Getting baby to sleep through the night feels like climbing Mount Everest in those early days. I’ve been there – twice. As a mom of two girls (currently 3 years and 4 months), I want to share how we managed to get both our daughters sleeping through the night by 10 weeks old. And yes, you read that right – both of them!
Before we dive in, let’s get something important out of the way: every baby is different, and what worked for our family might not work for yours. This post shares our personal experience, including the strategies, products, and routines that helped us succeed. Always consult with your pediatrician before making any changes to your baby’s sleep schedule – they know your little one’s specific needs best.
When our first daughter was born, we were like every other new parent – bleary-eyed, coffee-dependent, and desperately searching for ways to help our tiny human (and ourselves) get more sleep. Through trial and error, research, and working closely with our pediatrician, we developed a gentle approach that worked wonderfully for both our girls. When our second daughter arrived, we refined these methods even further.
I’m not here to promise you a miracle solution or guarantee that following our approach will have your baby sleeping 12 hours straight by week 10. Instead, I want to share what worked for us, the challenges we faced, and the lessons we learned along the way. Consider this a friendly chat over coffee about our journey to better sleep.
Grab a cup and let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
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Please note, the pictures taken throughout are random moments of my daughters sleeping throughout the day in various, monitored positions. We always follow safe sleep guidelines when putting our little ones down for sleep at night.
Our Sleep Success Journey
What “Sleeping Through the Night” Meant for Us
The journey to getting our girls to sleep through the night wasn’t an overnight success story (pun intended!). First, let me clarify what “sleeping through the night” meant for us – a solid 7-8 hour stretch during nighttime hours. With both girls, we started seeing this around the 10-week mark, though the path there looked a little different for each of them.
Finding Our Direction
When we were expecting our first daughter, like most parents, I spent countless hours reading about sleep training, routines, and everything in between. But what really changed the game for us was discovering the Moms on Call schedule. This became our foundation for establishing healthy sleep habits with both girls.
Our First Daughter’s Experience
With our first daughter, everything was new territory. We were learning her cues, figuring out feeding patterns, and trying to establish some semblance of a routine – all while navigating the fog of new parenthood. The key factors that made the biggest difference were:
- Consistency with our routine
- Making sure she got enough during the day
- Creating the right sleep environment
Second Time Around
When our second daughter arrived, we felt more confident in our approach. We knew what worked with her big sister, but we also knew we needed to be flexible. We started implementing gentle routines from day one, always keeping in mind that every baby is unique. Surprisingly (and thankfully!), she took to the routine even faster than her sister did.
The Reality Check
One of the biggest lessons we learned was that success doesn’t mean perfection. There were nights when everything went according to plan, and nights when nothing did. The key was sticking to our core principles while being flexible enough to adapt when needed.
The Foundation: Our Core Sleep Routine
Starting with Moms on Call
The backbone of our sleep success was following the Moms on Call schedule. Now, I know what you’re thinking – how can you possibly get a newborn on a schedule? The truth is, in those early days, especially in the hospital and first weeks at home, it’s not about rigid scheduling. Instead, it’s about having a framework to guide you through your day.
Early Days: Working with Reality
Those first few weeks are a beautiful blur of feeding, changing, and snuggling your new little one. During this time, we focused on establishing a simple pattern rather than a strict schedule. Every two and a half hours, we followed the same basic sequence:
- Wake from nap (sometimes this meant gently rousing a sleepy baby)
- Diaper change
- Feeding time
- Brief awake time/tummy time
- Back to sleep
This wasn’t always perfect – sometimes our girls had other plans! But having this pattern in mind helped us maintain some consistency, even when things went off track.
Building the Routine
As our girls grew and could take in more during feedings, we gradually transitioned to a three-hour schedule. This meant longer wake windows with more playtime, which naturally led to better sleep. The predictability of the routine helped our girls know what to expect, and honestly, it helped us too. When you’re sleep-deprived, having a routine to fall back on is like having a compass pointing you in the right direction.
The Power of Predictability
One of the most surprising things we learned was how much babies thrive on knowing what comes next. Even though they’re tiny, they start to recognize patterns. When we consistently followed our routine, our girls began to naturally flow with it. They knew that after a feeding and some playtime, sleep was coming next. This predictability helped them feel secure and made transitions smoother.
Products That Made a Difference
The Game-Changing Sound Machine
Let me tell you about the MVP of our sleep routine – the sound machine. This wasn’t just helpful; it was absolutely crucial to our success. Think of it as a sleep cue and protective bubble all in one. The consistent white noise not only helped drown out the everyday sounds of our home (because life doesn’t stop when baby sleeps!) but also became a powerful sleep association for our girls. When that sound machine clicked on, they knew it was time to rest.
Keeping an Eye (and Ear) on Things
Another essential tool in our sleep success kit was our non-WiFi video monitor with dual cameras. Being able to see both girls without entering their rooms was a game-changer. We could check if a nighttime noise was just normal baby sleep sounds or if they actually needed us. This helped us avoid unnecessarily disrupting their sleep and helped us learn their natural sleep patterns.
The Sleep Sack Evolution
Our sleep sack journey started with the Ollie swaddle and eventually transitioned to the Dreamland weighted sleep sack. Both products played crucial roles at different stages. The Ollie gave our newborns that snug, womb-like feeling they craved, while the weighted sleep sack provided just enough comfort to help them feel secure as they grew.
Peace of Mind with the Owlet
I’ll be honest – as a new mom, my anxiety about nighttime sleep was real. The Owlet Dream Sock was a personal sanity-saver for us. Here’s my advice: if you’re going to use it, commit to not obsessing over the numbers. For us, it was simply a reassurance tool that let us sleep more soundly knowing we’d be alerted if something was truly wrong.
Safety First, Always
This feels like the perfect time to re-emphasize the importance of sleep safety. We followed all nighttime safe sleep guidelines religiously: nothing in the crib except our baby in their sleep sack – no blankets, no toys, no bumpers. Having these safety measures in place gave us the confidence to focus on establishing our routine without worry.
Key Strategies That Worked for Us
Tag-Team Parenting
Let’s talk about one of our biggest success factors – working as a team with my husband. We quickly learned that taking shifts was crucial for everyone’s sanity. Even after my husband went back to work, we maintained a modified version of this system. I know what you’re thinking – how does that work? For us, it meant I handled the evening shift while he got some solid sleep, then he’d take the early morning wake-up so I could get a few uninterrupted hours. This strategy meant at least one of us was always relatively well-rested and better equipped to handle the day.
Mastering Daytime Feedings
Our pediatrician gave us one of the most valuable pieces of advice: focus on getting enough calories during the day. This was a total lightbulb moment. We made sure our girls were getting full feeds during daylight hours, which naturally led to less need for nighttime feedings. Think about it – if baby gets most of their calories during the day, they’re less likely to wake up hungry at night.
Learning Our Babies’ Language
Over time, we became fluent in baby cues. You know that fussy noise in the middle of the night that makes you jump up immediately? We learned (with guidance from our pediatrician) that sometimes our girls were just transitioning between sleep cycles and could actually settle themselves back down. The hardest part? Giving them the chance to do so. We’d wait a few minutes before responding, and often they’d drift right back to sleep on their own.
The Green Light Moment
An absolutely crucial point: we didn’t start any of this until we got the okay from our pediatrician. For both girls, this meant waiting until they were back at their birth weight and getting the green light at their check-up. Having this medical confirmation gave us the confidence to proceed with our routine-building efforts.
Setting Ourselves Up for Success
We learned to prepare for the night ahead during the day. This meant:
- Having everything ready for nighttime feeds
- Keeping the nursery at the right temperature
- Making sure our sound machine was set
- Having clean sleep sacks ready to go
This preparation meant nighttime wake-ups were as streamlined as possible – no fumbling around in the dark looking for essentials!
Common Challenges and Solutions
Hospital Days: The First Test
The hospital schedule is its own unique challenge. Between vital checks, feeding logs, and visitors (not to mention recovering from birth!), following any kind of routine feels impossible. Instead of stressing about a perfect schedule, we focused on the basic pattern of feed-wake-sleep. This gave us a foundation to build on once we got home, without the pressure of strict timing.
Finding Our Rhythm at Home
Those first days at home were a mix of excitement and “what now?” moments. While we had our Moms on Call schedule as a guide, we had to find ways to make it work for our family. At first, we actually set gentle alarms to wake us up and keep our feeding schedule consistent – yes, we were waking up our babies! But this helped establish a predictable pattern that eventually led to those longer stretches of sleep we were aiming for.
The Partner Back-to-Work Transition
When my husband went back to work, we had to rejig our approach. This was honestly one of our bigger challenges. We shifted from equal night duties to a more strategic system. I’d handle the “first shift” until about 2 AM, allowing him to get solid sleep for work. Then he’d take over for any early morning wake-ups before heading to the office. Was it perfect? No. But it kept us both functioning, and that’s what mattered.
Navigating Night Wakings
Here’s something we learned the hard way: not every nighttime noise needs a response. Sometimes our girls would make what we called “sleep sounds” – little grunts or whimpers that sounded urgent to our new-parent ears but were actually just normal sleep transitions. Learning to distinguish between these sounds and genuine “I need you” cries took time, but it was so worth it.
Schedule Growing Pains
As our girls grew, their schedules naturally needed to evolve. Moving from two-and-a-half-hour to three-hour feeding intervals was a transition. We learned to watch for their cues rather than sticking rigidly to the clock. Some days they needed more frequent feedings (hello, growth spurts!), and other days they naturally stretched longer between feeds.
The key through all these challenges? Flexibility within our framework. Having a routine gave us direction, but being able to adapt that routine kept us sane.
Tips for Success
Safety as Our North Star
I can’t stress this enough – knowing we were following safe sleep guidelines gave us the confidence to work on our sleep routine. A firm mattress, nothing in the crib but our baby in their sleep sack, and keeping the room at a comfortable temperature (we aimed for 68-72 degrees) were non-negotiables. This peace of mind was essential for everyone’s sleep quality.
The Power of Consistency (Even When It’s Hard)
Here’s the real talk about consistency – it’s not about being perfect, it’s about being persistent. Some days, especially in those early weeks, just getting through the day felt like an achievement. But trying to maintain our basic routine, even if the timing was off, helped our girls learn what to expect. Think of it like laying breadcrumbs – each consistent day helps lead to better sleep habits.
Making It a Family Affair
Getting both parents on board with the sleep routine was crucial. Even if one person is taking the lead (let’s be honest, often it’s mom in those early days), having your partner understand and support the routine makes a huge difference. We made sure we both knew the schedule, the cues to watch for, and how to handle different situations. This meant either of us could step in confidently when needed.
Taking Care of the Caretakers
You know that airplane safety briefing where they tell you to put on your own oxygen mask first? The same principle applies here. Taking care of ourselves made us better at taking care of our girls. Those sleep shifts I mentioned earlier? They weren’t just about managing nighttime wake-ups – they were about making sure each of us got enough rest to be present and patient during our awake times.
Feeding Success = Sleep Success
We found that successful daytime feeding was directly linked to nighttime sleep. Our pediatrician helped us understand that a well-fed baby is more likely to sleep longer stretches. This meant ensuring full feeds during the day (no snacking if possible), and watching for hunger cues rather than just sticking to a rigid schedule. Remember, hungry babies don’t sleep well, no matter how perfect your routine is!
Important Reminders
Your Baby, Your Journey
Let me be super clear about something: what you’re reading here is our story, our experience with our two girls. Every baby is different, every family situation is unique, and that’s completely okay. Think of this post like a buffet – take what works for you and leave what doesn’t. Some babies naturally sleep longer stretches earlier, others take more time, and both are perfectly normal.
The Trial and Error Reality
Remember when I mentioned we learned from our first daughter? That learning came through plenty of trial and error. Some nights, what worked perfectly the night before suddenly didn’t work at all. That’s normal! The key is to stay flexible while maintaining your core routine. Sometimes you need to adjust and readjust until you find what clicks for your little one.
When to Switch Things Up
Pay attention to your baby’s cues – they’re telling you what they need. For us, some signs that our routine needed tweaking included:
- Consistently fighting naps
- Changes in feeding patterns
- More frequent night wakings
- Early morning wake-ups that became a pattern
What “Success” Really Looks Like
Here’s something I wish someone had told me: success doesn’t always look like a perfect 7 PM to 7 AM sleep schedule. Sometimes it’s a 5 AM wake-up call instead of 7 AM. Sometimes it’s a random middle-of-the-night feeding during a growth spurt or teething phase. Success is about progress, not perfection.
The Bigger Picture
The journey to better sleep is just that – a journey. There will be setbacks and that’s okay. What matters is building a foundation of healthy sleep habits that can weather these temporary disruptions. Remember, you’re not just working on sleep for tonight; you’re helping your little one develop lifelong sleep skills.
Final Thoughts on Our Sleep Journey
Looking back on our experience with both girls, getting them to sleep through the night by 10 weeks wasn’t just about following a specific schedule or using certain products. It was about creating a consistent, loving environment where our babies felt secure enough to sleep soundly.
I remember those early days with our first daughter, feeling overwhelmed and wondering if we’d ever sleep again. Then, with our second, feeling both more confident and also aware that we might need to adapt everything we thought we knew. In both cases, having a flexible framework rather than rigid rules made all the difference.
If you’re in those sleepless early days right now, know that it does get better. Whether it takes 10 weeks or longer, you’ll find your rhythm. Trust your instincts, work with your pediatrician, and remember that every step forward (even the tiny ones) counts.
The most important thing I want you to take away from our story isn’t the specific schedule or products we used – it’s the hope that better sleep is possible. Your path might look different from ours, and that’s perfectly okay. What matters is finding what works for your family and giving yourself grace along the way.
If you’re interested in more tips about navigating life with little ones, check out my post about managing teething or follow along on my blog for more real-talk about motherhood. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned as a girl mom, it’s that we’re all in this together.
Moms on Call Book
Sound Machine
Dual-Camera Baby Monitor
Ollie Swaddle
The Owlet Dream Sock
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