NOT worried about sleeping through the night?

Question

I am wondering if any other moms don't mind if their baby wakes up to eat, have a change, or snuggle in the night... I actually look forward to him waking, I like to see him scoot towards me and start pulling on my shirt, or waking up so he can snuggle in for a cuddle. But the main question everyone asks me when the first see my baby is "Is he sleeping through yet??" as if it is a very important thing. (he's 6 months, breastfed, and co-sleeps)

Is it important for the baby's development, or is it more based on the parents getting a night of uninterrupted sleep?

Do you mind if your child doesn't sleep through?

And, how long exactly is it considered sleeping through? Four hours? Six? Shorter, longer? Just curious, thanks for looking.

Off topic, but :

"...as if she'd just fall over and die of malnutrition if we weren't giving her baby cereal"

HAHAHAHA!!! I KNOW!! sorry, that one made me laugh out loud at my computer.

Answer 1

There's no specific number of hours that gives you the "sleeping through the night" award... As far as development goes, you have nothing to worry about. As long as your child is getting at least 10-12 hours of sleep in any 24-hour period, no worries! My little boy (almost 8 months) sleeps in his crib for half the night and then we bring him into our bed to sleep with us from about 3am until the morning. It helps him feel confident sleeping by himself, but also secure snuggling up to me and my husband. Other parents say the same thing to us - "Is he sleeping through the night?" To them, I say, "If I were really that worried about having uninterupted nights, I would never have had a child in the first place!" SNUGGLE ON! He'll have the rest of his life to deal with anxiety - make his childhood as pleasant as possible!

Answer 2

I really don't think it's important that they sleep through the night, unless the parents aren't getting enough sleep OR in a rare instance where the baby might have some other underlying problem causing him/her to wake up.

At six months I wouldn't expect the child to be sleeping through the night, particularly if he's breastfed. Babies on formula tend to sleep more soundly because their bodies require more effort to digest the formula.

In addition, I really think parents who cosleep are just much more likely to NOTICE their child waking up at night. Just like the rest of us, babies will sometimes shift around, wake up a bit, and then nod back to sleep. A parent who doesn't cosleep probably wouldn't notice, but a cosleeping parent might (especially if the kid starts rooting around to nurse while still asleep, or snuggles in to get closer).

Enjoy it. :)

I had the same problem when my now-15 month old was a young infant, too. We also breastfed and coslept, and we always got that same question. That along with, "So, is she eating solid food yet?" as if she'd just fall over and die of malnutrition if we weren't giving her baby cereal. Good luck. I don't think the busybodies ever stop.

BTW, according to about.com, "sleeping through the night" is considered to be a five hour stretch of uninterrupted sleep.

Answer 3

Doctors define sleeping through the night as a five hour stretch, between midnight and 5 am is what I was told. That sure ain't "sleeping through the night" in my book!

I also don't mind getting up with my 6 month old - I certainly won't mind when she's sleeping 12 hours straight like my 2 year old, but for now, I'm trying to enjoy every phase, even the middle of the night feedings, because I know it's my last baby.

As for baby's development - it'll happen when it happens. You can start to have them train themselves to sleep through the night anytime from about 4 months on (per my pediatrician), but why push it? I figure pretty soon I'll be worried because my girls won't be HOME at 2 am - I'm going to embrace every moment they're safe in their beds! :)

Answer 4

My first child slept with me. I absolutly loved it!! At the time I was going through a divorce, so I didn't have to share my bed with anyone anyway!! My son slept extremly well with me and I loved waking up and seeing him there so content. I would reach over and rub his soft little head and rub his back. It was such a heartwarming experience and to this day, he is now almost 6, he is such a sweet and lovable little boy. I think him being so close to me in the first 2 years made him the child he is today. I now have 3 more children and of course I am remarried. I do miss having my children in bed with me at times. There is just nothing like it. But, to answer your main question, no sleeping through the night is not a basis for tracking development. It is that parents want uninterrupted sleep!! I know I do especially now with four to chase around. And sleeping through the night is considered five hours straight. Crazy, I see it more like 8-10!! I didn't mind that my first didn't sleep through. He actually did once he was in bed with me, but I did want all my others too. Your sleep is very important and so is theirs. You don't realize it so much until you have more and more responsibilty. I think as far as your child sleeping with you, you'll know when it is time for you both to make the transisition for him to be in his own bed. For now, enjoy all those late night moments. They are very special. They are ones that you will always remember. And you know, as your child gets older, you'll be awake at night worrying about where they are!!! I don't know if we ever sleep through the night. Good luck!

Answer 5

as far as i know, it is completely based on parents wanting a good night's sleep. at 6 mos old, many babies are not sleeping through the night. the term "sleeping through the night" certainly varies depending on who you talk to but, i think of it as about 8 hours or the equivalent of a grown-up night's sleep. however, once kids really do start to sleep through the night, it's usually more like 10-12 hours because kids tend to need more sleep than adults. if waking up and being with your baby doesn't bother you, then just enjoy! however, you mmay not want to begin any habits that may be difficult to break if you decide you do want your "regular" night's sleep back at some point. i don't think the middle of the night is a good time for babies to play but, it's fine to cuddle for a few minutes!

Answer 6

I think it is more of a comfort thing. I had a cashier at the grocery store ask me if my 2 month old baby was sleeping through the night. I laughed. He was my second of three. My first didn't start to sleep through the night until he was 9 months old. She told me there was a lady that was just in with her very newborn baby and she was already sleeping through the night. I very politely explained that my child is breastfed and that I don't imagine that he would sleep through the night for awhile. He started sleeping through the night at about 8 months. My daughter is almost a year old and she just started sleeping through the night. I truly don't think anyone means any harm when they ask. I think they just know how tiring taking care of kids can be and not being able to sleep through the night can may it even more tiring. I think it is great that you enjoy the time you get with your son. We certainly only get that time once.

Answer 7

It didn't bother me either until I actually had the baby. I never knew what exhausted meant until I had my daughter. Most babies sleep through the night by 6 months old, because at that age they don't need the nutrition of eating in the middle of the night anymore. They eventually need to get to where they are sleeping 10-12 hours a night, because they need that long stretch of sleep, but that come closer to 12 months. At 6 months 6-8 hours at night is sufffucient.

Answer 8

I didn't mind at all.
I get really annoyed when I see questions on here saying 'How do I get my two week old to sleep all night'...I would like to congratulate you on being a great mom.

I think it's more for the parents sake that the babies sleep through, I didn't have my daughter sleep all night until she was 18 months, at around the time I stopped breastfeeding.
I loved it when Angel woke up, I liked to feed her, because it felt so good! I liked the lovely feelings caused by the hormones being released whilst I fed and then lay down next to my contented daughter.
I considered sleeping through to be from the time she lay down in the evening to waking up the next morning.

Answer 9

I cosleep too, I don't really look forward to waking up but mostly it doesn't bother me.

Medically 5 hours is sleeping through. ;-)

" First, please ignore what everyone else says about your baby's sleep habits and what is "normal." These people are not living with you or your baby. Unless your doctor sleeps in the next room and your baby is keeping him awake every night, he has no reason to question a healthy baby's sleep habits. If you and your baby enjoy nighttime feedings, then why not continue? It's a great way to have time with her, particularly if you are apart during the day.

Every baby is different, and some sleep through the night earlier than others (schedules or food usually have nothing to do with this). Your baby may be hungry (keep in mind that breastmilk digests in less than 2 hours) or she may just want time with you. Babies whose mothers work during the week often nurse more at night and on weekends, perhaps to reconnect with mom.

Doctors tend to look at night nursing only from a nutritional standpoint, but this is only part of the story. After the first few months, your baby will begin to associate the breast with far more than just a way to satisfy hunger and thirst. It becomes a place of comfort, security, warmth, closeness, and familiarity. The act of nursing is not just nourishing; it is nurturing. Keep in mind that these needs are every bit as real as baby's physical ones, and having them met is every bit as needful to baby's overall development.

If the amount that your child sleeps and nurses at night isn't a major problem for you, then there's no reason to try to change anything. You are NOT doing a bad thing by nursing on demand; you are doing a wonderful thing for your baby. When you comfort baby at night, you are not teaching her a bad habit: you are teaching her that you are there for her when she needs you -- Is security a bad habit? "
http://www.kellymom.com/parenting/sleep/sleep.html

BTW about half of babies do not sleep through til 24 months, check out the studies here:
http://www.kellymom.com/parenting/sleep/sleepstudies.html

Answer 10

I think people ask that because it's all they can think of to ask. I used to shock people by answering, "Oh no! And I don't want her to sleep through the night either. The longer she nurses at night, the longer my period will stay away!" Talking about your period usually shuts them up, LOL!

Babies aren't supposed to sleep through the night when they are little. They are designed to wake and feed frequently. Night waking is normal for the entire first year. When they are developmentally ready to sleep through, they will do so.

I think that 5 straight hours is technically considered sleeping through the night.