My little boy just turned 8 weeks and the last 2 days he's done nothing but cry. Even if we pick him up he still cries.
He goes down at 8.30/9pm and then sleeps till 2am then 4am and then 6am.

What age do they start sleeping through? Any suggestions for longer sleeps...

Kylie

have you taken him to the doctors? There may be another reason for the crying, however they do do that a LOT in the early weeks. Dont try controlled crying at this age, I have done it with both my kids, I tryed it at an early age with DS2 and it just made him worse. I do think it works if you do it correctly (its not just letting them cry themselves crazy until they sleep) but you should wait until they are older. At 8 weeks, the world is still so new that you dont want to make it more scary for them.

Have you made sure that your bubs is warm/cool enough at night, that plays a huge part in sleeping for a longer time. Also make sure they are getting enough milk during the day, and also you could try raising the end of the bed slightly in case its a bit of reflux that is keeping him up. Also, a strong and consisitent routine during the day and making sure they get good sleeps during the day also works wonders. Try and work it so he goes to bed at about 7 each night and keep that consistent.

I agree, he's probably a bit wee for controlled crying. Do get him checked out by Doc to make sure nothing is wrong. 8 weeks is also usually time for a growth spurt which can make bubs really grumpy and want to feed all the time. This should pass in a few days. Hang in there!

My little boy just turned 8 weeks and the last 2 days he's done nothing but cry. Even if we pick him up he still cries.
He goes down at 8.30/9pm and then sleeps till 2am then 4am and then 6am.

What age do they start sleeping through? Any suggestions for longer sleeps...

Kylie

Hi

I think something is up if he's continually crying, like possibly he's in pain of some sort - perhaps wind or he's coming down with something.

For the sleeping a bit better...

You can try introducing a dream feed at 10pm, we did that with DD2 and it worked a treat. I'd try giving him a feed and then have him in bed by 7pm, at 10pm get him up with as minimal fuss as possible (no lights on, no talking, change his nappy, wrap him back up, feed, burp and back into bed). Then go to bed yourself. You can try without the nappy change but often at this age you cant tell when they are going to poop.

Then you'll get your long stretch of sleep from 10pm till maybe 2 or 3am.

We did this routine from a few weeks old, our DD fed 3-4 hourly in the day and slept through the dreamfeed and went right back to bed... for the first few months she'd wake at 2am and then at 6am... as she got older 2am became 4am and then we moved the dreamfeed to 10.30pm and she slept till 6-7am. As she got older we dropped the nappy change as was only pooping in the day and good ole huggies can last through the night.

I agree with the others - think that 8 weeks is too young for CC. I would definately take him to the doctors to rule out any medical issues first. Maybe also try a chiropractor who specialises in peads. I took DS to a chiro when he was about 10 weeks old because he was a very unsettled baby. It helped immensely! Didn't cure it, but certainly improved it. The birthing process is very traumatic for bubbies & they can often come out with painful necks, shoulders, etc that can cause other issues if not rectified. Then once all checked out, maybe try some white noise? DS loved it - we used the Sounds For Silence CD.

As for the age they start sleeping through, it varies significantly for every child, even those in the same family. Just be patient with him, rule out other issues first & just take one day at a time. Is there anyone that can help you for a night or two just to get your strength back??

Poor little man has only been around for 8 weeks, if nothing is wrong (after checking with Dr) he might be just testing your patience and stamina!

I think most books/midwives dont recommend controlled crying until babies are at least 6 months old. Hang in there, although it doesn't seem like it will ever happen, he will eventually settle into a routine and you will get some much deserved rest. My son slept through til 6am for the first time last night and he is 5 months old, his brothers slept through earlier.

Do you have someone who can come around and take him for a walk in his pram or something so that you can have a little 10-15 min break on the bad days?

Hope your little one is ok, goodluck.

hi guys

I've just had my third baby 2 weeks old and for some reason is very settled during day and most of night but trying to get him back at that 2am feed is a night mare.......

I am a pre school teacher..... have plenty of experence.... and this little boy has got me stumped!!!!!!

along came Oprah!!!! featuring "dunstan baby language" she had this expert on the show....... google it and it will give you some sounds that babies make for sleep.... feed.... burp~!!!!!! now i know what he is trying to tell me and i am not trying to feed him when he needs burped!!!!!

google it you have nothing to lose

At 8 weeks my little man became just like this, we would try everything to settle him but nothing really worked. he was waking often through out the night and me and DP were out of ideas so we took him to the doctors. the first doctor said there is nothing wrong with him just a baby who cries alot but i knew it had to be something more so i got a second opinion, and it turned out to be silent reflux. he was put on losec and withing 10 days he was a completly different baby. and as of sleeping through the night, mine slept 15hrs everynight without waking (until he had reflux). Or if its not silent reflux or anything like that, maybe try taking bub to a sleep clinic they can be great help there smile

i really hope you can find some answers, as it can be quite stressful with an unsettled baby.