Another sleep question

ShannonMVT · #1 June 15th, 2009, 06:48 AM

So Matthew doesn't really go to bed until between 10 pm and midnight. And lately he'll sleep anywhere from 3.5 hours to 5.5 hours in a stretch, then wake up to eat and go down again for another hour or two (well, last night he went down longer the 2nd time because his first stretch was short, but anyway). He's up for the day between 6 am and 8 am.

Our bedtime routine, is that he cluster feeds like mad in the evening, acts fussy and eventually gets a bath, gets swaddled, nursed and rocked to sleep.

I'm wondering if I should start giving him his bath and putting him down earlier? I haven't because Dh doesn't get home until late, which means we eat late, etc. And I also was thinking that if I put him down hours earlier, he will wake up earlier and it will mean less sleep for me since I doubt I can fall asleep at 8 pm.

But then I've heard that with older babies and toddlers, putting them to bed later does NOT actually make them sleep later. Does this apply to a baby as young as Matthew? Will he maybe actually sleep more if I put him down earlier? I've been afraid to try since sleep is still a precious comodity to me.

And will it hurt anything for him to be swaddled so long, like 12 hours if he went from 8 pm to 8 am? Also do you check their diapers when they wake up in the night? The swaddling makes it kind of an ordeal to check.

Oh and one more question...when he gets up to feed at night, he will nurse and then come off the boob with his eyes closed when he's done. I try tickling his lip, stroking his cheek, touching his feet to try to get him re-interested and nurse some more and he is totally unresponsive. So then I hold him or rock him up against me for 10-15 minutes before I put him down to help with reflux. And almost without fail, right before that time is up or (rarely) when I put him down, his eyes pop back open and he wants to nurse some more. So then I have to start the whole process over again. Is there any way I can get him to continue eating b/c he is faking me out every time acting like he is done when he's really not.

I don't want to unswaddle him because it is a PITA to get him re-swaddled.

HopeWishWait · #2 June 15th, 2009, 07:11 AM

For Conner, it didn't matter what time I put him down, he got up at the same time he normally would have...his stretches weren't affected by when he went to bed at all (sadly

) Now that he's a little older it's working more in my favor but yeah when he was Matthew's age I was like "OK you're going to be NOW because I know you'll be up soon anyway" I'm not sure about the other questions because I don't breastfeed and Conner hates being swaddled

#3 June 15th, 2009, 08:20 AM

From day one I decided Kirsty's bathtime was 7pm, and fed & in bed by 8pm and that was her bedtime. any wakings before 5am I class as night-waking & feed and try to re-settle for sleep. At 5am I do try to feed & re-settle and am up by 7am each morning. Lately 5am has been her getting up time though. I can't help with putting him down earlier, but if it's too late for you, then try taking it back by 15 minutes every few days and see what happens.

As for nursing, I hated when Kirsty would fall asleep at the breast but wasn't full. I used to take all covers (including swaddling

sorry!) off to nurse her. Have you tried swaddling him only in a vest and maybe giving an extra blanket in bed to replace his sleepsuit? I would do this if his feet are enclosed in the swaddling? See if it helps.

Resi · #4 June 15th, 2009, 08:33 AM

Do what ever works for you at this age. Oliver went down much later when he was that young. When he gets a little older he will be ready to go down early. I did change his diaper every time he woke up to eat. When he was around 3 months old I stopped changing him unless he pooped at night.

greeneyes · #5 June 15th, 2009, 10:26 AM

I know swaddling is a PITA but I would say for his night feedings you could try nursing and when he comes off the boob, burp and change him. That will wake him up enough to feed again without going through the rigamarole of rocking him to sleep and then he wakes right back up.

As for going to bed earlier, try that on a weekend or on a night when DH doesn't have to work the next day. That way if it's a disaster, he can watch the baby while you sleep the next day. Even if you don't go to bed at the same time as the baby, try to do something very relaxing and low-key. No TV if you can help it, try reading or taking a bath instead. That way you are resting even if you aren't able to fall asleep that early in the evening.