It's important to realize that it's common and normal for babies to wake up frequently during the night. According to Katherine Dettwyler, an Associate Professor of Anthropology and Nutrition who does research on infant/child feeding beliefs and practices, normal and healthy breastfed children should not be expected to sleep for 7-9 hours at a time until they are 3-4 years old and no longer need night time feedings.

She explains that a variety of factors lead to the conclusion that human children are designed to nurse very frequently: the small size of the child's stomach, the speed with which breast milk is digested, the need for a nearly constant nutrient source to grow the large brain. She adds that human children are also designed to sleep with their parents and to nurse during the night when ever they need nourishment or comfort. (According to the La Leche League, breastfed babies need to nurse at least 8-12 dimes a day, every 2-3 hours.)

So how do you deal with a baby or young child who wakes up during the night? Bring him to bed with you. You can nurse him back to sleep and nurse him throughout the night if he wakes up again. Neither you nor your baby will need to fully wake up and you'll both get a better night's sleep.

If you prefer not to have your child in bed with you, have him nearby and not in a separate room, so you can get to him more quickly.

A few additional tips:

*Giving a very small baby cereal will not help her sleep longer at night. Her digestive system isn't ready for solid foods until she's around six months old and if you give her solids too early it may upset her stomach.

*Get your own rest by taking naps when your baby naps, and by laying down while nursing.

*Two good books to read are Nighttime Parenting by William Sears, MD, and The Family Bed by Tine Thevenin

Sources:

How do I get my baby to sleep through the night?
http://www.parentsoup.com/experts/leche/Esept09.html

FAQ on Sleeping through the Night
http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/FAQsleep.html

Sleeping through the Night by Katherine Dettwyler, PhD
http://www.prairienet.org/community/health/laleche/detsleepthrough.html

Copyright 2000 by Donna Zelzer, all rights reserved.
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