We just finished night sleep training DD (will be 16 weeks tomorrow.) She is exclusively formula fed. We used the 12hrsx12 weeks extinction feeding method and she now sleeps from 6:45pm-5:45am (bedtime/night bottle begins at 6pm and she's in her crib by 6:45). I know this is AMAZING but 5:45 is too early for her to wake up and I know she needs more sleep at night (12-13 hrs).
Even though we have successfully eliminated all middle of the night feedings, there is part of me that thinks a 10pm dream feed might help. But then I'm also afraid that's a step backward.
I will say she only takes about 26oz/day on average. and her last bottle before bed is never more than 4oz. (She takes between 6-8oz in her morning bottle.) So she might just need to get bigger and older and be able to eat more.
She also naps in her stroller/mamaroo now because I'm waiting to start nap training, and I know good sleep begets sleep so maybe that will also help.
Any sleep experts want to weigh in?
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The sleep advice I follow comes from actual child sleep experts (PHDs) in the field. They believe 10-12 hours of overnight uninterrupted sleep is total normal. This is why they don’t promote the early bedtime phenomenon. (They actually think there is no actual science to it, but that’s beside the point) I think it works for a lot of people, people who have longer overnight sleepers and those who don’t mind and earlier morning. But, if your child is a 10/11 hour overnight sleeper they believe it causes early wakings that you won’t be able to break. They suggest starting with a wake time you can live with and backing into their bedtime.
DS was an 11 hour sleeper. I was CONVINCED he should be sleeping 12 hours and tried everything. Nothing worked and eventually I landed on these experts and it all made so much more sense.
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What is nap schedule like?
I definitely would not introduce a dream feed at this stage. Totally counterproductive.My 2nd did this 5:30/45am wakeup for a little while. Here’s what we did.
1) don’t go in before your desired wake time. If that’s 7am, don’t go in before 7am. Might mean some crying or she might just talk to herself for an hour. Either way it sets her clock to start recognizing the normal wake time.
2) adjust nap schedule. She might be getting too much or too little daytime sleep. Let us know what naps are like and I can weigh in there.
3) earlier bedtime once we sorted out naps. For us, that worked for both kids. I’ve never spoken to a pediatrician who didn’t say bedtime at that age should be between 5-7pm
My 11mo now takes two 2 hour naps and sleeps 6/6:30pm till 7/7:30am after a couple months of 5:30/45am wakings and I just refused to allow that
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This might not be what you want to hear but I think that eleven hours of night sleep is amazing for such a young baby (some would even argue that it’s quite abnormal in terms of biology) and it is very possible that she’s either going to be an early waker or she’s genuinely hungry because she’s been asleep for eleven hours. I’m not a supporter of CIO so I’m going to suggest either sucking it up or adjusting to a slightly later bedtime so she wakes later.
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@lioneyes: I'm no sleep expert but honestly wouldnt try to "fix" this situation. Sleeping 11 hours straight for a 16 week old sounds like better than most babies.
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She isn't on a strict nap schedule yet but she definitely needs more than 11 hours at night. She wakes up, gets her 6-8oz morning bottle, gets changed and goes right back into her crib for a nap which lasts for about 2-3 hours. I know awake time between wake up and first nap should be between 1-2 hours and she is up for like 30 mins max and that's all eating time.
Today she did wake up at 6am on the dot and that was after having a larger than usual bedtime bottle. Maybe she just needs to get bigger and be able to eat more before bed. But I definitely won't dreamfeed her at 10. -
@lioneyes: maybe that's just her needs right now? I think people can vary widely in when they sleep and how long. If this schedule is feasible in terms of work and school drop offs and all that I would leave it for now.. if no other reason than to not risk losing that 11 hour stretch! Lol.
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If she's just eating and going right back to sleep with no other awake time I would consider that a night time waking and not her waking up for the day. Feed her and go back to bed!
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If my 5 month old slept 11 hours I’d glady get up at 5am!! Lol.
If she is eating and going to bed right away it sounds like a night time waking. I’d just feed her at 5 and go back to bed. Hopefully she’ll get to eating more before bed and sleeping through that wake up.
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I agree with that being a night time waking. Don’t get her dressed, just feed her and put her back down and enjoy all that sleep!
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I’m not a sleep expert by any means but it sounds like she’s hungry when she’s waking up at that time. To me that seems like a long time for a 12 week old to not eat for!! I’d treat it as a night waking, feed her a bottle (even though she doesn’t eat overnight) then back into her crib.
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