why do people who have really young children (i.e. under 6 months) expect them to sleep through the night?

Answer 1

yeah to all the parents that can get their child/baby to sleep through the night at so young....my kids must be weird or NORMAL and not sleep through the night at all...we have routine and structure and they still don't, i'm lucky if my 10 month old will sleep 3 hrs at a time. i don't expect anything anymore!
quit with the thumbs down..we aren't saying it's right or wrong we are just saying our experiences with our children!

Answer 2

Well I didn't actually expect my daughter to sleep through the night but I did want to get her on some sort of schedule. She will be 4 months old on the 1st of April. Anyway, what I did was make sure her feedings during the day ended up with the last feeding being between 8:45 and 9:45 at night, depending on if she napped a little longer and one of her feeding might be a little later during the day. I give my daughter 5 ounces every 3 to 3 and a half hours and then I give her 6 ounces at her last feeding. She goes to sleep after her last feeding and doesnt wake until I get her up in the morning around 7ish to eat. You also have to teach your child how to go to bed. If you sleep with your child , then thats how they learn that they are supposed to go to bed. If you rock them to sleep, then thats how they think its supposed to go. If you put them in their crib and comfort them to sleep (like rubbing their head or stroking their hand for a few minutes, which is what i do) then they will go to sleep that way eventually. It may not work for everyone, but I do feel that consistency will get you what you really want. And for those people who think that the child will stop eating when they are full, thats not true. A baby will eat and eat. You have to show them how much they should be eating. They have to be taught everything from the beginning, including moderation. Leads to a healthy adult. I hope you get your kiddo to sleep through the night soon. You'll love it when it happens!!! good luck!

Answer 3

I wonder that also. My son is 11 months and still wakes a few times a night although it's not to eat or fully wake. He cries for a few minutes and then puts him self to sleep. When he was 6 months old I was still feeding him 1 or 2 times a night and didnt expect anything else. My other three kids never slept fully through the night until they were closer to a year also. I think people just don't want to get up in the night for longer than a few months.

Answer 4

Some people consider it a sign of good mothering. Personally, the only babies I know to have slept all through the night consistently at that age were given almost no attention and left to cry at night. They're brats now. I'm digressing and I don't intend to say that all early sleepers are the product of neglect. Just those three. Anyway, babies go through phases of good long sleep and waking every three hours. I have often bragged about my long peaceful nights just to be called out of bed three times a night for two months by a baby who wants a warm drink and a cuddle. Sheesh. Can you guess which phase my baby is in now? ;)

Answer 5

My first child did not sleep through the night for a year and a half. After that, I didn't expect anything. Luckily my second slept through the night from the day I brought her home from the hospital. My third took about 3 months. I think it's so hard on a new parent, they are so sleep deprived and looking for an answer. You can't blame them.

Answer 6

Probably because some come home from the hospital sleeping through the night. There are plenty of children that don't have a problem with sleeping. There are also a few ways to help your child along in sleeping through the night. Who really wants to get up multiple times in the night anyways if the child's not hungry or wet or dirty? If you really don't think it's possible I'd suggest reading a book called On Becoming Babywise by Gary Ezzo. I've used it in a daycare setting and parents have always remarked in how well their baby sleeps.

http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Baby-Wise-Reference-Worldwide/dp/0971453209/ref=pd_bbs_1/102-7019518-8803313?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1174704506&sr=8-1

Answer 7

I consider my son (he's almost 6 months) sleeping through the night. He goes down around 8 or 8:30 pm get up at 3am for a bottle(my favorite time with him, Its just us up) then he goes back down with 20 mins of him getting up and sleeps until 6am. It works great with my Husbands schedule.

Answer 8

They expect this because they want to be able to sleep through the night, but its one of those things you have to look forward to when you have a baby. Fortunately, my daughter practically started sleeping through the night at about 3 weeks, but I would still get her up to eat since the doctor told us to. My friend's baby didn't start sleeping through the night until he was 1.

Answer 9

Because it's possible. Both of my kids started sleeping through the night at 3 months olds.

Answer 10

My son slept through the night by the time he was 1 month. My middle child slept through they night by 3 months. My youngest slept through the night by 1 month. That's why people expect it, because it happens.