DS wakes up every 2 hrs

I give DS his last bottle around 8pm and he will sleep until at least 11, but sometimes 1ish. Then he will wake up between 3 & 4am. If he is up at 1, then he usually can last until 4. After that, he's up between every hour and every 2 hours. I can't get him to stay asleep!!! I bring him downstairs at 7am and he will usually sleep on me until 10, but he wakes right up if I put him down.

Background --
5 weeks old, won't take pacifier, FF, last bottle is usually 4-5oz, he will not drink more than 3oz at night, but usually passes out after drinking 1-2, especially when he's up every hour or two.

I guess I have 2 main questions --
1. How can I get him to sleep more???
2. What should I do about him not eating too much at night? I want to hold him off (I read about a few people who feed every few hours), but I don't want him to cry (I feel he's too young for that) and I can't calm him without feeding him.

TIA!

Message edited 3/9/2013 9:28:28 AM.

DS wakes up every 2 hrs

Honestly, that's pretty much what they do at 5 weeks old. My DD didn't start sleeping through the night until about 8 weeks or so. Hang in there! It gets better!!

Re: DS wakes up every 2 hrs

Not much you can do! Just hang in there and know it will get better soon!

Re: DS wakes up every 2 hrs

I agree with the other ladies. I know it is frustrating and exhausting, but it'll get better in a few weeks!

Will he take a pacifier?

Re: DS wakes up every 2 hrs

They say they should be able to go 6 hrs btwn feeding at night at 3 mo and 8 hr at 4. So although some babies do sleep more early on its not expected.

Can you feed him less the feeding before the last? My one dd started just taking 3 oz at her feeding before bed and waking in the night where she used to go til 4:30. Now I feed her less at her 4:30 pm feed so she will take 5 oz at her 8:30 feed. (5mo old next week). When they were younger I'd also keep them up after the feeding before the last. It wasnt too hard because it was witching hour. Now they grew out of that and will nap a bit btwn 4:30 and 8:30 but will go back to sleep at 9:30 and sleep til 3:30/4:30. For me it was just trying to tweak the schedule they made for themselves little by little and bend it to suit my needs (which were making bottles at night, doing laundry and sleep since I need to function at work lol)

My girls never had days and nights mixed up and we always fed them in a quiet dark room but some people say to keep the night feedings quiet so they know its night. We didnt play and talk with them though at night and still don't even when they want to. So they know its back to bed time at 4:30 and not play time.

Re: DS wakes up every 2 hrs

Posted by OhBoyorGirl

I agree with the other ladies. I know it is frustrating and exhausting, but it'll get better in a few weeks!

Will he take a pacifier?

Re: DS wakes up every 2 hrs

How much does he eat during the day? Can you try to get him to eat a little more during the day so he's sleepier at night? You might need to wait a few weeks.

Re: DS wakes up every 2 hrs

DS is 5 weeks old, too, and it doesn't sound that different from what I'm going through. Often he sleeps through the 11:30pm feeding, but we're usually up at 1:30ish and 4:30ish for feedings. I've had 2 nights where he only woke for 1 feeding and that was bliss!

Honestly, I'm reading so much about putting them on schedules, but I don't think there's much you can do before 8 weeks old. The first 2 months just sounds like survival mode! Let's see where we are in 3 weeks

Message edited 3/9/2013 5:20:06 PM.

DS wakes up every 2 hrs

Sounds like dd at that age exactly. Hang in there. It will get better.

DS wakes up every 2 hrs

That's pretty much how DD was at that age. It does get better little by little without you having to do anything. It's just a matter of they're stomachs getting bigger so they can hold more and stay full longer, plus they start to get used to sleeping more at night and staying awake more during the day. One thing that might at least help him go back to sleep quicker after night feedings is don't change his diaper bc that will wake him up more. Hang it there! I still remember the first night Dd let me sleep four hours straight and I felt like I had won the lottery!

Re: DS wakes up every 2 hrs

DD was up this often until 6 months old.
It was horrible but there is not much you can do.

Re: DS wakes up every 2 hrs

twins were like this!

at 5 weeks itis par for the course! it does get better!

Re: DS wakes up every 2 hrs

Re: DS wakes up every 2 hrs

I agree with the other ladies, this is normal. Although you hear of babies very young Sleeping through the night, it is rare. They do not have the same sleep cycle or pattern as a child does. The cycle changes around 12 weeks or later. My older DS was BF and up every 2 hours all night. So that meant I only got an hour of sleep at a time. So hard I understand!! Hang in there.

Re: DS wakes up every 2 hrs

That sounds about right. DD did that for almost 4 months. She never took more that 3 oz until she was about 4mo.I feel your pain. I never slept

Re: DS wakes up every 2 hrs

Honestly, at his age, that sounds about right. Hang in there, he will sleep through longer stretches eventually.

DS wakes up every 2 hrs

That's what I thought, but I figured I'd ask! Thanks everyone!!!

Re: DS wakes up every 2 hrs

DD2 is 5 weeks old and she does exactly the same thing! She sleeps only 2 to 2.5 hours at a time and will also fall asleep during feedings after only taking 2 or 3 ounces. I know from DS and DD1 that is gets better by 3 months...they start to take more and sleep longer