2 Month Old Sleeping All Night

I would just be patient. My daughter was not a good sleeper - she didn't start sleeping throught the night until she was around 7 mths old. Good Luck!

Hi, catnip tea works wonders, also a lavender bath is another thing. My boys are teens now, but catnip tea worked for me, give her a 2 to 4 ounce bottle right before bed time. Good Luck, Linda

2 months old is early to sleep all night. I have a nephew that did, but he has always been a great sleeper and so I was expecting mine to do the same. I have 2 boys and neither of them slept totally through the night that early. My youngest is a pretty good sleeper, but my oldest has never been a good sleeper and has only recently slept through the night in his own bed. People say do not put cereal in the bottle this early, but I have to say it definitely helps. Both of my boys were (and still are at 5 and 2) big eaters. You don't have to put much cereal in the bottle at first, but you can progressively put a little more in as she gets older.

I remember well those first few months. I did not know a person could actually survive on so little sleep. Be warned, this is a long response, because this is one of my "soapbox" issues..... Your baby is not supposed to be sleeping thru the night right now. And she may not for a very long time. There are toddlers and even preschoolers who are not yet sleeping thru the night. Which, by the way, is only 5-6 hours in a stretch, not the 12 hour stretch some moms brag about. The problem is we live in a world where babies are considered "good babies" if they sleep alot and moms are somehow considered to be "better" moms because of this. How much or how well your baby sleeps is no reflection of how good a mom you are or how how good your baby is. And while it's true some babies can sleep long stretches, it's still rarely 12 hour stretches and usually in older babies, like closer to the one year mark. It's normal and natural for babies to need help falling asleep and staying asleep. BABIES MUST BE PARENTED TO SLEEP, not simply put down to sleep. It's ok to nurse to sleep, or use a bottle to get baby to sleep, or need a paci or need to be rocked to sleep. It's also ok to rock baby to sleep or bring baby in bed with you. You'll find what works for you and your family so that everyone gets rest, just don't beat yourself up if your baby still wakes often or needs help getting back to sleep. Here are some links with good reading.

Newborn Babies and Sleep
http://www.kellymom.com/pantley/pantley03.html

Sleeping Thru The Night
http://www.kellymom.com/parenting/sleep/sleep.html

8 Infant Sleep Facts Every Parent Should Know
http://askdrsears.com/html/7/T070200.asp

31 Ways to Get Your Baby to go to Sleep and Stay Asleep
http://askdrsears.com/html/7/T070300.asp

Co-Sleeping: Yes, No, Sometimes?
http://askdrsears.com/html/7/T071000.asp

Sleep Problems: Answered!
http://askdrsears.com/html/7/T071100.asp

Studies on Normal Infant Sleep
http://www.kellymom.com/parenting/sleep/sleepstudies.html

Here are some books I found helpful:
"Good Nights" by Jay Gordon
"The No Cry Sleep Solution" by Elizabeth Pantley

Beware of books that suggest rigid schedules and cry-it-out techiniques. "Secrets of the Baby Whisper" is one that's a little iffy but the worst ones ever written is any of the "Babywise" series by Gary Ezzo. That man is nuts!

Also, your baby is waaaay to young for cereal and it should never be put in a bottle. That poses a choking hazard.
That's outdated (and dangerous) advice. Plus, this whole solids-before-bedtime-equals-better-sleep theory is just that. A theory. I know it never worked for my baby. Here's a link on why that advice is no longer a good, or healthy, idea:
http://www.kellymom.com/nutrition/solids/solids-sleep.html

Oh, yeah,I forgot about swaddling. It worked great for us! Especially in his early weeks. Once he got extra wiggly, he didn't like it. Remember how those nurses swaddled baby in the hospital? They knew what they were doing! You can buy swaddle blankets with velco that are easy to use so you don't have to know any nursing secrets!

Best wishes and good luck to you! I know it may feel like these sleepless days will last forever but I promise you they are really like the blink of an eye. This time when they are so small and so needy is such a small amount of time in your lives together.

M.,
There are 2 month old babies that sleep through the night.
Both of my daughters now 27 months and 5 months, slept through the night, 10-12 hours, at 2 months. I didn't give either of them cereal in their bottles. I just worked on a routine every evening at about the same time each night.....bath, bottle,bed. I was told that babies don't need to be bathed every day, but after their cords were healed I gave them a bath every night and put lotion on them which relaxed them. Good luck to you and enjoy every moment of motherhood!

My daughter use to get up every two hours. I was told to put cereal in her bottle and it worked like a charm

some of my family put a little cereal in their bedtime bottle...ask your dr if she's still too young for that. :)

Hey M.!! Well you probably will get a lot of opinions on this subject. I will tell you what I did with my son and it worked. I put just a little cereal in his last bottle before bedtime. It made a huge difference in his sleeping. At 10 weeks he was sleeping from 11 to about 6 which was great for me because I was getting up about that time anyways. i wish you the best of luck with your little baby.

If she is still not sleeping well, I highly recommend the Miracle Blanket. You can read about it on thier website. You can buy them on line or in some specialty stores. I bought mine at the Nursing Station near Norton Suburban Hospital. It is a little expensive for a blanket but worth every penny. Helps my 2 month old to sleep for "relativly" long periods (maybe 7-8 hours) and also helps to calm him immediatly when he is crying. E-bay has some for cheaper if you don't mind used.

DON'T PUT CEREAL IN THE BOTTLE!!!!!

With my daughter I started her on a regular eating routine at about 2 weeks old. She would eat about every 2 1/2 hours, be awake afterwards and then nap before her next feeding (this meant waking her sometimes during the day). She naturally started sleeping longer stretches at night, and by 6 weeks she'd sleep 6 or 7 hours at night. Now she's 9 months old and sleeps 10 - 11 hours at night (she's still breastfed).

The book "Babywise" was very helpful for me. It's somewhat controversial because it involves letting the baby cry and learn to soothe herself to sleep. But it really helps the baby learn to establish good sleep habits. I learned how to distinguish when she had a fussy, sleepy cry and when she had a more urgent cry and needed to be fed or cuddled (I wasn't super-rigid with the Babywise routine). Now she loves naptime and bedtime and goes to sleep on her own. Working hard to establish a regular routine in the first few months really pays off in the long-run.

Doctors say NOT to put cereal in baby's bottle, and she shouldn't start cereal until 4 months at the earliest (she doesn't need it to sleep!) Don't give your child catnip tea or anything like that without asking her doctor.

I am sorry to have to tell you, but at 2 months or 2 years old it is very hard to get a good night sleep. All children are different. Some sleep all night while others are up. All I can tell you is try to limit naps during the day and not to let her sleep any later then 3-4 pm.. Try to put her down at around 8pm then maybe she will sleep. I know it is hard especially when you get no sleep at all... I should know I am running on no sleep for the last 16months.
Good Luck.

Try mixing some cereal in her formula with the last bottle of the night. That worked very well for my granddaughter. She didn't sleep all night every night but mostly 5-6 hours each night. She is now 8 months old and has been sleeping all night since she was about 4 months old.

Whatever you do... please do not give your 2 month old cereal! She only needs breastmilk or formula right now. Her digestive system is NOT ready for anything else... ask your pediatritian. Everyone else is right... good luck on getting your infant to sleep through the night, as she will need to eat every few hours still. Enjoy the bonding while you can. Nap when she naps if you need more sleep and just be patient...time flies by and they change so quickly.

Hi M.,

As the other mom's mentioned your daughter probably isn't ready to sleep through the night. Most 2 month olds aren't. My daughter was the worst. She had her days and nights mixed up for months! We slept together during the day, and stayed awake all night. She will figure it out on her own. Try not to stress yourself out over it. My doctor recommended taking her out during the day in the sunlight as much as possible, and waking her during the day for her feedings so that she wasnt napping all day and would be more apt to sleep at night. I am not sure if this is what helped or if it was just coincidence that she started doing it on her own. Also, you didn't mention if you are nursing. If you are, most breastfed babies will wake throughout the night for feedings. Just life honey, enjoy it while you can! My daughter is 3 now, and you may think I am crazy, but there are some nights when I want her to get up so we can cuddle! haha.. trust me, it will happen. Good Luck, and congrats on your new baby girl :)

I would suggest that you find other ways to get yourself some sleep so you don't have to worry as much about how long your baby girl sleeps, since obviously many MANY babies don't yet have the ability to sleep through the night at 2 months. Can you get a babysitter so you can sleep on Saturday afternoon or something? Do you have any family that could come help you out for a short while? Can you let anything else in your life slide, like put off some chores you might do while she's sleeping and just go to bed early yourself?

I know sleep troubles seem like the end of the world but I promise that this too shall pass with time and luckily it all ends up being sort of a blur. I don't mean the great parts with your girl, I mean the parts where you're so tired you can't see straight. Anyway, good luck and get some help! Take care~

M.,
My four children did not sleep through the night until they were a year old. My oldest child did not sleep through the night until he was two years old. He was hungry in the middle of the night. Most babies need to be nursed or need a bottle every 3 hours. Their little stomachs are so small that they digest the milk quickly and are hungry again after 3 hours. What helped me was go to bed earlier myself so that I wasn't so exhausted the next day from being up in the middle of the night nursing a baby.
S.

None of my babies (4) slept all night before 3 months (and some much later. You just keep them awake as much as you can during the day, and let them sleep as long as you can at night. Their little tummies can't hold much, and it (stomach) has to grow before it'll hold enough to keep them from getting hungry for longer periods. Sleeping time gradually lengthens as this happens.

As for cereal in a bottle . . . Well, I did it (in the '1970's and '80's before we knew NOT to.) If you decide to try cereal, I'd at least suggest that you give it to her on a spoon instead of in a bottle, AND only give rice to start with (less likely to cause allergy). When introducing new foods, only add ONE per WEEK so that you can tell if there's any reaction to that particular food. (I wish I'd known this in 1979/80 with our son who did exhibit some type of food allergy symptoms).

M.,
Hi. Hope you are doing better by now with the baby sleeping, but the only advice I have is WHATEVER YOU DO DON'T LET HER COME TO BED WITH YOU! I made that mistake with my oldest,she is five and we are struggling to get her to sleep in her own bed now. Her sister went to the crib as soon as she was born, and she has a hard time sleeping anywhere but her own bed. Maddie (the youngest) was premature, but even so, she was sleeping through the night by 6 weeks. Kenzie (the oldest) still doesn't sleep through the night. Each child is different, and we as parents just have to be patient and love each child unconditionally. Be patient and she will get there. Hope this helps a little.
D.

P.S. I was suggested with both of my girls to do cereal in the bottle. I did not because there is a history of obesity in my family, and I didn't want to allow them to get "fat" at such a young age. I am against putting cereal in the bottle because I don't think it does much good. Not to mention I work in the medical field and the doctors, nurses, and ARNP's that I talked to when the girls were that young ALL advised me not to do that because the younger she is when you start feeidng her solid foods the more likely she is to start food allergies. I even developed an allergy to honey nut cheerios when I was pregnant with Maddie. When she was 15 months old, I gave her some not thinking about it and she had a reaction to it. That is just one example of what can happen. I now have to carry an epipen jr everywhere we go and let me tell you first hand, you don't want to have to use one. It is just as scarry for the parent as it is for the baby. I havnen't had to use one because I am very careful of what I give my girls, but just keep that in mind.

not gonna happen....they need to wake and eat. Just sleep when she does to catch up on your sleep.

2 months may be a little young to sleep all night long. I am not sure she can go all night without eating at that age but at 3 or 4 months old, she should be able to. You just have to put her in there and when she cries in the middle of the night, go and comfort her, make sure she doesn't have poopey diapers and nothing is hurting her but her feelings. Then advance onto not acknowledging that she is crying. You can go in and check on her but don't say a word. Pretty soon she will realize that it is night time and she will get into the habit and sleep all night.

Sorry to break it to you, but a 2 month old doesn't usually sleep through the night. If you are not nursing, adding cereal to the formula at this age is never a good idea. As a mom whos boys never slept through the night until they were 6-8 months old-I recommend you get a dad around to help out. Its hard enough to do hard with a partner, but 4x's harder without one.
I don't mean to sound harsh, but this is reality.

Seriously, most 2 month olds do not sleep through the night . . . my daughter did not start sleeping through the night consistently until she was almost 18 months old . . . st 2 months old she probably still needs to feed at night - some babies are better sleepers than others, but the best thing to do is to go to bed early and be ready to get up with her once or twice in the night - that way you are getting some sleep and she is getting the comfort/food she needs . . .

I have seen many of the same questions asked by many mothers. I am the mother of two - now 28 and 30. Neither of my children slept through the night. Nothing is wrong and you are doing nothing wrong. Each individual has it's own sleeping habits. When you have a baby you are not necessarily getting a schedule you want. You are the adult and you may have to adjust some to the baby's schedule. My children continue to be night owls at their adult age. Sometimes you just have to play with the hand your dealt. You cannot make someone sleep on your schedule.

Read "Babywise". That is your best bet to put her on schedule to prep her for sleeping through the night. My son has always been a great sleeper, but 2mos is asking alot. They still need to eat, she is not big enough to last through the night yet. I think a good goal would be at least 10 to 12 weeks. good luck, they grow so fast, just try to enjoy it.

Sorry no advice here, ours did not sleep through the night till after they were 12 -16 months. I know some babies just do it by themselves. You can try suggestions,but if that does not work do not stress out,sleepless night is just one of the joys of parenthood(our 3 year old was up 3 times last night I felt like we had a newborn again :))

We read and followed the "Baby Wise" method. Both of our boys were sleeping through the night at around 7 weeks old. Then around 10 weeks they were taking two naps a day, as well. It's all about getting them on a schedule. Once they are rooted in those habits, if they ever have to deviate from that schedule, they are easily able to fall right back into it. It worked for us.
Good luck.

At 2 months, you can't really expect "all night". They aren't neurologically developed to that point, and probably do still need to eat more frequently. You can expect some longer stretches (6 hrs or so) at night, but not the 10 hours you'd like :) I highly recommend "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Marc Weissbluth...very good information in my opinion on how children sleep @ different stages and how to help train them to be good sleepers. And how important sleep is for all of us! Part of it reads a little too much like a medical journal (talking about some of the studies he's done), but it's my standard baby shower gift I found it so helpful. I also read "Secrets of the Baby Whisperer" and also used some tips from that book with my second, now 4 (who is a great sleeper). I found "Babywise" to be too harsh, but know people who've had success with it. Hope you find that helpful! It's all temporary at this point. You will sleep again...Try to enlist some help from a friend/parent if you can. I can't imagine doing it alone...My heart goes out to you.

PS no way in the world would I (a pharmacist) give an infant catnip tea...

OK... if you ask the Docs they will usually say no not yet. But I put a little cereal in my 3 childrens bottle at the night time feeding by this age. They are hungry and that is why they are not sleeping. I am a 41 yr old mother of a 19 yr old, 11 yr old, 8 yr old and two God-children 6 yrs old and 3 yrs old. It didn't hurt any of them and I got a good nights rest finally. Hope this helps.

A.

Hi M.,

I'm in agreement with the majority of moms that your baby girl simply isn't ready to sleep through the night. I know it isn't easy for moms- but fortunately it is just a few months in the grand scheme of things. I also believe that some of the things people do to try to get their babies to sleep through the night are NOT good for the babies. Listen to your little girl. And, try to get to bed a little earlier.

M., I cannot tell you that there are any quick fixes. I nursed my son until he was 13mos and he did not start sleeping through the night until after I quit nursing him. All babies are different. Be patient.

do not put cereal in her bottle. babies this age need to eat often, so that they can get all of their calories. if you put cereal in her bottle, she may sleep through a feeding, missing many very important calories. babies this age just do not sleep through the night. take a deep breath and enjoy the quiet time you have with her now. my son is 13 months, and has been sleeping through the night since 8 months or so. the other night a new tooth woke him at 1am, and i rocked with him for about 20 min, and then put him back to sleep. it was wonderful to have that time with him, and i realized how eager we all are to loose those precious moments. enjoy him and know that soon enough, you will miss this.

Good luck getting a two month old to sleep through the night. I don't see why you'd want her to right now seeing as how she needs to eat every two to three hours. I would rather get up during the night knowing she's getting what she needs. I wouldn't try the cereal in the bottle. That is very dangerous. She could get choked. She's not going to sleep through the night for a few more months, my pediatrician says they need to be 12 pounds before they usually sleep all night. At two months my kids took lots of naps, maybe you should nap when she does so you'll get some sleep.

M., have you tried infant massage?
There are some wonderful sites that will show you what to do. I will send you some if you like. I am a massage therapy student and have even used the techniques on my grandson and they work wonderfully.
sincerely F.
http://www.infantmassageusa.org/

2 months is very young to "sleep through the night", technically sleeping through the night is defined as 4-5 hours. My best suggestion is first either read or check out of the library the book The No Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley. Awesome book and the only one I found that makes the most sense and helps you cope with your particular child and getting her to sleep. My daughter was a nightmare getting her to go to sleep and stay asleep, however, she was our first, so we didn't know much better, but after reading the book again before my son was born, he was a breeze! My best suggestion is to keep a steady routine every night, 8-10 weeks is the perfect time to start a more consistent nighttime routine, getting yourself and your daughter to go to sleep on her own!! Key thing - getting her to fall asleep with out you or a bottle.

Our nighttime routine is as follows: depending on when they wake up from their afternoon nap, I usually wake 3-4 hours, but since she is 2 months, you might just have to watch and sense when she is tired and go from there. My kids are 11 months and 2 years, so we have a bigger gap between naps and bedtime. But anyway, we go upstairs for baths at about 7:30/8 depending on our day and when they wake up. In the beginning, I would put my daughter who is older in the tub, while I had my son in the infant tub up on the sink. When he was done, I would get him wrapped up and lay him on the floor next to me while I bathed our daughter, then off we would go to the room and dry off, put lotion on, and pjs. In the beginning I would nurse him at this point, but I slowly got him "weaned" of this idea and would get him to go to sleep either drowsy or wide awake. Then I would read books to my daughter. It took a while, and my son would wake up periodically throughout the night, but by 4 1/2 - 5 months he was sleeping in 10-12 hour stretches. You'll still have to either nurse or give formula.

Consistency is key and staying true to what your routine is what is important here for both of you to be happy. You make your routine comfortable for both of you, what works for us may not work for you. Good luck and if you need more help, you can email me through Mamasource.

Good luck!

P.S. just read a few of the other responses, don't give cereal!!!!!!! Way to young, and not necessary, it will only disturbed her digestive system and cause more problems later on. And even if you did, DON'T give it in a bottle!! The AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) highly goes against.

A.

Good luck on that one sister. I am still praying that my 9.5 month old will get to the point where he can sleep 8 hours straihjt0 from 8pm until 4am without waking up in-between.

.

M.,
That isn't going to happen for a while and you will just frustrate yourself trying things that just won't work. 2 mos is way too young to expect her to sleep through the night. I think my son was about 5 mos when he finally slept through the night. Right now, your baby is going to have to eat at least a couple of times a night for a while. It does get better, though. Hang in there...

i think you just need to be patient. don't put cereal in the bottle- my girlfriend started doing that and her son did sleep longer, but now (16mos) he's overweight, having to diet, and they're afraid he may have developed an allergy to cereal bc he was introduced too young. it's too much to risk for a little bit of rest, that will come in due time. believe me, i was crazy the first few months, but this too shall pass. good luck!

M.,

I agree with a lot of the other responses here, it is very early for your two month old to be sleeping thru the night. There are some exceptional children out there that probably do, but my son did not sleep thru the night until he was 14 months old. That being said, he was probably a exception too. A 2 month old still needs nutrients, love, bonding, etc. Try to get in as many "cat naps" during the day and be patient. I know it is hard but your little girl needs you.

Love her, be patient. God Bless.

Your baby might be able to do this, but every baby is different. The Baby Whisperer is an excellent book that can help you put her on a schedule so she will sleep for as long a stretch as possible. My boys both slept through the night by 12 weeks. Are you nursing or bottle feeding, because I think this makes a big difference. I wasn't able to nurse so mine were bottle babies. My sister, nursed both of here girls and she had a lot of problems getting them to sleep through the night. She always thought it was the difference in their diet.

I never put any cereal in the bottles either. Good luck with this, I understand your need for uninterrupted sleep. Sometimes being a mom is so challenging, thank god it's also very rewarding :)

A.

It really isn't advisable for your two month old to sleep all night. It may affect her weight gain. She should still be eating every 3 hours for at least another month.

You are very ambitious in expecting a two month old to sleep all night! At that age babies need frequent feedings, which is why they wake up a few times a night. Many people's babies don't sleep through the night for the first year! I was very lucky with our daughter: she slept through the night from about 4 months old, but that's very unusual.

If your baby is waking more than 4 times a night there could be many things going on: if you are breastfeeding she may need to nurse longer each time to get enough milk; if you are using formula, again, maybe she needs more. Or, if you are breastfeeding only, you could try giving her formula before she goes to bed and then for her night feedings: formula tends to keep babies fuller longer because it is a little harder to digest than breast milk.

Also, when does she go to bed? If you put her to bed early, like at 6:30 p.m., then of course she will wake up for feedings before morning. Each baby has his/her own sleeping needs, so you could experiment with gradual changes in when she beds down or rises.

Whatever the case, it is a rare infant of two months who can sleep through the night! There's a reason for the stereotype of the sleep deprived parent.

Honestly I have no advice on getting a baby to sleep thru the night. Both of my boys have never slept thru the night by themselves. In fact, my 3 year old still doesn't. He wakes up in the middle of the night and comes and gets into bed with me. My 7.5 month old sleeps with me all night b/c he wakes up and it's just easier to feed him in bed and I dont really have to wake up at all.......On the other hand I have friends whose babies have slept thru the night since they started on solid foods. I think your baby is too young but once she is 5-5.5 months you may want to try some cereal before bed in order to keep her stomach full. In the mean time try co-sleeping for a few nights and maybe you'll at least get a little more sleep than before....GL

Get a copy of Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth. It's great at explaining children's sleep patterns and needs, what to expect at each age, and ideas on how to handle sleep issues at every stage--from birth to adolescence. I read it when my first son was five months old, but I wish I had read it before he was born! Following the book from the beginning made such a difference with my second child.

Swaddling...Go to your nearest baby store and buy a swaddling blanket. You can use a regular blanket, but the swaddling blankets seem much more secure. We swaddled our daughter from the time she was born, and she has slept in her own bed the entire time. The nurses at the hospital are pros at getting a regular blanket tight, we weren't that good. The blankets come in different sizes (s,m,l, I think). We had one or two for all the different stages. Hope it works! Good Luck!

The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems by Tracey Hogg. Read it! Its wonderful! It's cheaper on Amazon.com!

ve her another mo. I also think there are some good books out there.

gIVE HER A LITTLE CEREAL IN HER FORMULA A HOUR BEFORE HER BEDTIME.SHE WILL SLEEP LIKE A BABY.TRY THIS BEFORE DAY NAP ALSO, IF SHE HAS GAS, YOU MAY HAVE TO GIVE GAS DROPS, TILL SHE USE TO IT.GRAND-MAMA