Help to settle baby in cot during day

[slightlyconfused85]

My baby is 5 weeks old- he sleeps ok overnight in his cot waking for feeds obviously. In the day he is impossible to put down even if very asleep. I have a toddler and back problems so I can't keep him in a sling for more than a couple of hours a day. Any advice? Starting to feel a bit stressed and toddler is suffering with too much TV and it enough attention.

[slightlyconfused85]

Also a dummy worked in the first couple of weeks to help him go off to sleep but he is increasingly less keen on it. Dd didn't like a dummy but sucked her thumb for a few weeks of baby hood when learning to settle

[FATEdestiny]

I'd keep going with the dummy - they are invaluable as a tool to teach independent sleeping.

For daytime sleep, have you tried a bouncy chair in the living room? You can foot bounce baby to sleep (and back to sleep if he stirs) while still playing with your toddler.

[slightlyconfused85]

He won't take it now Fate he just screams and cries when I try and encourage it. He will only take it when he's a bit hungry

[babyL2015]

hey there slightly confused 85 my 7 week old is exactly the same...I try get him to sleep in his cot or rock him to sleep and put him down but it seems as soon as he knows he's in his cot he's awake agajn and wants to get out...any luck with yours xx

[slightlyconfused85]

Not a lot! A dummy sometimes gets him off to sleep but as soon as it falls out he starts to cry. Trying a bit of shush pat today ...

[FATEdestiny]

A dummy naturally falls out as baby gets into a deep sleep, as the muscles around the mouth/jaw relax. It is what is supposed to happen with a dummy. A dummy isn't meant to stay in their mouth for the whole time while asleep. Usually it should take between 5-20 minutes of being asleep to reach that deeper sleep phase.

If baby is waking and crying for dummy, then something is stopping baby reaching that deep sleep phase. You need to figure out what's stopping the deep sleep?

(incidentally, the walking when put into a cot asleep is also to do with something stopping baby getting into a deep sleep - so similar issue).

The single most common problem that would cause this is hunger. Full feeds much more frequently helps with this - I would aim for a full feed (and one nap) every 90-120 minutes through the daytime at this age. Like in cycles - wake/feed/awaketime/sleep in 90-120 minute cycles all day long.

If not hunger then reflux can cause similar difficulty in getting deep sleep. But be careful needlessly medicating for reflux if the issue can be resolved with better feeding.

A bouncy chair (minus play arch) is great for daytime sleeps, much more successful for encouraging good quality sleep long-term that cot sleeping at this age. Especially for a baby who likes movement to get to sleep (rocking etc)

[slightlyconfused85]

Thanks fate. You would think I would l know what I was doing having already had a child but apparently not!

[FATEdestiny]

Children are all different. It took me three or four children before I started feeling more confident and settled in my parenting decisions - but still not completely there. Learning all the time!

[babyL2015]

Yeah he had a 45 minute nap in his bouncy chair this morning but hadn't napped really apart from car journey

I don't like him being in his chair for too long as I don't want to affect his spine
or am I being too paranoid

how long should ut normally take for a little one to fall asleep

[slightlyconfused85]

Today I had some success. I popped him down and he cried, so picked him up till he was quiet. Put him back down and he grizzled for 2 or 3 minutes so I went in and patted his back. He fell asleep for 2 hours which was good for everyone and meant I had time to do something with dd. It'll probably not work again!

[babyL2015]

mines very jerry and wakes himself up and then struggles to get back to sleep

hard work sometimes glad you had a good day today xxx

[babyL2015]

jerky not jerry