Can I wear earplugs to sleep?!

[moggle]

DD is 8 weeks and a pretty decent sleeper, she usually sleeps from 11pm to about 3 or 4 and then after a feed goes back down most of the time until 7am. However she is a really noisy sleeper, especially during the second half of the night. As well as the usual newborn snuffles she grunts, squeals, squeaks, clicks, and cries in her sleep. Her arms windmill around like she's conducting an invisible orchestra. She'll also strain away for ages trying to fart or poo at certain times of the night. She's also good at lying awake and not crying if she takes a while to get to sleep, but she still makes all the other noises.

I'm a light sleeper and she's in a bednest inches from my head, and often I just can't sleep through it. If she does quieten down I'm usually too frustrated to nod off by then, or it's time for DH to get up. During the day napping when she sleeps is impossible if she's in the same room so I can't catch up with sleep that way.

We tried swaddling early on but she screamed bloody murder over it. 'Proper' cosleeping with her right next to me, and her dummy only seem to turn down the noises a little.

I guess what I'm asking is, is there anything else I can try to encourage her to sleep more quietly, and if not, is it ok for me to put earplugs in? I assume that's better than putting her to sleep in her own room?

[moggle]

Sorry meant to add - she's EBF and gaining weight really well. No other problems. (I actually count my lucky stars, she's a really good baby, it's just so unbelievably frustrating in the middle of the night that I am lying there awake when she's asleep!).

[dementedpixie]

Even while wearing earplugs I used to still hear the kids before dh who did not have them! If you feel worried then put only 1 earplug in on the side you are not lying on e.g. Ear on pillow has no earplug and ear facing out has an earplug (only works if you lie on your side!)

[MinceSpy]

I don't think ear plugs are safe. How would you hear her crying or notice if she suddenly went silent and what about missing things like a fire alarm? Don't want to freak you out just saying those baby noises are for a reason.

[chubbytubbybyebye]

My dh wears them every night. He says he still hears things just a bit quieter.

[dementedpixie]

You do still hear them as I used to wear earplugs. It quietens the noises but doesn't cut them out.

[MinceSpy]

So they only dull noise how interesting. Need some for DHs snoring.

[poocatcherchampion]

It muffles. I did and do. Much better than kicking them out of your room early

[dementedpixie]

I used them primarily when dh snored really badly and then when the kids were in the room as babies. I don't need them now as dh isn't as bad now.

[JeanSeberg]

You need this type:

www.boots.com/en/Boots-Pharmaceuticals-Muffle-Wax-Earplugs-5-Pairs-_1129526/

[ThinkIveBeenHacked]

Dh and I alternate on the night feeds and on my "night off" I wear earplugs. I dont get any noise apart from DS crying, which is perfect, and I would be happy to use them on nights I am "on duty" but I like to listen to audio books these nights.

What about moving the cot away from yiur bed over to the side of the room?

[rookiemere]

I use the muffle ones that Jean recommends, they're great.

However I don't think I could have used them when DS was a baby and I needed to wake up to feed, our solution was to move DS to his room a lot earlier than recommended, but it was either that or lose my sanity completely as I couldn't sleep at all with DH snoring on one side and DS snarfling on the other.

Another solution is if you have a spare bedroom, for your DH to move rooms for a while, at least then you will only be disturbed by one person rather than two.

[moggle]

Thanks, I just wanted to check it wasn't a ridiculous idea. I sometimes use foam earplugs if away from home somewhere noisy and they do muffle rather than block noise.

Also DH would wake too with her crying - he's a deeper sleeper than me but easily wakes for her when he's doing a night feed. (Thankfully he rarely snores) He's said he's happy for me to go sleep in the spare room between feeds and he'll deal with everything else's at night, but I would feel bad doing that all the time esp as he's got a lot on his plate at work. I wouldn't use the earplugs if I was the only one at home, just in case.

Everything seems so much worse at night! I was literally sobbing over this at 6am but now I'm up and it's light and DD is smiling at me it seems silly to get so worked up!! Thanks all xxx

[FraterculaArctica]

I used foam earplugs from when DS was about 5 weeks for similar reasons, I felt very guilty about it but just could not sleep at all (rapidly became very ill with post natal anxiety and sleep deprivation) but from about 2 am he would spend all night kicking the mattress in his sleep... WHACK... WHACK... WHACK. In hindsight I should have worn earplugs much sooner and worried less!

He now just wakes up and shouts loudly all night at 9 months but that's a different story...

[moggle]

Thanks all, and hi bugs haven't seen you in a while, glad DD is doing well.
I wore one earplug last night and it worked well, although DD decided to not wake for her usual 3/4am feed until 6.15, and she's usually quiet until that feed, so not sure we fully tested it out. She's skipped the chuntering which occurs between 4 and 7am feeds, and moved straight to crying with wind (while asleep) which usually happens after the 7am one. No earplugs going to muffle that enough to sleep but it's time to get up anyway...

[Redling]

Moggle the noises will stop soon, my DS was like this but it gradually stopped. He's quiet now and I can sleep between feeds. He has started thumping his legs a bit now though...

[fatpony]

I had a very noisy sleeper (quieter now at 12 weeks) and also in a bednest. Ear plugs didn't cut it for me. Two things - a white noise app in the background and a rain sounds app on my phone which I plug earphones into. I still wake when the baby makes his early i want a feed now noises (licking his lips/mouthing) so you just become better at picking out the important noises.
Ps M did that grunting g and straining thing but hasn't done it for ages. They stop eventually!

[splendide]

Yeah earplugs don't seem to do it for me either! It's so frustrating. DS has been asleep on and off with no crying since about 5 but no sleep for me. I really hope he gets quieter soon.

[SophieBarringtonWard]

I use them when sharing with my kids including as babies. I often do one earplug like dementedpixie suggests. Its fine.

[nooyearnooname]

I wear them every night and although they cut out a lot of noise, I can still hear DP snoring (which is why I wear the sodding things in the first place), my alarm (which isn't that loud) and I'm pretty sure I'd hear a crying baby in the same room!

[nocarbsplease]

I wore them when my twins were in my room - they were so grunty / squeaky. I always heard them cry but it meant I could get some sleep in between feeding.