FitNurseRN
Cathlete
So L.J. Sleeps at a 3 hours at a time, which has become exhausting to me especially at night. Anyone have any "tricks" to getting a few extra hours?
melissa
melissa
every 3 hours..
- Thread starter FitNurseRN
- Start date
I suspect I will have this problem in a few months as well. Everyone I know with a baby has suggested reading "The Happiest Baby on the Block".
They all swear by it for helping their little one to sleep longer at night. Some of their babies even sleep the night through at 1 month.
I'm planning to give it a read myself.
They all swear by it for helping their little one to sleep longer at night. Some of their babies even sleep the night through at 1 month.
I'm planning to give it a read myself.
dlandkk808
Cathlete
I heard the book "Secrets of The Baby Whisperer" by Tracy Hogg on some sleep issues has done wonders for moms also. I never read it myself, but other new moms I know said it has helped them get their babies to sleep more.
Lisa
Lisa
Hi, Melissa,
I don't know if there are any real tricks. I do know that I took a nap every time LO took a nap, and that helped somewhat. The first couple months are just plain exhausting, but it does get better.
I have used the book "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" and it has really helped me both with getting Ella to sleep and understanding why she WASN'T sleeping when she was real young. The author is a pediatrician and studied sleep in children for many years, so I trusted his advice.
Basically, your LO isn't sleeping longer stretches yet because her/his brain has not developed that part yet. I can't remember which part it is at the moment, but the brain has to develop the part that keeps us sleeping longer periods. You can continue to soothe (swaddling, rocking, nursing, etc.), but baby will continue wake/sleep cycles until his/her brain has matured for longer sleep.
I used some of the tips in the book to help my LO learn to take naps. It seemed that once she learned napping, she started to sleep longer periods during the night. Now she sleeps from about 8:30 pm until 4:00 am. I nurse her at that time, and then she goes back to sleep and wakes for the day around 7:30 am. She is also taking 4-5 naps of 30-45 minutes through the day.
I feel for you because I remember the early days, but it really will get better if you teach her how to sleep. Unfortunately, when they are so little, it's hard until their brain develops.
Chrissy
I don't know if there are any real tricks. I do know that I took a nap every time LO took a nap, and that helped somewhat. The first couple months are just plain exhausting, but it does get better.
I have used the book "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" and it has really helped me both with getting Ella to sleep and understanding why she WASN'T sleeping when she was real young. The author is a pediatrician and studied sleep in children for many years, so I trusted his advice.
Basically, your LO isn't sleeping longer stretches yet because her/his brain has not developed that part yet. I can't remember which part it is at the moment, but the brain has to develop the part that keeps us sleeping longer periods. You can continue to soothe (swaddling, rocking, nursing, etc.), but baby will continue wake/sleep cycles until his/her brain has matured for longer sleep.
I used some of the tips in the book to help my LO learn to take naps. It seemed that once she learned napping, she started to sleep longer periods during the night. Now she sleeps from about 8:30 pm until 4:00 am. I nurse her at that time, and then she goes back to sleep and wakes for the day around 7:30 am. She is also taking 4-5 naps of 30-45 minutes through the day.
I feel for you because I remember the early days, but it really will get better if you teach her how to sleep. Unfortunately, when they are so little, it's hard until their brain develops.
Chrissy
MSJ
Cathlete
what we do isn't for everyone, so take it with a grain of salt.
Our babies have all slept with us and therefore adapt to our sleep cycles fairly quickly. When they wake up, I just latch them on and go back to sleep. It's really saved my sanity over the years and my husband is totally okay with it.
Maggie
Our babies have all slept with us and therefore adapt to our sleep cycles fairly quickly. When they wake up, I just latch them on and go back to sleep. It's really saved my sanity over the years and my husband is totally okay with it.
Maggie