Minti - Recent Comments on Question "how to get babies to sleep through the night"

babies sleeping

rach — Tue, 22 May 2007 06:02:36 -0700

Last nite (Tuesday) i was watching "WHATS GOOD FOR YOU" on channel 9 @ 7:30. They had a story on their about how to help teach your baby to sleep thru the nite. 1st of all they took away all (cant remember what they called them) dummies, bottles ect, any comfort things.

To get the baby into a routine everynite, they did they usual stuff tea, bath, feed, then they gave the baby a massage to relax her b4 puting her in her cot. They said that they would then keep going in reasurring bub that they where still there. teaching her to put herself back to sleep. They didnt say exactly how to do any of that.

You could go to www.nine.com.au type in their search "whats good for you" you then pick the top result when i done this reads- Whats Good For You Channel 9, July 2006. Once in this site, click the click to view box. that will bring up all the different segments they had on last nites show. pick the "a good nights sleep" 1, u can then watch what was on tv.

They did also mention that its totally normal for babies not to sleep through the nite until around 12 mths old.

Hope this is of some help 2 u

Rach

sleepless nights.

kseers — Tue, 22 May 2007 01:15:04 -0700

mmmm.... been there - my two (almost 1 and almost 4) did not sleep through until 11 months. However my second would at least sleep for long stretches and that makes a huge difference. Did you know that technically experts call sleeping through five hours continuous sleep?? No help I know

Seriously though, what would it take to help you cope? Four months is a bit young to sleep through (and to have solids - which didn't work for me either) - especially if they were premmie (were they?), but if a few hours solid sleep together would help then work towards that!

I'm afraid it's trial and error working out what works for you but a good routine is a start. You can get immediate help from Karitane or Tresillian or the Multiple Birth Association. Otherwise try reading the "No Cry Sleep Solution" or "Sleep Right, Sleep Tight" as they are both brilliant books for littles. I have a few tips on my blog/advice so try that and Hang in there!! Can you get someone to help so you can catch up sleep and start a bit more refreshed?

getting babies to sleep through the night

MummaBear — Mon, 21 May 2007 23:45:15 -0700

There seems to be a lot of people who think that giving formula or introducing solids will help the baby sleep through the night. This certainly is not the case with the mums i talk to everyday in my work, and those we have morning teas with. If you are not comfortable giving them solids I would suggest you wait a while. They don't need solids at this age. I had mine on solids early because from 6 weeks she was leaning towards my plate with an open mouth. She was having solids by 4 months. It's not necessary though and wait if you feel like waiting, as there is no proof that babies who start solids or are given formula at a young age sleep through the night easier.

One other thing

rockclimbr4400 — Mon, 21 May 2007 06:21:15 -0700

If one of your babies gets up to eat at night, go ahead after you feed the one twin, and wake up the other and feed him too. This way you can hopefully get some rest yourself. I would wait on the solids until at least 5 months.

how to get babies to sleep through the night

rockclimbr4400 — Mon, 21 May 2007 06:19:22 -0700

First of all let me just say that some babies aren't ready to sleep through the night at 4 months. They usually can go at least 6 hours, but not 12. But by six months almost every baby can and will sleep through the night with help from you. Start wiht feeding them about the same time every day. Usually every 3 or 4 hours. So you would feed them 7,11,3 and 7 then bedtime, or 7,10,1,4, and 7 then bedtime. Wake them up at the same time every morning, if they aren't awake yet, and put them to bed at the same time every night. At night they should go at least 5 hours inbetween feedings. So if they go to sleep and take their last feeding at 7pm, they should be able to go until 12. When your babies get up to eat at night, make sure you keep the lights low, only change them if their diaper is very wet or poopy, and keep the lights off, have a night life with a switch so you can see, feed them and put them back to bed. If they wake up and you know they aren't hungry, try to get them back to sleep without rocking, feeding, etc. Use a pacifier, hugs, kisses, don't let them cry it out or use controlled crying until at least 5 1/2 months b/c it usually won't work b/c they don't understand what you are trying to get them to do. Make sure they have a regular nap schedule too and they aren't going to sleep right after they eat. Stay up at least an hour after their bottle. Have a bedtime routine as well, a bath, quiet time, and then a bottle, so they know it is bed time. We always have the lights off after ours starts eating her last bottle of the night so she knows it is time to sleep. Be sure not to backtrack. If your child eats at 7 and then doesn't eat again until 12, the next night don't feed them until 12. Once they start going until 2am stick with that, or within 30 minutes. And even if they wake up early, say 6:30 instead of 7, try to still feed them as close to 7am as possible. That way they don't wake up early just to eat. If your child is screaming go ahead and feed them, I'm not saying be cruel, just try to get them to wait as close to the goal as possible. Good luck, let me know if you have any questions, your babies will sleep through the night, and if they aren't by 6 months, you have to slowly stop the feedings at night or they will get up forever.

how to get babies to sleep through the night

bittenbythelovebug — Mon, 21 May 2007 05:46:15 -0700

Hi, I am also a mother of twins. I was so tired from living on two hours of broken sleep through the night that I started giving bottle feeds before bed.

I was breastfeeding during the day and bottle fed at night until three months then I went to bottle only. Also I found the best night time nappies (huggies) so I wouldn't have to do a night change...unless of course they pooed.

So, I suggest you keep the same night time routine...ie dinner, bath, bottle then bed. Try and nap during the day when they sleep...don't worry about the house! I wouldn't give any solids just yet. Are they in the same or seperate cots? I found that they slept much better in their own cots at night and side by side so they could touch each other through the cot bars if they wanted too. Once they went to bed I would wait for five minutes then if they or one was still awake I would pat their bum for a little while then leave and wait another five minutes then go back in until eventually they would go to sleep. The hard work you put in now will pay off for you later.

please minti mail me if you need any twin advice, or join the multiple birth assosiation, they have a library of twin books and lots of helpful advice too!

sleeping

anon — Sun, 20 May 2007 23:59:36 -0700

babies will be babies. they will sort out thier own routine. If they have a good day time routine they will sort out the night too. i was lucky my boy started sleeping through at six weeks old all though he was bottle fed. i know people who's babies aren't sleeping through at 1 and my niece was waking once a night til she was 3. If your tired have a sleep when they do or just sit down with a cuppa and relax. you could try pre-empting what time they are waking for a feed and get in befor they wake up completely eventually they won't wake for it all. sounds like your doing well though. hope this helps