[Cartesia]

OK, so when my LO sleeps those early morning hours attached to my nipple and gently sucking, is he actually getting decent sleep that way??

At 4.5 months he is starting to settle into a nap routine but his tired signs are VERY subtle and hard to catch. He sometimes goes wide awake to over-tired in like 2 minutes. What I do know is that he usually needs to nap about 1 1/2 hours after he wakes up in the morning. However, his morning wake-up usually involves a 30-60 minute chunk of time sleep-nursing before he is really awake, so I'm not sure what to call "awake".

Can babies sleep deeply while nursing? Or is it only ever light sleep?

 

[Honey693]

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[D'sMama]

bumping - I'm curious about this too!

 

[filiadeluna]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crystal_R :

ditto

 

[XyMama]

My babe was latched and nursing for pretty much the entire first year of his life (I am not exaggerating...he nursed through every nap and all night long!) and he has always been well-rested. I don't count it as awake unless he has his eyes open.

 

[MLA]

Babies have a very different sleep cycle than we do. Most of their sleep is "light" sleep. So while nursing they may not be in a "deep" sleep, but they don't need much of that. I count DS's morning waking from when he actually opens his eyes and starts making sounds and moving around -- when it's clear he's REALLY awake.

 

[Say]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MLA Babies have a very different sleep cycle than we do. Most of their sleep is "light" sleep. So while nursing they may not be in a "deep" sleep, but they don't need much of that. I count DS's morning waking from when he actually opens his eyes and starts making sounds and moving around -- when it's clear he's REALLY awake.

Same here. Mine nurses with her eyes closed when she wakes up during the night, then eventually lets out a little sigh and unlatches, back to deeper sleep.

 

[Cujobunny]

Here's my opinion -

In those wee early hours are you awake, out of bed, making breakfast, starting your day? Are you trying to somehow soothe a crying baby back to sleep?

Or are you laying in bed with your baby, resting, maybe sleeping yourself?

Then what does it matter, really?

 

[pantrygirl]

My baby is 9 months old and she prefers a nap 3-4 hours after she wakes up in the AM.

She nurses through most of the night and I consider it sleeping so long as her eyes are closed. Eventually she delatches herself and then does the cat splay send my husband and I to the edges of the bed. Sometimes I wonder if the all night nursing helps me get a better nights rest over the dodging of limbs flailing about.

 

[ewe+lamb]

I'd like to recommend Nighttime Parenting by dr Sears to you, there is a section about sleep cycles - it's very interesting how when the bfing baby sleeps the mother and baby are in sync with each other and follow each other's sleep pattern. You could also look up Dr james McKenna and read his website - a wonderful informative website. I tend to agree with cujobunny with this one. I also wanted to add my dd who was not a good sleeper nursed like this for the first 18 months during the whole night and naps if she napped at all! - I just learned to sleep with her and all was well.

 

[mamarootoo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ewe+lamb I'd like to recommend Nighttime Parenting by dr Sears to you, there is a section about sleep cycles - it's very interesting how when the bfing baby sleeps the mother and baby are in sync with each other and follow each other's sleep pattern. You could also look up Dr james McKenna and read his website - a wonderful informative website. I tend to agree with cujobunny with this one. I also wanted to add my dd who was not a good sleeper nursed like this for the first 18 months during the whole night and naps if she napped at all! - I just learned to sleep with her and all was well.

:

i bolded the book part, because it's sooooo good to know what's "normal" for babies!