Newborns Sleeping Through the Night

Let him sleep J.. If he was hungry, he'd wake up. Babies grow while they are sleeping, so he is really just busy growing. Also, congratulations! You must have some pretty healthy breast milk there :o)

J., If he is gaining weight and is at least average on the growth charts, I would just let him sleep. Both my kids slept through the night, my son was at the top of the charts so I had no worries. My little girl however was at the bottom of the charts. I woke her up to feed her but quit after a while because she just didn't want to eat. she is fine and healthy just long and skinny. she is 18 months and is about 21#. hope this helps!
P.

My doctor told me that babies usually start sleeping through the night and don't normally require a night feeding at between 10 and 14 pounds. So that fits right in with his information.

This is not medical advice just personal experience:
the doctors told me I had to wake my son every 2 hours around the clock to feed him (he was one month preemie). I did that, and I strongly believe it contributed majorly to him really awful sleep patterns (waking up constantly at night wanting to breastfeed until 1 1/2 yrs old!)

My advice is: if your baby is healthy, and gaining weight on track, LET A SLEEPING BABY SLEEP.

(you may have to pump to relieve your own pressure!)

Check with a doctor or nurse, but you really don't want to be inviting bad sleep/wake habits if you don't have to...

J.

I agree with the other posts... enjoy it now! :) Hopefully you won't be too engorged to sleep! (I was waking my boy to feed him just for some relief! Then I still had to go pump because my boobs were huge!!! And, it didn't last for more than a week or so and he hit that growth spurt and was up again.

Good luck to you!
J.

J.,

Don't wake him up. He is fine. All my babies went 12 hour stretches by 8 weeks and they were exclusively breastfed. If he cries, give him a minute, see if he can find his thumb before you go in to feed him. Eating at night will become a habit, not a necessity at this age.

Good luck,
S.

i wouldn't wake him up in the night if he isn't crying leave him. some doctors tell you to wake them, i have two kids and i didn't wake them to feed them at night. during the day yes, it's, i think, a personal preference. good luck

My little one also slept through the night from about 6 weeks on. She is now 18 months and has a very good sleep routine. I think I can count on my 2 hands the number I times I have been up in the middle of the night since she started sleeping through. ENJOY IT and feel truly blessed to have a good sleeper!!!

J.,
As a mom to two previously long-nursed children, I'd like to tell you to LET THEM SLEEP! They will wake if they are hungry. And as they grow, they go through growth spurts causing their eating/sleeping patterns to change. Enjoy it, you are blessed! :-)

My son is 7 weeks old as well and I wish he'd sleep 8 hours! I just read an article yesterday that said babies over 12 pounds are able to sustain themselves for up to 9 hours without eating at night. So, enjoy your rest! Congrats on having a good sleeper!

The only one thing I can suggest is placing infant gloves on at bedtime and see if he will wake up for feedings or you can set you alarm and check on him every four hours to feed him. My son was a breastfeed baby and at 7 weeks due to family matters I had to change him to a bottle and stop breast feeding him. Good Luck!!!
D.

I would just leave him alone. If he is content then you might be over feeding him, enjoy your sleep and stop worrying :)

I would just let him sleep. I was also concerned about that as well because my daughter sleeps around 6 hours at night and she's 2 months now. He must be getting enough during the day so he's satisfied at night. I love it when she sleeps that long, but for me at about 3 hours I have to pump! Congrats on your little baby!

Unless he has weight or health issues let him sleep! The more sleep you get the better it will be for both of you. When they are hungry they will wake up. They say that larger babies do sleep longer, sooner than smaller babies. My little boy was sleeping 8 hours at night be at least 6 weeks old. As far as breastfeeding goes your supply will adjust to what he needs.

Oh please don't wake him from a night sleep!!! you must be doing something right during the day because it sounds to me like he is starting to sleep through the night!!! Let him go as long as he will overnight, and then make sure he doesn't nap through feedings during the day. This helps them to distinguish day from night and gets their little bodies regulated. He may feed a little more frequently during the day (if he needs it) to make sure he gets enough and to keep your milk supply up. Otherwise go with it! So many moms will wish they were in your shoes. and contrary to popular belief...babies are fully capable to do this! It may of course not last when he hits a growing spurt for instance, but enjoy it while you can and get some extra ZZZZ's!

I would wait till he lets you know he is hungry. My son is 13 months and I nursed him every 3-4 hours during the day and then 'on-demand' at night. By 8 weeks he was sleeping 10+ hours a night. Good luck. Being a mom is wonderful!

Hi, J.,

I would say considering it lucky when your son can sleep thru the night. My son was exactly like that. He found his thumb and slept thru the nigh at 8 weeks. He's 4 and has been a great slpeeer. Now we're working on getting rid of the thumb-sucking, which is quite a task. I talked to the doctor and lots of other people, the opinion is it's not too big of a concern as long as he only use thumb-sucking for sleeping. When his permanent teeth come in, we should get rid of it. We'll be using sports tape if it's still a problem by then.

I know it's a cliche, but I would NOT wake up a sleeping baby.

H.

You are so lucky!!!! He should be fine sleeping through the night now. A normal, healthy baby will wake up when he's hungry (they don't know how not to eat!). Chances are this is only a short phase and he'll soon be waking up again at night. If you are truly lucky, he may sleep through the night from now on! He could be going through at growth spurt that makes him tired. When he's done, he'll be starving! As long as he continues to gain weight and have wet diapers, I wouldn't worry :)

You are so lucky to have your baby sleeping "through" the night at that age. I was fortunate, also, but not until my daughter was 9 weeks old. Don't bother waking him. He is learning to soothe himself back to sleep with his thumb. Babies will let you know when they are hungry, so don't feel like you have to fit in a meal during the night. Just enjoy the continuous hours of rest! :)

Hi J.,
Newborns need to eat... I've read that you should never let them go for more than 5 1/2 hours between feedings.. My son, whom is now 7 1/2 m., had to be waken up sometimes when he was that little to be nursed. It's a bummer to have to wake but they need their little tummies filled;-) Hope that he continues to be a good sleeper for ya as he gets older and doesn't have to nurse as frequently.

Melissa

He seems like a very healthy weight, so I would definitely just let him sleep until he wakes on his own. He'll let you know when he is hungry.
Enjoy this time while he is sleeping through the night. My little boy (now 5 1/2 months) was sleeping through the night around 10 weeks old, but in the past couple months has been getting up couple times a night.

I've always heard that once babies hit the 10 pound mark it's kind of like a magical number. Meaning they are big enough/tummy is big enough to keep them full through the night or for long stretches. I'd say as long as he is eating at least every 3-4hrs during the day and you are pumping/nursing enought to keep up your milk supply, then let him sleep! In fact enjoy it : )

Absloutely, If he is not crying and sleeping sound then he is content and does not need that feeding in the middle of the night. If you wake him to feed he will either be to cranky to do it or you are opening up a can of worms and training him to wake in the middle of the night. I have 3 kids 2 girls one almost 5 and the other 3 1/2 and a boy who is 19 months. All of our kids were sleeping through the night at 6-8 weeks of age. So don't wake him unless he is crying because he needs something. Enjoy your sleep and be happy you have a child that sleeps 8 hours at such an early age.

-Amanda

oh, honey, do not wake him up!!! If you have a 7 week old sleeping 8 hours at night, let him!!!! As long as he is getting what he is suppose to be getting threw the day, let him sleep at night. The only reason you should be concerned is if he is not eating very much at all and is not growing like he is suppose to..

Nope, let him sleep! He will wake if he is hungry. But be warned, he is gearing up fora growth spurt, so all this sleeping could lead to a week of waking up 1-3times a night. Then the 4mo growth spurt will hit and it will interrupt sleep again.

Enjoy your sleep mama!

J., its ok that he sleeps all night, you are just one of the lucky ones, my first son, slept through all the night, in one month, its hardest on us moms, cause we will get up and check on them even when they sleep through the night, its ok not to wake him up in middle of night, just wake him up in morning if he sleeps in too much, my son got a feeding just before going to bed, and would wake up 8 hours later, its ok, and count yourself lucky, most moms die to have a little sleep ., let him sleep, just enjoy life , D. s

J., he is a good weight so i wouldnt worry to much. LIke others said i would count your blessings and get some sleep yourself. I know we mothers worry. If u are worried then mention it at your appointment next time. I know my now 7 1/2 m old made up for lost time during the day eating every 2 hours when he first started sleeping through the night. U are blessed congrats!

At 7 weeks, he should be fine. I think the rule is that as long as they reach their birth weight you can let them go at night like that. My son started sleeping through the night like that right at 8 weeks...

You are one lucky mom. As long as he is healthy & growing it is fine to let him sleep through the night. It will probably not last but take advatage of it while you can. The only reason I can see to wake him is if you are so uncomfortable that you need him to nurse. Otherwise let sleeping babies lie.

Let that baby sleep and count your blessings! Be aware that this may not last though. He might go through a growth spurt and start getting up again. My daughter slept great until she was about 3 months and then worked her way up to 3 - 4 times a night. Get some sleep yourself and enjoy this special time in your babies life!

J.,

My daughter slept through the night very early and I believe that is the reason I dried up. Being a first time mom, I didn't know much about breast feeding. What I'm trying to say, I think your son is doing fine just be sure you pump often enough to keep the milk producing.

I only breastfed and my little girl started off right away feeding every four hours right from the hospital(she was even 3 weeks early and they helped start this routine for me) and then at 4 weeks old she started sleeping between 8-10 hours at night for us. I would not wake your baby at night. They will wake up when they are hungry. She is now just about 9 months old and only wakes up during the night when she is teething.

Good luck and enjoy, this is a wonderful time. =)

If he is sleeping through the night already consider yourself lucky. As long as he is gaining weight and not waking up hystercal and starving then you have nothing to worry about. He wil wake up when hungry.

Well hello there, J.! As a mother who breastfed, I just wanted to assure you that your little guy is just fine and you should let him sleep. If you are really concerned, take him to the doctor, but it sounds like he's doing great. In fact, I think he's a little sweetheart for letting you rest a bit more! *smile* As long as he's gaining weight, and he's producing dirty and wet diapers every day, he is definitely getting enough milk in that little belly of his and he's just growing. (Babies grow in their sleep, you know!) Also, breast milk has something in it that puts the baby to sleep and you say he's strictly breastfed, so I wouldn't worry about it. Enjoy your rest; not many mothers are lucky enough to have their baby sleeping through the night so early. But, as I said earlier, if you are really concerned, take him to your doctor. He'll most likely tell you the same thing. Have a wonderful and productive day!

It's a great feeling to get a good night's sleep but if you want to continue breast feeding during the day then you will have to pump for the two feedings he is missing during the night. If there is no demand then your supply will drastically decrease...and fast! My daughter only nursed at night until she was 6 months old. My advice is that if you are going to pump you might as well feed him.

How lucky you are! Yes, my doctor told me when my son reached a month to quit waking him to eat. (As long as they are a healthy weight, which it sounds like yours is)

My son slept through the whole night, his first night home. Trust me, if he has no problems eating, he will let you know when he's hungry. During growth spirts, he may want to wake up only to eat and then right back to sleeping again.

hm. this is a difficult decision to make with a baby so little.
i spose as long as the doctor isnt worried about weight gain, he is probably fine. HOWEVER it is probably TEMPORARY. it is very unusual for babies to sleep consitantly through the night. teething isnt too far off, and that will disrupt sleep all over again.

so i would enjoy this sleep habit while you can, i do encourage nuks as they do keep baby from sleeping too deeply. it is ok if you want to be up every 3 hours or so to check on baby, and remember no loose blankets, or animals in the crib. i breastfed my son until 20 months or so and it was wonderful, though for a long long time it required cosleeping. if that is something you are comfortable with, that is just fine.

if there starts to be trouble with weight gain, doctors might suggest putting baby on formula. dont fall for it. babies dont need formula, and just cuz a baby isnt gaining weight for one appointment doesnt mean that is how its going to continue to be. there will be stops and starts. just breastfeed more, but there shouldnt be a reason to start solids.

ALSO for milk supply purposes, i would wake up every 3 hours or so and pump. see if your insurance company will supply a breast pump for you - i got the medela pump in style for free through my insurance company. but you need to keep the supply up, so every 3 or 4 hours at night you should wake up to pump at least, so that your milk supply doesnt decrease. yes it is probably fine and your baby will cause the supply to increase all on his own when he starts feeding more again, but i would want to make sure that i was keeping the demand and supply going. it is also good to have some milk in your freezer to put on cuts or scrapes later. i have some almost year old milk that i used on a scrape my son got, you wouldnt beleive how quickly it healed! its really good stuff. you can also use it for eye infections ear infections... etc. on and on. so its good to have some milk in the freezer anyway.

good luck and dont worry too much. im sure baby will start waking up again soon.
remember, about nuks, you can take them away later. thumbs are a little harder to take away... so make the choice according to what you want to have to deal with later.

My two youngest were sleeping through the night at that age. For the first 4-5 weeks I'd wake them up every 4 hours unless they woke up before then and feed them, but after about 6 weeks, I'd let them wake up on their own when they got hungry. As long as your son keeps gaining weight and is eating fine during the day, you shouldn't need to wake him up to feed him at night. You both need sleep and he'll wake up when he's hungry.

Let sleeping babies sleep!! Especially since he is 12 pounds, he can go longer periods. As long as he feeds well during the day & is growing, let sleeping babies sleep!!

J.,
I would definitely check with your pedatrician and do whatever he/she says to do, but I am pretty sure a 7 week old breastfed baby needs to eat sooner than eight hours. My son is 6 months old and he was solely breastfed as well and I remember reading that breastmilk is so easily digested by babies, it is usually out of their tummies in 2-3 hours. So if it were me, I probably wouldn't let him go more than 4 hours without eating right now, but they grow so fast, by next month you could probably let him sleep through the night if he wants to do it. But for sure check with your pediatrician and do whatever he/she reccommends.

My Dr. said that once a baby hits 10 lb. they can sleep through the night. Good for you!!

Hi J.
I would say since he is growing and doing so well, enjoy it while you can! He may be going through a growth spurt and needs the extra sleep. Waking him and feeding him when he isn't really hungry may cause him to eat smaller amounts more often...believe me, you don't want that! My sister went through that with her first child and ended up breast feeding the kid every hour and a half night and day. She was exhausted! He will most likely get back to waking up more often or eating more while he is awake. Take your sleep while you can get it!
Have a great day and enjoy mommyhood!

Oh my gosh, I would consider myself lucky and keep sleeping! As long as he is in good health and is a good weight (12 lbs is great!), I would not wake him up to feed him. Congrats on the new baby and the good sleeper! (chances are, he won't keep it up, though) :)
S.
mom of 3

God bless you - What a great problem to have! Let him sleep. Infants cannot starve themselves. Plus, soon he may switch to waking up to eat three times a night when a growth spurt hits; so savor the sleep while you can. Another rule of thumb, maybe an old wives tale, that I always hear is that babiee begin sleeping thru the night at 10 lbs. I gave birth to a 10 pounder, and he was sleeping thru the nights just weeks after we brought him home.

Let him sleep! You have no idea how blessed you are! 7 weeks is a perfectly acceptable time to have him sleep through the night if he is doing it on his own! if you keep waking him up it may become a habit. he will cry if he is hungry, just like he does during the day!

Ya as long as he is happy healthy and eating good let him sleep he will tell you when he is hungry. Count your blessings he is sleeping like that!

Our son did the same thing. Do not wake him. Enjoy your sleep. He won't go hungry. If he needs to eat he will wake up.

How wonderful for your family that he is such a good sleeper! At twelve pounds, let him sleep. My daughter was the same way - a bigger baby and she slept through the night at two months old (8+ hours). She's 9.5 months old now and sleeps 10-12 hours at night.

Get your rest!

My son slept through the night at 6 weeks old and my daughter at 10 days!! Once they started sleeping through the night, I let them. They have both been very good sleepers ever since and we did not experience the many issues alot of my friends have had with their kids sleeping through the night. The again my kids were large when they were born (9&10 pounds) so maybe that helped. But at 7 weeks old he should be perfectly fine to sleep thru the night without needing food. I say let sleeping babies lie......

I've honestly never heard of a baby starving to death during the night. I have two good sleepers and my youngest (now 4 months) started sleeping through the night at only 2 weeks! Happy sleeping!!!

The old saying, never wake a sleeping baby is right! It is hard to do when you have all the books/nurses/doctors telling you they need to eat every few hours. But truly, do not worry! Trust your baby - he will let you know when he is hungry. Just be ready when he does wake up to feed him! Congrats on your double blessing - a baby, and one that sleeps the night!!!!