8 week old baby sleep help

[jamjar84]

Not from birth but since Xmas my ds will sleep only properly for day naps in someone’s arms and refusing to sleep in Moses basket in living room. Then at night, won’t sleep in the next to me crib by our bed, so we’ve had to resort to him sleeping in our bed, I really don’t want this to continue for too long in case it becomes a habit plus his twitching drives me mad.
We’ve tried swaddling which sometimes helps especially when he’s twichy, warming up the mattress, putting my worn top so it has my scent, and having Ewan. Only progress was a couple of times he slept in crib and Moses for an hour but I had to pat him when he reached the end of the 20min sleep cycle. Also, I’ve tried putting him down drowsy but awake and got as far (couple of times) as when he gets really tired but cries in distress like he not worked out how to go to sleep lying there. I’ve also put him down when he’s in deep sleep but he wakes up after 20mins. I know he’s not done napping cos he’ll sleep longer in my arms.
I really want him to sleep bit more independently, he’s 2 months old now, I don’t know what to do and am worried this will go on and on if we don’t do anything. Feels like a step backwards cos from birth he’ll sleep happily alone, only from Xmas this has been happening. Or is it best not to intervene, he’s not ready yet, will he just do it in his own time? What will I be expecting coming up to 3 months?

[Ticklemynickel]

You need to lower your expectations I'm afraid! Once they start being more alert in awake periods you can't guarantee that you'll get them down for naps again. My similar age DD will do some naps in the basket (usually after a few attempts) but after lunchtime it's game over and she either needs to be held or walked for naps, I often use a sling round the house so I can get chores done and play with my eldest. It generally takes them a while (read months & months) to learn to self settle and I'm convinced there must be a tiny number of babies that do "drowsy but awake" but they are like lovely unicorns!

For night time, have you tried the Moses basket? The next2me seems huge for new babies I think and the Moses might seem a bit cosier. Other than that it's just survival at this stage - I hate cosleeping but did it with DD1 because it was the only way to get any sleep so I completely sympathise on that front.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Yes it will get better and he's so little still, these days won't last forever.

Sone things you could try are sticking him in a sling when you want him to have a nap. The warmth and comfort of you might help him to nod off.

Have you tried putting a T-shirt that DH has worn as the sheet in his cot instead of one if your T-shirt's. This helps some babies.

What white noise have you tried too?

As for night, we ended up sleeping with both of ours as it was the only way we could get some sleep. They are both happy and content teens now, it really doesn't last forever.

The No Cry Nap Solution might help too

[jamjar84]

I don’t think he’s gonna last long in the Moses basket, he’s getting big. I thought the next to me crib was too much space for him so I’ve rolled up a couple of blankets and put them onto one side... one of the tips I saw in older posts. We also have Ewan and play the womb or heartbeat noise, it works to a point, but am thinking maybe a white noise machine that plays continuously might be better as Ewan shuts off after 20 mins.
I’ve got a sling that I use occasionally, he does sleep in it but my shoulder aches after a bit. The dh T-shirts a good tip, will try that.
Being a ftm maybe I am fretting too much about it, dunno what I’m doing so thoroughly researching ‘solutions’... it’s just the exhaustion and how it seems to feel it goes on and on.

[Paris2019]

No advice but following as I'm having exact same issue with 7 week old... sleep has been getting worse and now won't sleep laid down

[Superscientist]

Around 5 weeks my little one stopped going down for naps. She is 5 months now and if I'm lucky I can get 1 or 2 times a week I able to successfully move her from my arms to a chair or cot. She will go to sleep in a sling and since 4 months she will often sleep in the pram.
Overnight we are reluctant co sleepers. On good nights I can put her back into the crib after she has fallen asleep until about 6 am on bad nights she sleeps all night with me.
My lo has silent and regular reflux that started at about 3 weeks but got worse around the time she started to stop sleeping on her own.

[bleachblondemom]

@jamjar84 get a myhummy bear they are so much better than Ewan the sheep!

[c24680]

You could buy a purflo sleep nest for his next to me, that's what I did with my DD and she slept fine after than.

With naps in the day, I found my DD wouldn't settle in a Moses basket either and she ended up sleeping in a bouncer type chair, they just like to be snug

[Keha]

I don't want to worry you, but to be honest my baby was like that for months. We ended up just routinely cosleeping. From about 5/6 months we could start getting her to sleep longer stretches on her own but I'm talking 2-3 hours and that has stretched a bit further to 4-5 hours. We've got used to it, she starts out the night in her cot and comes into bed with me at some point - I think we'll just keep doing that until she stops waking at night. However about 6 months is when some people look at some sort of sleep training. Babies really vary with sleep but generally I think it's a bit of a shock how much help they can need to go to sleep and stay asleep.

[jamjar84]

Just an update in case someone is looking at this thread and wondered what happened. Well, I ended up buying a white noise machine for continuous sound, ditched Ewan and also got a sleeping nest.

Has worked out pretty well at night, allows us to gain bit more space in bed and sleeps longer. He’s taken to the nest well and definitely the continuous noise helps, no more worrying Ewan shutting off every 20 mins and him stirring thinking what’s he gonna do next. In the day still in my arms but less, just putting him down more if I need to do something and he’s not protested as much as before. Think by doing it more he’s slowly getting used to sensation being out of my arms and that it’s ok. First nap of the day put him in Moses swaddled drowsy/awake and more often will nap 40 mins. No other time he will do that but it’s a start at least.

So thanks all for your advice, there’s some progress but trying not to get too stressed about it, enjoying the cuddles, feels like this is going on for ages when it’s frustrating at times but often people say these times go so quickly so enjoy it while their still little.

[Paris2019]

Thanks for the update! Glad things are improving slightly for you. It gives me some hope... we are still struggling. We've realised cot jiggling is something that helps so currently researching various devices to prevent us from having to do it manually all night long!!