How to Get Infant to Sleep Through the Night

I agree with what most are saying 3 months is still a little young to expect to sleep through the night. It also depends what time she is putting him down to sleep. My little one is almost 3 months and she sometimes sleeps the whole night and sometimes not. I still swaddle her and in-fact we just got her the Miracle Blanket the other day and that has worked wonders. We also use the Happiest Baby on the Block Sound CD that helps too. Like someone mentioned earlier all PED's are different but my has said no solids until after 4 months and I have been told to never put cereal in a bottle.

The American Academy of Pediatricians no longer recommends any solid foods at all until at least 6 months. They also recommend feeding on demand for that long, including at night. It is completely normal for any baby to wake in the night to feed, certainly for six months, but it's very common for quite a while after that.

I wonder if this mom would benefit from a good basic book on babies. This is very basic information that would be in any book. The Baby Book by Dr Sears is excellent. Mabye it would be a good idea for you too, if you're giving moms advice.

Amber S. is right on target... 3 months is too young to expect a baby to sleep through the night, and is very likely too young to start solids. Please tell her to ask her baby's doctor about this.

3 months is still a little young to be sleeping through the night. His little tummy isn't big enough yet to keep him full. Even when an infant does start sleeping throught the night, that's usually only a 6-8 hour stretch. Which means, since he probably goes to bed before mom, he'll be waking up to eat in the middle of her night. I'd be sure and ask the pediatrician before adding cereal to the bottle or trying the added formula in the bottle. These are not usually recommended things to do. Even though she'd like her sleep, I'm sure she wants to do what's best for baby instead of easiest for her. Good luck!

Sleep problems are one of the worst problems to have. They really make you a mess for the next day, I remember!! However, I don't think any of my kids slept all night long at 3 months. Could it just be too early for the little guy to do it? Ask her the simple questions first - when she feeds in the middle of the night does she keep it really boring - lights low, not a lot of action - just feed, change diaper and go back down? No playing eventhough he's probably wide awake.

All babies are different most don't sleep through the nite till after 6 months and even then they wake up once or twice to feed or to be changed.It's not recomended to put cereal in a babies bottle especially this early he's not able to process the food and it'll be h*** o* his stomach causing upset stomachs etc.My advice is to follow a bedtime routine everynite feed at same time bath and use a nitetime lotion to massage him get baby in comfy jammies and spend some much needed cuddle time toghter.If he's not sleeping through the nite I don't see it as a big deal he's only 3 months old.

I never had to resort to spiking the milk with cereal. Here's what worked for me.
1. Get a very low wattage bulb (you can get 10W if you hunt) to have a lamp on in the baby's room. It should be dim, but stronger than a night light. The idea is that you never have to turn on a light when you go in at night. You have just enough light to see to change a diaper or do a quick feeding. Never turn on a bright light! Don't talk to the baby or make eye contact (that is what stimulates newborns the most). Just tend to their needs without stimulating them any more than is necessary to get the job done.
2. Don't respond to every whimper. When they are really hungry or uncomfortable, they'll let you know. When necessary, follow guidelines above.
3. Have blackout curtains! The only light in that baby's room at bedtime or nap time should be that low wattage lamp. Light is the biggest cue for them to wake up.
4. Use a fan or a white noise machine. I swear by white noise! We have an old house with creaky floors. The white noise helps block out noise from inside and outside the house. It makes a constant hum that is soothing and filters out the noise of people moving around the house or birds outside the window or whatever.

This approach has worked like a charm with both of my kids. Both slept through the night around 12 weeks old. Both still nap EVERY DAY and they are almost 4 and 5 and a half. Yes, the five year old naps. They still have their dark curtains, white noise and low watt lamps. Now they use the lamps to look at books until they fall asleep. The lamps still mean we can go in if they need a drink or a tissue or whatever without turning on the big light. Give these things a try with a newborn and they will get used to the routine right away!

Hi L.,
3 months is still pretty normal to wake up at night still. But one thing could be is his formula may not thick enough that it isn't sticking to his stomach it is keeping him hungry. I don't no how much he weighed.By my little guy was 8lbs and 12oz and 21 1/4 inches. About at 3 months it wasn't keeping him full.So what I did was whatever his serving bottle amount was I did but I added a extra scoop of formula but used the same water amount that the serving called for.Then just shake it up real good it makes it thicker so it will stick to is stomach longer. Some of those formulas are so thin. I hope this helps her.GOOD LUCK

Hi L.,
My second is not a good sleeper at all, but now at 6 months, he's finally figuring it out. My pediatrician told me not to let him cry it out until after 4 months. Unfortunatley he's had a number of colds, which has not helped sleeping either....so all I can say is good luck..it does get better!

R.

She can try cereal... but really their system is not developed yet to digest it... and it may keep him up longer with a sore tummy.
I would suggest that if they have multiple floors, put up the pack n play and put him on a different floor. Let him cry it out...
I know this is THE HARDEST thing... but it might be what she needs.
Or put a white noise machine their bedroom to drown out his night cries.
This may sound heartless and I am sorry if it comes off like this... but sometimes drastic measures must be taken. (Especially if the mom is super sleep deprived).

I have 3 kids and my dr always said 6 months is how old they will be before they sleep through the night--their tummies are not big enough until then. 2 of my kids gradually adjusted and slept through the night on their own and one I used the 'cry it out' method which only took 3 days and they were great sleepers after that. Oh, you also need to realize that dr's mean 7 to 8 hours straight when they say 'sleep through the night' not 10 to 12! Good luck, it won't be forever!

Hello L., (cute name by the way!)

How nice of you to ask for her!

As you know, routine is extremely important... especially for infants. Tell her to go buy the book, "What To Expect The First Year" by Heidi Murkoff, Arlene Eisenberg and Sandee Hathaway. I very much recommend it.

On page 258 of the book it has a section, "Waking Up For Nighttime Feedings." The section really should answer her question about how to handle it. (I'd type it, but it's
waaayyyy to long!!) ls

My daughter followed the advice of her pediatrician with her first child - don't let her sleep longer than 4 hours during the day, wake her if necessary and feed her; however at night let her sleep as long as she will, don't wake her to feed her and let her cry if she awakens. I didn't think they would be able to do this, but they did and she was sleeping all night in just a few weeks. And this was a baby who did not sleep a lot during the day either.
It sounds like you are doing the right thing, but the parents must let her cry at night, or it may be a long time before she sleeps all night.

Honestly my daughter had to be woken up to feed because she slept so much. But she started teething at 3 months and was cranky. I gave her cereal in her formula for just her bedtime bottle and it worked. she never had any ill affects from it. in fact she refused to each cereal with out juice or fruit in it at 5 months. as far as i'm concerned no book ever knows your baby like you do. it is up to the parents to know when their baby is ready for certain things.

My daughter is now one and has been on solid foods not baby food since around 6-7 months and off formula at 10 months. Now she refuses to let you feed her. so as you can see each kid is different. But I have a hard time getting her to bed at a decent time because she power naps. she can take a 20 minute nap and be bouncing off the walls aftewards. i'm working on getting her to go to sleep before 11pm and try to get her up before 11 am.

I think it's actually pretty common for 3 month olds to not sleep through the night yet. There are a lucky few who do, but I don't think it's the norm. Many times sleeping through the night has nothing to do with diet, but more with hitting a developmental milestone.

Please have her consult with the pediatrician before adding cereal to the bottle. They really don't recommend that anymore. It can pose a choking hazard, and 3 months might be a little young to introduce solids. The AAP recommends that breastmilk or formula be the main source of nutrition until introducing solids at 6 months.

She can try bumping up the amount he is nursing/getting in a bottle before bedtime. Sometimes getting a little extra breastmilk or formula will do the trick. Of course keeping a schedule also helps. Other than that it just might take some more time.

No Crying Sleeping Solution by Elizabeth Pantley has some wonderful tips for helping get infants/children into routines for a positive sleep experience. It's in the middle of cry it out, and being a martyr and responding to your child's every need. People will tell you that cereal/food will help the baby sleep. Not in my experience. I have also researched and seen the studies on increased chance of diabetes and food allergies when cereal/food is started prior to 6 months. Babies have unique needs and are not supposed to sleep through the night. It's a means of survival.

My 8 month old daughter has slept through the night since she was 7 weeks old! (I am very blessed!!) EVERY pediatrician is different. I started putting 1 T. of rice cereal in her bottle at well before three months of age, per my peds advice because she was spitting up so much. Then we started her on veggies and rice cereal from a spoon at 4 months and fruits at 6 months, again, per my peds advice. Anyway, since the day we brought her home from the hospital, we made sure she slept and napped in her crib. At night, when she'd wake up, I'd keep the lights dim, limit any talking to her, and put her right back to bed after she ate. I think the constant routine is very important for a baby, at least for mine it was. I hope this helps. She just needs to remember that every doctor is different and will give different direction, but ultimately she is the mother and needs to follow her motherly instinct. :)

It isn't really developmentally appropriate to expect a 3 month old to sleep through the night. If he is waking AND eating, then he needs it. With my second, he would sometimes wake and only take an ounce...so frustrating! HOwever, I asked my pediatrician and he said that I needed to feed him until he was at least 4 months. At that point, I could leave him from the time I put him down until morning. You have to remember that they physically need the nourishment. Those babies that start sleeping through the night early are a small precentage. Check out the book "HEalthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child"

Hi L.,
I agree with April. I loved the book Baby Wise. I followed their recommendations for sleep and my daughter (who is now 3) was sleeping through the night by 8 weeks. My son, who is 6 weeks on Saturday has just started sleeping from 10 p until 5 a this past week. At night, I use the method some of the other mothers mentioned...dim lighting, change diaper, feed and put back to bed. Oh, and just so you know, my son was 3 1/2 weeks early, weighed 5 lbs 10 ounces. He is a great eater and is already pushing 9 lbs! B/c he was gaining weight so quickly my peda said I didn't have to wake him at night any longer, but not to exceed 6-7 hours before feeding. I haven't had to use the rice cereal with my son, but I did with my daughter. I didn't though until I spoke with my peda who said it was fine. Good luck, you'll get there.

As I'm sure you know, every baby is different especially when it comes to sleeping habits. Some can go through the night at 3 months without eating and some can't. My son didn't, he woke at least one time to eat until 5 months. Do you know if she lets him fall asleep while drinking his last bottle? My pedi said if they fall asleep while drinking they expect the bottle to still be there when they wake up in the middle of the night, then they think they need the bottle to go back to sleep. This worked for us and he was sleeping through the night within 3 days.

Giving a baby cereal before they are 6 months of age can cause the child to have dibeties (sp?). My son did not sleep through the night (more than 4 hours which a dr. considers 7-8 hours sleeping through the night) until he was just over two years of age. I still battle with getting him to fall asleep at both bed time and nap time. He turned 2 in October. I can tell you that my dr did not want me doing anything for him other than to up his breast milk intake at bed time and when he turned 6 months old I could give him a small amount of cereal as a snack before bed time. The cereal was mixed with formula and fruit or a veggie in a bowl not added into a bottle. My son would not take a bottle for anything and was breast fed till he was 18 months old. I also know that I kept a chart of what he was doing and when he was sleeping and showed it to my parents as teaches rep. her son is one week older than mine and she said that her son was doing the exact same thing. So she made me feel better but I had to feel sorry for her because she works and I stay home.
I know for a working mom it is tough not having a good nights sleep. The only other thing I can offer is to try to have her husband trade off nights with her if at all possible.

My sister did the cereal in the formula at night thing with all three of her kids and swears it works, I never did it b.c my ped. told me not to give my kids food too soon and my sons both slept through the night within weeks of coming home. They slept in my room in a cradle or bassinet until they were 3 months old. I don't think I did anything special unless you consider letting him cry a little and really getting to know his crys and what they meant. If he was just crying to be picked up in the middle of the night I didn't go in there or I felt like he woudl expect it every time he cried, if he was crying b/c there was somethign wrong I'd go in there and be very quick about business and leave. I've always let me kids fall asleep in their beds, too. I don't think there is anything wrong with letting a baby cry a little, sometimes you can peek at them without letting them know you are there and if all seems well jsut let them cry a little longer, I'd say. Eventually I think they learn that just crying for no reason in the middle of the night does not get them picked up so they don't do it.

Well 3 months is still a pretty young and alot of baby's aren't sleeping great by then yet. But she could try the cereal that may keep him full a little longer but he still may wake up once for a feeding I think that's pretty normal for that age. But I got one of those aquarium things that hang on the side of the crib and it lights up and plays music. And my daughter will lay in bed and watch that. I also play music on a cd player and sometime's I leave it on repeat so it stays on all night. And maybe if he wakes up and she knows he's not hungry, tell her not to get him out but just put a dry diaper on him and give him his pacifier and maybe rub his head or back to relax him again. And when all else fails sometimes you do just have to let them cry for a while.

I know that not everyone likes it, but I recommend the Baby Wise book. Everyone that I know who has used it has had terrific results (i.e. baby sleeping at around 2 months). It is worth trying. You do have to be willing to let the baby cry though. It is about training the child to get to sleep on his/her own, and following a parent directed schedule instead of a child directed. If the mom isn't willing to let her child cry a little then she probably will just have to wait until the baby is ready.