Does anyone's 4 month old really sleep 12 hours through the night?

[LindyLou71]

So we are on a 3 hour EASY  - I realize we should be on 4 - I have tried he doesn't make it and FREAKS out for food.  I am happy to post my routine but I don't think it is the issue.  Basically he is up by 7/8 and goes to bed by 9:30/10 - but he sleeps I mean straight through the night no waking at all, I mean 9-10 hours without a peep.  So is it realistic to think he could go 12??  I would love to do 12 hours of day 12 hours of night but no offense if I can avoid a 3/4 or even 5 am waking then I would like to do so.  I have pushed back his bedtime as he extends his mornings. 

So my question is essentially are there any moms of 4 mth olds who sleep 12 hours - straight through, NO mini feedings, no paci resettling nothing, basically into bed at 7 and Sayonora until 7am.  If so I would love to see your EASY.

My next question is those who settle their LO at 7 - do you dreamfeed? or if they wake say at 4 do you feed them and right back to bed? because we tried once and he went back down for 1 hour and then we were on ESA ALL DAY!

Here is mine roughly.

E - 7:00
A
S: 8:45/9

E 10
A
S 12

E 1
A
S 2:30/3

E 4
A
S 6:/6:30

E 7
A
S - we do bath at 9 bottle at 9:30

His morning nap (1st one is usually 30 min to 1 hour) I resettle based on him - At 30 mins I really try to resettle at 1 hour I don't - also if he wakes happy then I let him be

Thx

[lilac83]

My DD started sleeping straight through at 2 months. At this time she was doing 10ish hours (8pm-6:15am). I started BW more strictly when she was 3.5 months. Like you I was concerned about putting her down early and having a 5am wake up call. Surprisingly though, this only happened a handful of times. I was unlucky though in the fact that she never would go back to sleep after 5am, she wanted to start her day. If she woke at 4:45am though, I could get her back to sleep. By the time she was 4 months old she was sleeping the full 12 hours (even did a 13 here and there) without feeding. I never did the DF with her, so no calories there either.

In my opinion, needing a feed at night is largely developmental. Some babies achieve this milestone sooner than others. What starts disrupting the natural pattern of night weaning is when feedings become a prop for LO to go back to sleep. When DD began STTN I wasn't following BW. She would take day time naps of up to 4 hours and was feeding every 3.5-4hrs when she was only 2 months old, 2 things highly recommended NOT to do, LOL! So perhaps part of it is luck too.
HTH!

[Archies mummy]

OMG Robin that's amazing!!

I am going to post then not read this any more as it'll make me feel bad! I was just going to say my ds sleeps 7 to 7 with a dream feed at 10:30 and sleeps thru every other night (ish). Hope this helps.

[TDR'smom]

Hi Lindy Lou!  If you are happy with your routine!!  I would not change it! 

At 4 months my DD did about 11 hours no settling/feeding.  Actually an occasional paci finding mission! 

If you wanted to try and extend your lo's naps, that might help in transitioning to a 4 hour Easy and probably no nightwakings.  It's up to you really!!!  As your lo gets older you might want to do that.  By 6-8 months many little ones are doing around 11-12 at night with 2 long naps (1 1/2 hour each).

[~*Nicole*~]

My DD started sleeping through the night a week or two after she turned 4 months. I had done the DF but dropped it and all night feedings per my pediatricians recommendation. She did well. She occasionally needed her paci reinserted or to be reswaddled, but would drift right back off on her own so it took us 2 mins. tops. Also, once she learned to find the paci herself, we were off the hook. She did go to bed around 7, 7:30 the latest, but still took 3 naps and a catnap. Now at 6 months she takes 2 naps and sometimes a catnap, depending on how her other naps went. Don't get me wrong, we still have strange night wakening occurrences, growth spurts, got off track when visiting or some other situation, but for the most part, she could do the 12 hours at night. (Although, now she does seem to wake up a bit earlier, although she tends to coo and entertain herself so I can usually get a bit more sleep)

Hope this is helpful.

Best of luck.

[* Paula *]

I agree with pp that sleeping through the night is developmental, some do it earlier and some do it later, it all depends on the lo.  Both my lo's slept through the night really early on, DS being 6weeks old and DD being 5 weeks, however, we also had the odd NW with needing to be re-swaddled or finding the pacci.  And of course had to feed at night when we had growth spurts.

I do think you should try to move your lo over to a 4 hour EASY though, that way with a bit more A time, your lo may take longer naps and this way will automatically push your lo onto a 4 hour feeding routine.

Have you seen this post under the FAQ's section in moving over to a 4 hour EASY in 5 minute increments?

http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=120362.0

[LindyLou71]

Hi,
Thanks everyone = I looked back at how I posted my EASY and I should say that he generally takes naps as follows:
1 - 30 min to 1 hour
2 - 45 min to 1.5 hours
3 - 1 to 2 hours (with me resettling)
4 - 30 min
5 - depending - 30 mins cat naps. 

I am going to peruse through the transitioning - perhaps going to a longer EASY would help longer nights.  I have noticed though in the past when he goes longer he doesn't necessarily take more at the feeding so doesn't that contraindicate the need to get all the calories in in order to make it through the night?? So confused hahah.  Anyway - it is 7 and we are going to give a bottle.  I will do bath at 9 like my old way until I can read the transitioning.

I tried the DF before one time it worked the next few were BAD>  I do think sleeping through the night is a learned behaviour.  Our days are getting better - I used to only have 30 min naps and a lot of crying (him and I) before BW  - baby steps huh?  I will post again so please keep checking back. 

[TDR'smom]

Dream feed does not work for all babies.  It never worked for us, both lo's would wake anyways!!  But I know it works for a LOT!

Good luck and keep us posted!

[* Paula *]

I agree with Judy, the DF does not work for every lo.  But I would keep on giving it for at least a week to see if you notice any difference.

[amywiz24]

MY DS has been going 7-7 with an 11 df since 2 mos. We started to get soem EW a few weeks ago and switched to 4 hr EASy and that seemed to do the trick.
We get occasional NW, but I think it is more due to teething and a cold...and he keeps breaking out of swaddle, but he self soothes, i typoically do not go in and definitely don't need to feed at night.
When i switched to 4 hr EASY, I added 1 oz per feeding. BTW, I love 4 hr EASY!!! I really feel there is more time between naps to run errands, take DS1 to the park, etc.
Good luck!!

[LindyLou71]

I have no idea how we will ever get to the 4 hour EASY - I did read the transition, but honestly he doesn't always resettle - he does go longer now with A time which is nice but the naps are only so/so.  I am going to try 8 to 8 or 7 to 7 I just have to "suck it up" I may start when DH is home so that if he gets up NW I have a little help.  Last night we put him down by 9:30 and he woke up at 5:45, he was tired but would only resettle for 5 mins at a time and then wake up so I fed him and he was nodding off at about 7:15 so I put him back to sleep - he woke up at 9:15 and didn't look for food until 10 so I thought GREAT he is doing it himself.   Nap at 11 to 12 and by 12:30 he was gnawing at his hands - 2.5 hours and gulped 6 ozs.  I put him back down at 2 - only 30 mins here and he was hungry by 3:15 (that was pushing it) I am about to put him back down.  I really don't want to start cereal until 5 months.  But I kinda feel like he is ready - he pushes stuff out with his tongue, can hold his head well, stares at us when we eat and is eating more often.  I did try to give him more but he just spit it ALL UP - !! 

I am getting frustrated.  I am trying SO hard but I feel like I am the only one on board.  I guess if I do 7 to 7 or 8 to 8 I need to be prepared for some EW's.  I just don't miss them LOL
Linda

[LindyLou71]

Thanks Stacy
pp have their LO"s at 12 hours - that is why I posted it like that b/c some people are like "oh I put him/her down at 7 and we start our day at 7"  they fail to mention the 3 am, 6 am feeding....

I think he may do better once we move to a 4 hour EASY.  In all honestly I think he maybe going through a growth spurt - he is hungry and cranky.  I also think he is learning a lot right now and so he gets annoyed quickly - ie - can't get the toys in his mouth, or his hands, can't sit up by himself but is really trying to pull himself up.  He just rolled over (tummy to back) by himself 2x, the other times I raise his hands over his head - for some reason on his tummy he puts his arms at his sides, and he raises his feet in the back - he looks like a penguin it is hilarious. 

12 hours of sleep w/b a dream.  I may try the DF route again.  I think he needs to be in bed sooner.  We are backing up bedtime slowly but it seems that when I back up 30 mins he wakes 1 hour earlier~!.  I also think the feeding/sleeping will change with intro of cereal - we are doing this at 5 months. He is a bit of a refluxer - on Zantac.  Rather than increasing or changing meds we have opted to try the rice.  My doctor feels he may out grow it by 6 months.  He is also on Lactose free formula and i would like to re-intro milk based formula.

Ok rant rant rant.  I feel so obsessed with sleep.  I am tired today .
L