I have a 6-week-old son...he has been doing pretty well sleeping. He generally sleeps a 5-6 hour stretch, followed by a 3 hour stretch. However, in the past couple of weeks he has started fussing/crying out in his sleep. It doesn't happen every night. We put him down at 9 and, around midnight he starts fussing. I go in there and he is ASLEEP. Eyes closed. I pat his back or put the paci in his mouth and he stops. He might do this three or four more times before actually waking up at 3 or 4 am to eat. So, even though he's sleeping a 6 hour stretch, I'm up every hour or two. I've let him keep crying (it's more fussing and whining than crying...no screaming or anything) a few times, and he will eventually stop, but it wakes both me and my husband up. Has anyone ever dealt with this? Should I just get him up and feed him the first time he fusses? There is a big difference in the quality of his cry when he's actually ready to get up and eat versus these "crying out" episodes...so I'm not sure he's hungry when he's doing it and, like I said, some nights he goes straight through without a peep.
Yeah, it's totally annoying b/c it wakes you up, but it's just normal fussing. He'll probably go through periods of doing it and not doing it, but don't get him up!!! If he's not awake to eat, there is no reason to wake him. You probably won't get much better at sleeping through it, but hopefully he won't do it forever!
It is just intermittent fussing.... while sleeping. And as a baby gets settled.
It does not mean he is 'awake.' He is not.
Even adults, make noise in their sleep.
Babies do that too.
Even older kids do that.
If he is not 'waking' waking...then you can leave him be.
Its fine.
BOTH my kids as babies did that too.
Its okay.
He is not 'crying'... just fussing or making intermittent sleep noises and as he self -soothes.
But, if/when he DOES wake and then cries... THAT is when you go and feed/nurse him.
You will get used to his noises and what it means... and then once you get to know his cues... then you will feel better.
He is ONLY 6 weeks old. And yes, you need to feed/nurse on-demand... when he wakes wakes up.
Next, it is also the parents that can sometimes wake a baby... snoring... can really wake a baby too.
There is no need to cry it out. He is not a problem...and he is merely being a baby.... they do this, they make noises in their sleep too... but when he IS hungry and needs a feeding/nursing...you will know that.
My kids are 4 and 7 years old. THEY make noises during their sleep too. It doesn't mean anything, it doesn't mean I wake them up, it doesn't mean I have to make them cry... it just is. Some kids or babies.. make noises in their sleep. Its okay.
Even some adults are real noisy as they sleep.
Next, sleep is NEVER static... in a baby or a child. It does change... right now and later, sleep 'patterns' changes. It is normal. And each day or night, appetite changes too... and at growth-spurts... intake and hunger in a baby changes. So, that is why, you need to feed ON-demand... never by a schedule. You will know, your baby..... when your baby is hungry. By his cues.
In an infant, growth-spurts are every 3 weeks. Then at 3 months old, 6 months old, 9 months old, and every 3 months.... at growth-spurts, a baby gets way hungrier and feeds more frequently and needs more intake so that their intake keeps pace with them and that your milk supply... increases as well to keep up with your baby, too.
all the best,
Susan
no do not wake him up and feed him or you will create a moinster that will expect it and not learn to put himself back to sleep. this is normal he will outgrow it be glad its just whining. i know its annoying being woke up when nothing is wrong but let him do it it will pass
My son (1st) and one of my daughters (3rd) did this. They come by it naturally. I talk in my sleep (especially if I am over tired or stressed). That is all it is. It took me a while to figure that out, but it is literally a baby's way of talking in his sleep. ;) I had to turn off the baby monitor, so I could ignore it more. Then, I only heard the actual crying. My son (9 yo) STILL talks in his sleep. Luckily, he is upstairs from my room and I don't hear him anymore! lol
FYI: If you DO wake him to feed him while he is doing it, you will train him to eat a lot more at night. Then, you will get even LESS sleep, if you can imagine that!
I'd let him fuss until he either cries or goes back to being quiet. I assume it will pass soon.
My son does the exact same thing. He's been doing that since he was about a month old and he's now 5 months old. At first I was getting him up but then he wouldn't wake up to eat. So then I started just checking on him and if he's asleep, I go back to bed. I have a monitor in my room, so I turn it down and I have a fan going to drown it out. I only hear him if he cries normal. I hear his whimpers but it doesn't disturb me until he is seriously crying. Even last night, I went in there and he was crying in his sleep. I did end up getting him up to nurse, even though I usually don't, because he was moving his head from side to side, totally in his sleep. Congratulations and good luck!!
I would not wake him up if he is just fussing in his sleep, or you will train him to go from one feeding at night to more. The reason some babies wake every 2 hours to eat is because that is what they were trained to do. Right now you baby is doing wonderfully, don't mess with it. This type of light waking is normal, and if he stops fussing on his own in a few minutes, let him be. Like my doctor said, saying that a baby is sleeping through the night is actually saying that the baby is allowing the parents to sleep through the night by learning good soothing techniques, but that he will more than likely still be waking, he just wont need anything and will self sooth to sleep on is own.
