18 week old won't sleep in cot

[goandshowdaddy]

Hi, my DS2 is 18 weeks old and, in the main, has been really tricky at nighttime from the word go. My biggest problem at the minute is that he won't sleep in his cot for any longer than 2 hours at a time and tonight, for example, he won't actually be put down in his cot without screaming the place down.

I've tried picking him up, rocking him to sleep and laying him back down but as soon as his head hits the mattress he's awake and screaming again. As soon as I pick him up he goes to sleep so I know he's tired. Some nights I've resorted to sitting up in bed holding him all night.

He hasn't got into any particular bedtime routine early on, though we have been taking him up at the same time as my DS1 (around 6.30/7), doing his creams (he has bad eczema)/bath, feed and then bed every night for a few weeks now.

Tonight, I tried leaving him to cry for a while but he got really hysterical and I think he may be a bit too young for CC yet. I did do CC with my DS1 and it worked really well but not sure if it's too early for DS2?

At the minute, he's asleep in the pushchair downstairs and I'm preparing to sleep on the sofa for as long as he sleeps. I just can't do this every night though. Last night I got about 1 1/2 hours sleep between wakings/feeds. I'm so tired, not sure how much longer I can cope with this .

Any advice please?

[Chil1234]

Does he nap in his cot during the day?

[goandshowdaddy]

No, he only sleeps in the pushchair or car seat.

[Chil1234]

I'd start there. Strenghten the association that his bedroom and his cot are lovely, pleasant places to sleep with the day naps and he might be happier to go there at night.

[lucy101]

Have you tried co-sleeping? Is he sleeping flat in the pushchair? If not perhaps he has reflux and you holding him or sitting up is less uncomfortable for him. If this is the case, there are lots of previous posts that might have some good tips for you like raising the angle of the cot etc.

[eaglewings]

Have you tried co sleeping, you may find you all get a better nights sleep. Heed the warning about falling asleep on the soafa with him though (as I'm sure you have already know)

[daisystone]

I sympathis. I have a 7 week old DD and she had a little wooden crib upstairs and a moses basked downstairs. Up until recently she was sleeping in the pram downstairs which she loved but she is becoming too big for it. So the moses basket is now being used and she likes it but the crib is a big no no. For some reason she will only go to sleep for an hour or two and will always wake up and start crying.

She has had a cold for the last two weeks so I have been sleeping on the sofa and she has been in the moses basket or pram because she has been so snuffly and ill and wakes all of us up and I felt bad for DH as he has work in the morning.

Last night I tried again with the crib and she went down for about 40 mins and then woke and would not go back to sleep. I tried to soothe her, played her mobile music and patted her tummy etc but she wasn't having it. I then walked around upstairs for 2 hours trying to settle her. Finally it was time for her feed and after that she went off. I don't want to always feed her when she is crying as I think it is wrong to try to pacify her with food - although that seems to normally be what she wants. We are bottle feeding so I know how much she is eating and can feed more regularly.

I don't know what she thinks is wrong with the crib upstairs. There is more noise and action downstairs and I think she likes this so perhaps she wants the same upstairs?? But she has to be taught that upstairs is quiet and restful.

No advice, just lots of sympathy as it is exhausting and so difficult.

[CharlotteBronteSaurus]

I've got one of these too.
co-sleeping is the only sane way for us.
11 week old dd2 "settles" (ha!) for the night at about 8.30. I pop her in the moses basket and get myself into bed, with a drink, snack, and the telly on low. she then dozes and feeds off and on 'til 11pm. I pop her back in the basket after feeds, until I'm ready to sleep at 10-11pm.
After that, on an average night she wakes 2 hourly, 3 hourly on a good one, and hourly on a bad one (last night). I'm not ideologically drawn to co-sleeping, but it's the only way I get any rest. And even if you're not actually sleeping, it's more restful to snuggled in bed.