GETTING BABY TO SLEEP THOUGH NIGHT-CONFUSED

[colenliam]

Hi,  I am just starting to do the E.A.S.Y routine and have a question about sleeping though the night.  In the book it says bed at 7, dream feed at 11 and wake at 7.  Just to clairfy my question, should my 4month old be able to go to sleep at 7pm have a dream feed at 11pm and sleep though to 7am.  Right now he is getting up irradically thoughout the night but if he is getting up at 5:30 should I be doing the pu/pd method to get him to sleep till 7am?  I am just confused on this topic, and don't want to make him sleep if he does not need to.(though i would love to have him sleep though till 7am)
One more question, I never swaddled him, but should I start?

[branwen]

Hi there!

Could you post your current routine? eat times/how many, sleep times/how long?

Are the night wakings habitual or does he eat at these times?

It might be a bit late to start the swaddle but what does he sleep in now?

What is the longest stretch he does and at what time?

Also- when starting EASY the times are just guidelines but you can tailor it to your baby...your times will be different depending on when and how many naps, how long your baby stays awake, etc.  When I got on EASY around 4 months I started with a 6:30pm to 6am routine.  That changed to 5:30-5:30 for a few months and now she is on a 6:30 to 6:30.  I have just modified it to her needs over time.

[colenliam]

Our current nightly routine for night is
6pm Bath
6:30 Cereal n Fruit
couple oz from bottle, snuggle and read a book than bed by 7pm.  Dream feed at 11pm.  Somenights he gets up at 2:00am, most nights between 4:30 and 5:30 wants bottle(only takes 4oz-usual feeding is about 5oz) goes back to bed till 7am(should I be getting rid of this feeding and do PU/PD).  He usually naps every 2 hours to the minute from the time he gets up from his last for 2 hours(usually about 3 a day)  really eats when wants to, im trying to get him on a 4 hour routine.  I started putting him in his crib for naps 2 days ago so it has been a stuggle to get in a full nap.(as oppose to his playpen downstairs).  today is my first day to follow though with this routine. Nervous but excitied.

[colenliam]

Hi,  i have another concern...when i lay him down for nap and he only sleeps 1 hour, do i do pu/pd until he goes back to sleep and if he doesn't(which he didn't)do it till it is time to get up and then get him up??? i'm am so confused and feel like i am putting him thpugh so much for nothing.

[branwen]

I would say you could stop feeding, if you do, at the 2am feed- so no feeds from 11 to 5?? and use pat/shush or PU/PD to send back, but probably not 5am one.  When solids get more established around 6 months you might be able to end the 5am feed, but 5-6 hrs is pretty good at this point.

Oh, don't push the 4 hr routine too much, many mom's never make it, but just work on establishing the pattern at first, even if you are off on times, esp when starting out on EASY.  If his naps are short you could try 3.5 hr routine and see how that works out.

On the naps.  If he wakes early (and your goal is 1.5hrs) then yes you do PU/PD to extend the naps.  But it is important to remember his disposition when waking.  Does he wake crying? If yes, then he is still tired and needs to go back.  You will probably spend the whole rest of nap time doing the sleep training at first, probably for a week, but it is worth it if you hang in there.  Eventually he will go back to sleep. 

I started at the 4 month mark with my dd and I don't regret it! It was very hard, I won't lie, with all the crying, but I was with there with her to help her and we are all so much happier now and her naps are longer.  The best thing is we can go back to it when we have other ruts (like teeth!!! :wink:) when sleep is harder.

So your question- yes, after all that PU/PD and nap time is over and your baby is exhausted you do get them up for the feed, but you modify the A to be shorter, then let him go back to bed.