Q & A: My 11 week old wakes every few hours

Hi Rosemary,

My 11 week old Nathan does not yet sleep through the night. He was getting better, waking up ever 4 hours after being put to bed at 9 to 930. For a couple of weeks now his wake times have changed to waking up after 5 hours of being put into bed between 830 and 930 after which he gets up at 3 hours and than 2. I’m not sure what happened.

Please help!
Jessica
 
 
Hi Jessica,
Generally, it’s very hard to predict anything when it comes to an infant’s behaviour. Nathan’s sleep habits this week may be totally different than next week. As he gets older you will see more patterns, but for now, there will be changes all the time. Having said that, at around 4 months of age,you can set up a schedule that you can try your best to stick to it, making sure that you keep Nathan’s best interest in mind. My website offers some guidelines regarding feeding and sleeping in the “Resources” section, if you would like some direction. As far as nap time, follow a routine, just like you would do before putting him down at night. Try putting him down awake and stay nearby to help him fall asleep, but without picking him up. Gradually, he will develop the skill of falling asleep on his own. Hope this is helpful!