Sleeping Through The Night, Maybe?

We have a breakthrough in sleeping! Well, an inconsistent breakthrough at least! William was waking up at the same time each night to eat (somewhere between 2:30-3:30am). I experimented with just rocking him back to sleep to see if it was habit or hunger that was waking him up. Each time, he was going back to sleep and waking again in the 6am hour. Also, William is 3.5 months and weighs over 12 pounds (research supports that he can make it through the night without eating). With this information, I implemented Operation Sleep Through The Night with our angel. He was not such a fan at first, I'll let you know.

I tried it on a night that Bret wasn't home (he's a big softie and gives into the night cries easier than I do). I fed Will at his normal time and put him down to sleep by 8:15pm. I also added in a dreamfeed at 10:40pm to refill his belly and help him last the whole night. The idea behind the dreamfeed is to not wake them, but let them eat while they are still sleeping (the suckling reflex helps this process). His first stretch of sleep had typically been to that 2:30/3:00am time. But, that night, instead of going into his room and nursing, I let him cry. And oh man, did that little guy cry! But he went back to sleep and made it until the morning. I was a wreck and checking the monitor to be sure he was actually sleeping, but Will got his rest! It took a few nights for this to become his new habit and I'm not completely sure he's bought into the fact that he doesn't need to wake up throughout the night, but we are working on it!

His naps are getting better as well. The first nap of the day is always the best, which doesn't make sense to me. He just woke up from a long sleep overnight, so you wouldn't think the first nap would be the best of the day, but who am I to mess with what works?? I would like for him to have three (at least) 1.5hour naps a day. He loves to wake after 45minutes (when his sleep cycle ends and the next is hard to connect), but that is getting better as well. Even as I write, he has been sleeping for almost an hour and 45 minutes. He did wake and cry out once, but went right back to sleep. 

Our little guy is growing up!!

These are all of the little guy sleeping on us, but I'm not messing with is overnight sleep enough to take a picture of him then! ;)