6 week old, crying/moaning/whingeing in sleep for hours but doesn't wake...!?

[Bellyrub1980]

Any advice on this would be great!!

My 6 week old sleeps from between 3-8 hours a night, its still very variable, which is fine by me. It's not the length of time she sleeps that worries me but the quality of her sleep.

Every night and morning she wakes me with lots of noise. She's mosning/whingeing and almost crying. I can't quite explain it. She also shakes her head from side to side and kicks her arms and legs frantically. This behaviour will last for about 10 seconds, and then she will calm down completely for a few minutes, then it will start up again. This will continue with the peaceful gaps between getting smaller and smaller until she's mosning/crying/kicking constantly. However, she is definitely ASLEEP the whole time!

I've always lifted her up and fed her when it becomes constant. Latching on wakes her up, but now part of me wonders if I should be letting her sleep. She can go on for a good hour like this, I've never let her go longer, mainly because it's so horrible to hear. Or maybe I should feed her at the very beginning of the noises if it's something horrible like pain or a nightmare?!

What's going on? Is it a nightmare? Is this just what babys do? Will she grow out of it??

[Missingcaffeine]

My baby did this a lot at that age. It did get better and was only really bad for a week or two. I think it is just them dreaming. He is 14 weeks now and doesn't do it at all anymore.
My friend said her baby was so bad with making noises in the night, she moved baby to its own room very early on, despite knowing it was against recommendations, as she was so sleep deprived she felt she had no other choice. I hope it gets better soon.

[TestingTestingWonTooFree]

Mine did this too, although not as frequently. I only fed him if he was likely to be hungry. I found playing White noise helped me sleep through low level griping.

[Singsongmama]

My ds did this too, especially in the early morning (4-7am approx) I kept thinking "Oh that's us up for the day!" Then he'd just stop and be asleep. He did a lot of head turning, nuzzling this way and that, back and forth.

It is hard to know whether they are needing lifted and fed or just left to it. But it leaves you tired, hanging into their Moses basket for hours trying to figure out if they are really awake or not!!!

It does get better, give it a few weeks and it will be very apparent if she wants lifted! I was hyper sensitive but my advice would be try to rest through it til you are sure she needs you. (I found it impossible but I think it's good advice! If only it was easy to follow all logical advice!!)

Congratulations on your DS

[Singsongmama]

P.S. Someone once said sleeping with a newborn is like sleeping with a wild animal in the room!! My ds was a gorgeous, lovely, little warthog! Bless 'em!

[isitsnowingyet]

Ours all did that. We called it 'grizzling' - not sure if that is the technical term.



It's most likely not a nightmare (apart from your personal nightmare of not getting any sleep)

[barmybunting]

Our 5 week old does this, I think it is just them dreaming/coming to as they drift inbetween sleep cycles. I tend to leave her for a while until she is more fully awake to see that she is waking up to feed but she only does this for about 20 mins so I can see why you find an hour hard to listen to. I co sleep with her from her feed around 4am as it seems to keep her more settled then.

[Whenwillwe3meetagain]

My 4 week old is doing this now it's really odd and so loud. I think he sounds like someone from the walking dead