Problem getting 9 week old to settle, especially in the day

[Sarahcollison]

Hi, I am having terrible trouble getting my 9 week old to sleep, especially in the day. Since he was 2-3 weeks old he wouldn't drop off to sleep on his own accord and I've struggled ever since with him getting over tired. I've read post after post about awake times and never let him go too long, however this seems to make little difference to the time it takes to settle him.
I have used a sling a lot as he reliably sleeps in there but I feel I need to move on from this, mainly to get a little break!
I can usually rock him to sleep but this takes about half an hour (and I struggle to hold him in my arms for this long as I have to be standing!) and he tends to wake very quickly once put down, even if I wait until I think he's sound asleep.
He rarely sleeps in the push chair and takes ages to drop off in the car.

Does anyone have any tips which might help? Does this get easier as they get older? He doesn't cry and battle with me as much as he did a few weeks ago but it still takes forever for him to drop off and he rarely becomes sound asleep. Nights aren't so bad, although we are usually up for an hour when he wakes for feed in the night and he often tosses and turns on his second stretch of sleep.

[plokett1]

Sorry i dont really have any solutions but my ds was exactly the same! And would wake quite soon after being put in his moses basket! We also had to rock to sleep and still do really at 5 mths! But the fighting to settle has got easier and quicker but we did have some really awful spells! I just had to get my head around going with the flow instead of having expectations and now feel a bit better about it...except last night with only 3 hours sleep! Haha! But thats down to sleep regression :-( your little one is still very young so i'd say enjoy it and just have cuddles whilst you still can!

[SimpsLife]

Hi, don't really have any tips but also feel your pain. I could have written that post myself. My 9wk old daughter does not sleep anywhere but a wrap/carrier during the day and has been that way since birth. She occasionally will fall asleep in the Moses basket during the day if I leave upstairs in the dark she but fights sleep for a good half an hour and then only sleep for half an hour to fourty mins (one sleep cycle). Most the time she just protests against the basket very dramatically as soon as I lower her in haha.

It's so strange because she settles herself at night (since we started bedtime routine at 6weeks) and sleeps a good 4/5 hour stretch then wakes for a feed then when she goes back down she grunts for the rest of the night keeping me awake.

Have you tried spotting signs of tiredness and pouncing then? I think i might have just had some success with that. I often have to walk around in the wrap for 20 mins til she drops off and read that timing is key so today after her (hour long) feed I sat her in her bouncer and played until after 30 mins she started to look glassy eyed, eyebrows went a little red and she started rooting. I popped her in the wrap and sang the lullaby I sing before we put her down on the evening and she was asleep in seconds. Going to try waiting and watching for signs tomorrow morning and then try the Moses basket and see if she falls asleep as easily/stays asleep.

Please update if you have any success with anything as I'd be interested to hear/try new things.

[Bambalam]

My DD is only a few weeks older and white noise has been the answer for us. I play an app on either my phone or iPad and it helps my DD to drop off and stay asleep. Current favourite sounds are womb noise, hair dryer and rain on a tin roof. Good luck

[Sarahcollison]

Hi all, thanks for your messages and suggestions. We use white noise as well. We used to use one which sounded like the womb but have since changed to one which goes 'sush, sush'. It's an app I have on my phone called 'sound sleeper' and we play it all night and often in the day for naps. He sleeps very well at night, generally for an 8 hour stretch and is normally quite easy to settle to bed after his last feed.
I've tried soothing him to sleep before he looks tired, a bit after that and also tried leaving him until he's nackered and it doesn't seem to make a lot of difference. He does fall asleep quickly in the sling though, sometimes cries for a few minutes when first put in but then drops right off.
I find he hardly ever sleeps in the carrycot pushchair (laid flat) but I do sometimes have success when he's in the car seat on the buggy. A dummy helps but he tends to keep spitting it out and he does cry before dropping off to sleep.
Strangely enough this morning he got really drowsy whilst feeding (this hasn't happened in the dAy since he was about 1 week old!) so I went with it and afterwards was able to soothe him to sleep on me by patting his back, he slept for about an hour.
It really is very hit and miss with what works each day. I have a little hope as he does seem marginally better than he was, although this could be just because I have more tricks up my sleeve now!

[dennant]

Bump. My 7 week old is exactly the same!

[Sarahcollison]

Hi all,
Just to report some success over the past few days. My little one, 10 weeks today, has just started to let me cuddle him to sleep for naps. I wrap him in a blanket and give him a dummy (I never wanted to use a dummy but they really help with his naps) and he has started to fall asleep within 5-10 mins. I usually try about 1.5 to 2 hours after his last sleep.
I've just this morning tried putting him in his crib after holding him until he was asleep, have left him Wrapped in the blanket and am playing his usual white noise. So far he's been sleep for nearly 20 mins. This was a baby who never napped so I'm very pleased with the progress.
On the down side, he's been waking 2 hours earlier at night the past 2 nights so not sure why that is but could be the third wonder week/growth spurt?