Dreamfeeds, Sleeping through the night.....

[geoffreyandme]

We had been giving Geoffrey a dreamfeed for about 2 months. He would take about 4-5 ounces between 10:30 and 11:30PM and then sleep until 1:30-2 when he would wake and then wake again at around 4AM as well. We originally would feed him at the 1:30-2 wake time but then we moved the DF a little later and he then slept through until 3:30-4AM, at which point we'd feed and he'd sleep until about 7. Then about 4 weeks ago we stopped feeding him in the middle of the night (because he was taking in about 32 ounces during the day feeds), we started by just giving him some water and he'd go back to sleep and then after a few nights of that we'd just give him a pacifier and he'd go back to sleep. Now, a few nights ago we let him sleep from 7:30pm-ish right through the dreamfeed and he had the same pattern of waking (2ish then 4ish) we gave him a pacifier and he went back to sleep but he's pretty restless between 4 and 7AM (he always was like that as well though). We've just been letting the DF slide since that night and it's the same every night-virtually no different than with the DF..
I really wish we could get him to sleep the full 12 hours. He has NEVER slept though an entire night and he's 5 months now. So I have 3 questions: 1. Should we reinstate the DF even though it doesn't seem to make too much of a difference (unless we give it to him pretty late?)  2. Is his sleep pattern considered "sleeping through the night" anyway since he doesn't get a feed? It really seems like he gets enough during the day-taking between 6-8 ounces each feed so i can't figure out why he's so restless through the night. 3. Is giving him the pacifier so much in the night forming a bad habit or prop for him?
Thanks in advance for any advice!
Jennifer

[LŠuren]

So I have 3 questions: 1. Should we reinstate the DF even though it doesn't seem to make too much of a difference (unless we give it to him pretty late?)  2. Is his sleep pattern considered "sleeping through the night" anyway since he doesn't get a feed? It really seems like he gets enough during the day-taking between 6-8 ounces each feed so i can't figure out why he's so restless through the night. 3. Is giving him the pacifier so much in the night forming a bad habit or prop for him?
Thanks in advance for any advice!
Jennifer

Hi Jennifer
My DS didn't start sleeping through the night until he was 5 months old - I have never done a d/feed.

1. To be honest I wouldn't think there was any point continuing if he still wakes at the same times without it.
2. What weight is your LO? Does he get any solids? How many feeds does he get? How much sleep does he get during the day? I would only class it sleeping through if he was sleeping the whole night. Dependant on his weight and the amount of feeds you give him he may need more during the day 
3. I would say it is becoming a prop, there is a props board, where you will get him weaning this. https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?board=28.0

HTH's
Lauren

[geoffreyandme]

Thanks Lauren. Your son is a doll! I can't figure out how to add a photo of my DS to my profile!
Geoffrey is 20 weeks, 17-18lbs. He takes 26-32 oz between 7am-7pm. He's on 4 hour EASY. He doesn't always nap the greatest..especially at grandmas where she thinks keeping him up all day will get him to sleep through the night--he goes there about once a week. He for sure takes a 45 min nap after his first feed and then a couple small naps in the afternoon. At one point he was taking a 45 min nap in the morning then a 2 hour nap in the afternoon and i don't  actually think that did anything for the night wakings either. I have tried giving him baby rice at the 11AM feed.. for 2 days about a week ago and he didn't really take it and seemed constipated so i dropped it since they really recommend waiting until 6 months(?).
Any other thoughts?
Thanks so much!

[LŠuren]

Nice photo!

If he is currently on 4 bottles + d/f, you will have to increase his day oz to compensate for the lost d/f bottle. Looking back at DSs log, he had just started to sleep through the night then from 8pm to 7am, no wakings, if he moaned or mantra cried I would leave him to sleep again. He was taking about 30oz and weighed about 17lb.

Can your LO fall asleep independently? What do you do before a nap?

It may also be the case he isn't getting enough sleep in the day, a good day sleep makes way for a good night sleep (tell grandma), the 45min wakings from naps may be because he was overtired when he went down, however most likely because he can't progress to the next cycle on his own - you can either try wake to sleep or lay a hand on him before he usually stirs.

I would say you have a definate prop issue here, especially when he doesn't wake hungry.

[KimberlyŪ]

I agree with the PP.
Try not to focas on getting your LO to sleep 12 hours strate. Most don't do that and if your expecting that you will likly be disapointed, your LO is doing fantastic for his age and your doing a great job. Sleeping through the night means they can go 6-7 hours of sleep with no feed, so yes your LO is considered to be sleeping through the night. If the dreamfeed makes no difference then yes stop it, we stopped our DD at about 5.5 month because it started waking her more. When your giving a Paci there is a possibility of making it a prop. Have you tried any other means of settleing him? when you go to him whats his mood? Cry? Mantra cry? talking? screaming?
I also would recomend that you try to extend the day naps. 45 minutes means he is over tired. Also what time is bedtime??
Deffinitly wait on the solids, contrary to populare beliefe is DOSN'T make LO's sleep longer. It can in fact make sleep worse by causeing constipation, gas and other stumic problems. So hold off for the cereal untill the doctor says to start.

[geoffreyandme]

Thank you Karita, i just now saw your post!
Geoffrey sleeps from 7:30-2ishAM and then wakes but can be settled back for the most part until 3:30AM. He won't really settle, especially since he's teething now too. What is the mantra cry?
When i put him down for naps he crys and wimpers for about 5-10 minutes then sleeps. I've extended his morning nap to 1 to 1.5 hours..
How much should we be feeding him, he weighs about 17 lbs. and takes in 32-34 ounces during the day..

[LŠuren]

Jennifer the Mantra cry is;

...an odd burst of a cry which most babies do as they are settling down. We don't pick up with a mantra cry. Instead, we hold back to see if the child can settle herself. We do pick up with a genuine cry, because its your babies way of saying "I have a need that has to be met".

Each mantra cry is individual, get to know your babies mantra cry sounds like. You'll see it when she's physically overtired, she'll blink and yawn, and her leg and arms fail if she's overtired. She'll also do a kind of "waa.....waa...waa...."sound, like a mantra that repeated over and over, the pitch and tone is the same throughout. It does not sound the same as a genuine cry, which escalates in volume.  - TBW -SAYP p235


As far as the clusterfeed & dreamfeeds go, offer as much as he'll take.  There is no "set" amount of how much it should be, it's simply to "tank" him up, simply because you want the majority of his calories during the day and you'll eventually want to cut the dreamfeed out. The amount for a dream feed can vary from the amount they take in the day and can often be hit and miss.

HTH's