How do I get baby to sleep a little longer at night?

Hi,


Our little girl is 12 weeks old - she is being breastfed with the occasional bottle of formula. During the day she is fine - feeds every 3 hours. However, the night pattern is not the best - last night for example: feed then sleep by 9:30pm, feed 12:30am, feed 3:00am, feed 4:55, feed 5:55am and 7:30am. It's not that I am waking and jumping up to feed her - it's babe waking and crying hungry.

I have heard that if I can get her to eat more during the day she will sleep longer at night. But how do I do this? If she is full and / or perses her lips. Do we increase her feeds to 2 hourly during the day?


I am returning to work soon and trying to continue breastfeeding and would like to do so until she is at least 6 months. However, with sleep / feed pattern as above it's going to be very difficult to not resort to an alternative such as the helper feeding her and / or formula.

*Really don't want the helper to feed her during the night as that's OUR time.

If I could just get babe to sleep from 3am - 6am or even 10:30pm - 3:00am (I've heard babes by this age can often manage 5-6 hours straight).


Any advise could be appreciated.


Thank you,

Hi,

I dont know, you might have already tried this - have you read Gina Ford book? There is a trail discussing it recently on asiaexpat - have a look, we used it and it worked a treat! the whole point is to try to give the baby most of her feed during the day and also setting the sleeping patern - try to keep her awake a bit more during the day? Also at 12 wks (I am not a doctor) but as far as i remember the baby should be moving to 4 hourly feeds (as long as she is back to her birth weight at least).

Another solution - maybe give her formula at 10.30 - 11 pm feed rather than breast?


Anyway - give Gina Ford a try, if you feel like it- some mums dont like it, they find it to regimental. But as I said - really worked for us.

Just remember, the baby will take a while to get used to it - it wont happen overnight - but really worth sticking to it!


Good luck!

Hi,


She is double her birth weight and is doing well. During the day, her cycle is eat (1 breast or 2 depending on how hungry she is), play and sleep (about 30 minutes - 1 hour) every 3-4 hours. Although yesterday she did sleep perhaps a little too long...2 hour sleep in the morning and afternoon.


I bought the Gina Ford book and we tried the schedule but we found it was hard to stick to.


I'll try giving her formula or maybe an expressed bottle feed at 10:30pm. She seems to fuss a bit when I breast feed her at this time - so maybe the bottle might be better.


She managed a 5 hour sleep straight last week, but the rest of the time averages around 3 hours then as the early morning progresses she wakes up virtually every hour.

Feed her every two hours during the day if possible. Give her a bottle of expressed milk before putting her to bed.

I find that if If i give my baby a formula feed at night he tends to sleep longer. This does mean that it's harder to digest than breastmilk. but it also means that you get more rest.

some mums do manage to get their babies sleeping long stretches or through the night without ever giving them the bottle.

However at 12 weeks your baby is still very young. It will happen soon enough that she sleeps longer stretches.

Thank you - will try every 2 hours during the day.


I feel a bit guilty - I'm being selfish because I would like just an extra bit of sleep (5-6 hours would be great). If she can't do it then that's ok too as she is only little. If she can manage a long stretch at night because we she is a bit more full during the day then fabulous!

both my girls were only breastfed - both slept through the night one long stretch - 10:30-7 by 10 weeks, the other by 12. They were never cried out either - just did it by following Gina Ford.


The schedule may be difficult to follow (you always feel like you're supposed to be "doing" something whether it is feeding or getting them down to nap) but a couple of pointers you can take away from her schedule - without perhaps, totally adopting it.


1. Feed your baby more during the day. She front loads a lot of feeds during the day time - another girlfriend of mine feeds her baby a lot during the day - at some point seems like almost every 2 hours - her baby sleeps from 8-6:30 every night...and she is also totally breastfed.


2. Limit day time sleep - around this time - two naps - one about 1 hour and one no more than 2 hours - 3 hours day time sleep, is a good way to go.


3. have a routine - doesn't have to be Gina ford - but a same bedtime routine that gets your baby ready to go to bed. A warm bath is often very very relaxing - and can also help soothe and calm baby.


4. the final thing to watch out for - HOW does your baby fall asleep? If she is using you to fall asleep (namely your breast) when she wakes up she will look for it. Establishing independence in the baby's falling asleep portion will be key. My guess, from the number of early morning wakeups is that you are breastfeeding, and baby falls asleep on your nipple. You gently lay her down and go to your room. She wakes up again when she hits her light sleep cycle- and notices that things are different - she is no longer attached to your crib. IT is LESS likely that she is hungry, and more likely that she is looking for your breast to fall asleep again - as that is what she is used to. Gina Ford IS really strict (because she believes that if she is wishy washy parents are less likely to follow her instructions) but she DOES help parents teach their babies to not rely on breast or bottles to fall asleep.


Good luck! It's always hard to return to work when you're not getting a good night's sleep.

Yes, as I mentioned before, huge Gina Ford fan too, it does take some patience but if you stick to her routine, fingers crossed it will eventually work. I am with GK on the formula at 10.30 - 11 - babies tend to go longer on formula than on breast milk. And dont feel bad about feeling guilty! If you are tired all the time (which I am sure you are - i remember it very well our twins are only 12 months old)- you cant really funciton properly - does no good to you or the baby!! Good luck!

Hi,


HKCC and Idsllyn will try to feed her a little more during the day and give her a big feed around 10:30pm.


You're right - during the night feeds she barely opens her eyes and falls asleep on the breast. I then burp her and place her back in the crib.


We do have a schedule - feed, play, sleep every 3 hours and a night time regime - bath (speaking of which must pour it now), massage, cuddles and a feed.

Gabriella -


if she is falling asleep on the breast, she's using it to fall asleep. Which is why she has those cyclical wakeups -she goes into light sleep wakes up, misses your breast and cries, and once she gets it goes back to sleep. Trying to break that would be to your benefit.

How do I get her to not fall asleep on the breast during the night feeds though without fully waking her up?

that part is tricky.


if you are REALLY willing to - the sleep experts say to gently "rouse" the baby after falling asleep on the breast and putting down in the bed drowsy but awake. So if she DOES fall asleep, that's fine, but sort of wake her up a bit - so she knows she's in her crib before letting her go back totally to sleep. Sounds insane right?

ok - i'll give it a try tonight. Just had the bath, time for her mid-evening feed.

I guess I was a very lucky mother, my Eva was an all night sleeper very early, like two weeks old. She slept with me, yes I know they say don't, but it worked, also I did not make midnight feedings play time. NO talking or cuddling as much as I wanted to make that sweet time with me and baby. I just feed her, changed her and put her back down. No words and she got the picture very quickly, good luck, honey. Raising children in Asia can be very frustrating. Especially when the Chinese people think you are lazy because your youngun wears a diaper!!!!!!! How funny is that?

I've never heard of that - yikes!


Ok - so we're getting there...11:50pm feed, 3:30am and then 7:00am last night. No talking, maybe a couple of cuddles and 'roused' her by the mid-feed burp. She does still fall asleep at the table so to speak :)