What are some tips for getting a four month old to begin sleeping through the night?

Question

Baby boy is currently eating 4oz of formula at 7:30-8pm in preparation for bed then wakes for 4 more ounces at 1 or 2am, then anywhere between 4 and 6am. Eats 1/2 cup of cereal and banana once a day as well. Does very little napping.

Answer 1

If he is already sleeping a 5 hour stretch, then technically he is "sleeping through the night."

I hate to tell you, but night waking is NORMAL for the entire first year. Don't try to force it. When he's ready, he'll sleep longer. Babies have a lot of growing to do in the first year, especially the first six months.

Even those "experts" who DO recommend "sleep training" or "cry it out" approaches (which *I* think are cruel at any age) suggest that you wait until *at least* 6 months to try it.

DO NOT schedule him.....would YOU like your meals served that way or do you like to eat when you are hungry?
And DO NOT buy "Babywise" either - see the link below to find out why.....the AAP recommends AGAINST Ezzo's books.

Answer 2

This might be hard! My son was 6 months old and I asked his doctor the same question. He told me let him cry, so I did and my husband at the time was upset and went sleep downstairs. It was very hard for me too! But I did it and about three days went by and he was sleeping through the night. Another thing don't ever give him cereal before bed time. My doctor said that it stretches there stomach and they will wake up more often because they will get hungry faster.

Answer 3

Mix a teaspoon of rice cearl into his last bottle for the night. Also try giving him 6 or 8 oz of formula before bed he will sleep the night. Both of my boys slept 12 hours a night by the time they were 2 weeks old. Scared me the first night.

Answer 4

Lol, probable no wish. All newborns have their days and nights mixed up for some era of time. which will properly be 2 weeks or it ought to correctly be 10 weeks. so a techniques as the thanks to get them to sleep the fastest, there somewhat isn't a undeniable way. maximum children variety this out on their own. i did not push my son and he began sound asleep by the evening at 8 weeks. Your toddler will fall into their own recurring, merely supply them time and assume to be waking each and every couple of hours in the evening before each and every thing. it is common.

Answer 5

Hi. Make a routine every night,even day time naps. Personally speaking, i give my baby rice cereal 2 hours before bedtime so that she will be full, not necessarily waking up in the middle of the night coz her tummy is full. Give him( 2 ) 4 tbs. of rice cereal everyday,one in the morning, then one 2 hrs before bedtime. Goodluck. Hope it will be effective.

Answer 6

You need to be tough. Make a schedule and teach it to him. Do you let him cry. My trick.... thru the night, cover my head with a pillow, and let him cry himself to sleep again. do this for 3-4 nights....and you should be in the clear. I did this with my two boys at 4 months old...its tough, but you need to suck it up, they arent hurt, just because they are crying. they dont make their own habits you have to teach them. and in the day...i usually had a 9am nap and a 1pm nap.... but if he isnt much of a sleeper...then lay him down for an 11:00 nap...feed him lunch before or after the nap. Once again...3-4 days you have to be tough. In the day nap...i set a timer for 20 minutes. I wouldnt allow myself to go ge them until they cried that long....and i never had to go get them!!!! They are 1.5 and 2.5 yrs ols, it is 11:22 my time now, and they are both down for the count! you can do it

Answer 7

At 6 months old a child no longer needs the food in the middle of the night so that's when you can stop the middle of the night feeding. Once he doesn't get fed in the middle of the night anymore he'll sleep through.

Answer 8

upon his nighttime awakening you let him fuss for a few minutes(3-5); if he is not settling himself down in that time period go into the room and soothe him by patting his back, rocking him, whatever he has associated with getting to sleep in the first place. Spend only a few minutes doing this and then leave the room, regardless of whether he has fallen back to sleep or not. Continue to respond like this on every subsequent awakening but shave a little time off your stay each time. The idea is not to see how long your son can cry but to develop new associations for him going to sleep on his own and settling himself after awakening on his own. You need to parallel your leaving his room whether he's awake or not after an awakening with initially putting him down to sleep when he's awake. What your are after here is developing, without fear, an ability for a baby to get to sleep on his own when placed in bed awake and an ability to self-calm himself back to sleep after an awakening. Good luck.

Answer 9

Schdule feed him. This is how it works: Wakes up in morning, feed him, play time, put him to bed for nap. Wakes up from nap, feed him, play time, put him to bed. Repeat. A week or two of this he might just be sleeping longer and longer at night. Babies like schdule's, and get used to a pattern. It works- it's not easy at first, but it works

Answer 10

Let him cry sometimes. Seriously. I was told this by my doctor when I had my daughter. He said as long as she was fed, dry and comfortable, and if she was still crying, to just let her cry. They tire out and fall asleep. If you get up for him every time he cries, of course he's going to do it. I did this with both my kids and they both slept through the night from about 2 weeks onward. My friend was STILL getting up with her 6 year old because every time the little brat cried, mommy came running. They aren't stupid. And they need to learn quickly that night time is for sleeping.