10 week old doesn't sleep for very long

[klewika]

hello all!!
I'm new to this but I'm in need of help!!!

My 10 week old baby doesn't sleep hardly at all in the daytime. I've bought the baby whisperer and try to act upon his yawns by taking him in the bedroom and have tried swaddling and the shush pat method but he seems to prefer falling asleep in my arms with the dummy in. I do however put him down before he is asleep (eyes slightly open) and he fusses more but then does settle with a lot of time. I then stay with him until I think he's on his way and then leave the room. I then hear him 5-10mins later having lost his dummy and fussing again. On a daytime it seems I can't get him back off but on a nighttime he does settle after maybe 3 times of going back in. At night after the 3rd time he doesn't seem to mind losing his dummy and is asleep. I do the dreamfeed between 10-11pm but he then wakes at 2-3am. I feed him and then after that he goes back to sleep for only 3/4hr each time. I am in my own bed right next to his cot so I either hold his hand or give him the dummy back. He still wakes then every 3/4 hour until I feed him at 6-7am. Daytime is a nightmare. I'm lucky if he naps for half an hour never mind 1.5hrs. My Mum who has brought up 4 children successfully (without reading any of these confusing books) says there is nothing wrong with him not sleeping and that I have just got a highly intelligent, alert baby who is happy. I can't deny, he does seem happy. Am I worrying over nothing? I feel a failure!!!! Will he settle when on solids? I would really appreciate any advice. thankyou

[morningpaper]

Your mother sounds VERY SENSIBLE! And has a good memory! (Most seem to think their babies never woke them during the night at all!)

Waking every 45 minutes is a bugger, but some babies do. Is this a recent thing (perhaps a growth spurt?) or has he always been like this?

[LoveMyGirls]

Sounds normal to me, eventually if you stick to a routine he will go down at the times you want for as long as you want just takes time. Just enjoy being with him and make sure you stimulate him when he is awake to tire him out hth

Also try having some noise in the background, some children find it comforting to hear things in the back ground.

[LoveMyGirls]

I also read somewhere that babies come into a light sleep after about 35 mins if you leave them they learn to resettle themselves (obviously if really upset go in but if just whinging try to wait)

[chickytwotimes]

I'd agree with your Mum and the others. Do you take him out in his pushchair for nice walks? Makes you feel better aswell as helping him get some sleep and fresh air. Also, the exposure to daylight helps with regulating night-time sleep. Sounds like you're doing a good job anyway!

[MaeWest]

Your mum sounds great . I don't think DS really slept in his cot/moses basket at this age during the day, was mostly in pram, sling, my arms, whatever worked really!

It's hard when they're waking so frequently at night, just catch up when you can. I just prioritised sleep over everything else when DS was small - my house was a tip (it still is and he's a toddler )

[LoveMyGirls]

Yes fresh air does help babies to sleep better i heard that too

[klewika]

THANKYOU THANKYOU THANKYOU all very much. I already feel better from reading your wise advice. I do trust my Mum's advice. She is a wise one! I wish I'd never read ANY books to be honest but I have so I've just got to take what I want from them and see what works best for my little bubba .
thankyou all for your advice (Im yet to investigate how to send individual replies) and yes I will get out walking because he does sleep then. I go down by the river and I feel much better myself (especially since I look down on him sleeping and getting some rest)
I do hope things settle when he's on solids. He seems to posset all of his feeds up again especially when laid down kicking his legs etc. Will just have to keep him upright for half hour after feeding I guess. This is the hardest job ever especially when I'm quite a worrier anyway but you all have helped so much. Should have joined Mumsnet sooner

[morningpaper]

Some babies are more sick-y than others

I plonked mine in a car seat (so they were upright) for a while after feeding to help them digest it a bit

I also avoided too much rumbling in prams while they were too full (or inclined the back of the pram slightly so they were slightly upright)

You sound like you are doing really well

[MaeWest]

DS was a puker too, quite spectacular at times... I used a bouncy chair quite a bit as it helped things stay down a bit. He'd grown out of it by around 6 months.

You're doing fine, 10 weeks is still so tiny

[Babyisaac]

Klewika, I could have written your post! My DS is also 10 weeks and has the same patterns as yours! The only thing that helped me in the daytime was walking - in a carrier or a pram, or when he was in the car. Another thing that helped us was an Amby hammock - he loves this and after a couple of swings he's asleep in minutes. It truly was a godsend - expensive (RRP 150 quid but we got ours 2nd hand on Ebay for 95 quid) but worth it for us - gave us our sanity back and doesn't force you to go out every nap time.

Regarding night time, I try to leave him to fuss by himself in the hope that he falls back to sleep. His dreamfeed is at 10.30pm and he also wakes up at around 2am. I managed to ignore him until 3am this morning, as I know how difficult he is to settle afterwards. Now, when I put him back in his cot, I also put in there a blanket that I've slept with (for my scent) and I put my hand on his tummy until he's fallen asleep. It works (previously he wouldn't even go to sleep!) but, just like you, he is awake about 45 mins to an hour later. A dummy helps, but he spits it out if hungry.

Good luck - I'm sure we'll both get there. I too have been told we have a highly alert little boy!

[klewika]

Hello again.

Babyisaac thankyou for your post which made me realise I'm not alone in having a DS which doesn't take kindly to any of the patterns the book says!!!

Can I just say to you all that these past few days have been a little better as I've taken all of your advice and used it wisely. First night after reading your posts he woke at 2am and I just left him and he settled himself back down till 3.30am!!! Same last night - so chuffed! He has then had his feed at 3.30am and put back down at 4-4.30am depending on his mood and then he's slept till 6.30am! I feel so much better having had longer lenghts of uninterrupted sleep I cannot believe!

He's learning the morning nap better too and after his 7am feed I stimulate him more with play and then when I see the first few yawns I take him in the bedroom, shut the curtains and he seems to settle for that daytime nap for up to an hour.

Unfortunately thereafter it's still the same. Try the same technique (ie act on first few yawns) and take him into bedroom with the dummy and he settles........until the dummy falls out and then I've lost it - he fights it all the way and after that it seems it has a knock on effect for all other sleeps throughout the day.........unless he's in the car or out in the pram so I've been going out a lot more too!!!

anyway, thankyou all very much - things are improving thanks to all advice x

[Naetha]

Just seen this and it rings several bells with me at the moment!

DS is 11 weeks and although getting better, has been tough to get into a sleeping routine.

Like you, we've had trouble when the dummy falls out, so we've been making sure that he always has a blankie with him over the last few days. Someone got him this as a present, and over the last week he's become more and more attached to it and less interested in the dummy.

Hopefully this will do the trick as it's an awful lot easier to find on a night in his cot when his dummy falls out!