedule instead of allowing the baby to. I started with the every 3-4 hour schedule and he started drinking more ounces per feeding. My youngest was 8 lbs. 15-1/2 ounces at birth, so as he started drinking more during each feeding, I slowly started adding the baby oatmeal/rice cereal (not alot) to his last evening feeding (my mom's and other mom's advice), as well. It made him full enough to sleep a little longer through the night. 6-1/2 weeks, of course, is too young to start them on baby cereal/oatmeal. My youngest did not start sleeping through the night until he was 5 (he was a mama's boy), but when he was a baby, I was able to create a schedule for he and I to get some much needed rest. Good luck.

http://www.babycenter.com/0_age-by-age-guide-to-feeding-y...

http://www.babycenter.com/0_how-to-track-your-babys-sleep...

I was told "sleeping through the night" is really only about 6 hours of sleep. Everyone's opinion of sleeping through the night will be different. Another tip that seemed to be true for my children is when they double their birth weight they are capable of sleeping 6 hours through the night. Some days this was true, but some days not. It took time for them to be consistent. Growth spurts or slight change in the routine and they would wake up during the night, but be as consistent as possible and keep to a schedule and it will work.

Good luck.

No, it is not expecting too much for her. But, at 6 1/2 weeks she shoul dnot quite be there yet. Usually they need to be at least 8 before they should be allowed to sleep through the night, because they need those continuous nutrients. start feeding her every 3, rather than every 4, hours and she should get straightened out. A wonderful book to help with all of this is called "On Becoming Babywise". It really helped me with my kids.

First of all - I never woke my babies up to feed them! If they were asleep, I left them sleeping and let them wake up to eat when they wanted to. I think each baby has its own schedule. My children woke up around 7:30-8:00 am and they were awake the whole day until almost midnight but when they went to sleep for the night they slept the night through and they did this from birth. One thing I remembered is that I have never been a person (since I was the youngest baby) to sleep during the day and so I figured that my children were also going to be like that. I have always been a late night person and the pattern seemed to repeat in them. My husband was early to bed, early to rise and neither of them got that trait. Just pay more attention to your baby's natural schedule and you will be just fine. Good luck and love your baby as if there were no other baby - they grow up so fast!!!!

We followed a pretty tight three hour schedule (baby wise book) for my son. At six weeks he was sleeping about 8 hrs a night and by 8 weeks he was sleeping 12hrs. I think you can't worry too much, you can only control it so much! My mama told me that me and both of my sisters never slept through the night until we were at least a year old. Don't fret, all babies are different!!!

She should be sleeping through the night in another week or so. I have had 3 of my own and 10 grandchildren, and have found all are different.

Marti G

I think you are expecting to much she is still little you can always put a little bit of rice ceral in the night bottle but you need to use a cross cut nipple for that i did that with both of my sons works like a charm and you said something about the gas thing hope you don't have colic what a night mare

good luck

From my experience, you dont want to wake them at night to feed, only during their day naps. I started my son on a tad bit of rice cereal with his formula at night, maybe a half tablespoon. Lots of people will probably tell you that this is a no-no. However, my mother, grandmother, ect. all did this with all of us, we are still alive! Also, as soon as my son was able to lift his head on his own, I started putting him on his stomach for naps, then when i was comfortable knowing that he was able to move around, I left him that way at night, as well. Also for the gas, try soy instead of milk based, if you are using formula. Mylicon drops work as well.

My first (and best) pediatrician told me that any healthy child at 6 weeks and 10 lbs. can be taught to sleep throught the night (i.e. 6 hours) and does not need a middle of the night feeding. Simply change your daughter if she wakes and is wet but be very businsslike then return her to bed, save the cuddle and play for daylight hours. Yes, this means allowing her to cry it out. It took us one night with two of our children, two nights with one, and three nights with the most detremined night owl. It is not easy but the following nights of rest for the whole household are definately worth it.

Hi S., Read Healthy Sleep Habits for Happy Children. Very Good book, really goes in to detail about babies and toddlers their sleep habits as they grow and how much they need to be happy and healthy. I am a mom of a 20 month old, he did not start sleeping through the night until 6 months. I breast fed and he wanted the 2 am feeding. He naturally started sleeping through the night when we started giving him ceral as his last feeding, that was around 6 months. I have been told that the ceral takes longer to digest and keeps them full longer but your not suppose to give them ceral until they are older, like 6 months. I would just be available for your baby when ever she needs you. Right now she is so young and just a baby, the main thing your baby needs is to feel safe, comfort, and love and she needs to know you are there. She really is eating good, that is great! Don't worry to much about it, she will sleep through the night soon enough.

I have a sevenand a half week, and she is my first. I stopped worrying about waking her up or dictating when I fed her when she was about three weeks old. She has been sleeping for six solid hours and then other another 3-4 hours through the night since her fifth week. They are so smart! I found that trusting her to let me know when she was ready really did work best. Hope this helps!!