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Join our Sleep forum for tips on creating a sleep routine for your baby or toddler.

Join our Sleep forum for tips on creating a sleep routine for your baby or toddler.

Sleep

11 Weeks Old and doesn't sleep in day

15 replies

Jemzy12345 · 14/12/2015 19:47

Hi, this is my first post, my baby boy is pretty high maintenance. Wakes, feeds, change him and play with him, he then gets fussy and starts to cry so I get him to sleep in my arms sometimes easily and sometimes he fights it. I get him in his crib and usually within half hour to 45 mins of putting him down he wakes up and then will not go back to sleep. I get him up and try him again which always tends to be harder. If I don't try and think oh maybe he is not tired he starts fussing and crying again, after checking a feed, a change etc is not due I try to comfort him and start again. But literally trying all day in between feeds. A lot of the time I go out and about with him as him crying all day is draining but I'm wondering if this is my problem that he doesn't have a day time routine of naps ? Even when I'm out he becomes grumpy but I do get the odd sleep out of him in the car seat or pram. He has a good night time routine and sleeps 8-10 hours without a feed. Any advice would be great. He is 11 weeks and been like this since day 1.

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Jw35 · 14/12/2015 20:20

I'd say it could be the way you're getting him off to sleep. What happens then if you don't cuddle him to sleep? Does he feed to sleep? My dd always had a bottle before a nap. Have you considered at sling? At 11 weeks my dd practically lived in one! This stage will pass, he's so young. Try not to get stressed. It's great he sleeps though x

Jemzy12345 · 14/12/2015 20:48

I did think that and have tried not rocking him and just placing him in the crib awake but he just cries. I've tried placing him in wide awake and sleepy and both just ends in him getting hysterical. I bottle feed and he rarely falls asleep during a feed, normally its not long after at night but never in the day. I think he only sleeps well probably because he so exhausted from the day. He slept one hour today led on my bed with me which is the first time I've tried it as don't want to co sleep and half hour in the afternoon and that's all from 5.45am till 7pm. I don't think this can be normal even with his great night sleeping. He a big baby prob ways 13lb now so not sure i want to carry him in a sling. Just wish he was a happier baby and I'm sure this is his problem

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Cel982 · 14/12/2015 20:57

Small babies have a sleep cycle of 45 minutes. It's completely normal at that age for naps to be short - mine only started taking longer ones after she was six months. They can usually cope with only 90 mins of awake time between sleeps. Slings are really helpful for naps, and can be used until toddlerhood so 13lbs is fine.

Eight hours sleep at night is amazing!

EssiesInvisibleLlama · 14/12/2015 21:16

I'd recommend a sling too. My lo is 15 weeks and has all his daytime naps in the sling. If he's really fighting it I just hoover or faff about folding laundry or i even sit on a gym ball and bounce him and watch tv sometimes and he soon drops off! He's 15lb+ and I'm tiny and I carry him about easily. He's happy as Larry in between sleeps now too since I started using the sling at about 4 weeks. Sometimes he even has a decent long sleep in it now as well. Today he had a 90 min kip in the sling.
Good luck! X

Jemzy12345 · 14/12/2015 21:20

I just kept thinking its weird he sleeps fine at night and long but the naps in the day are always short. Thanks for your advice, nice to know this is normal. Will try to get him to sleep more often and accept they will be short. Hopefully this will improve his mood. Will look in to a sling then, thought it might just be for the initial few weeks only

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Jemzy12345 · 14/12/2015 21:34

What sort of sling do you have or would suggest ? Wow 90 mins of sleep in one sleep would be great for him and for me.

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Jw35 · 14/12/2015 21:40

I like the connectica sling. I carried dd a lot in the first 7 months. It is tiring but I found she would fall asleep within 10 minutes in the sling then I could lie her down! Thing about a sling as well is you get more done. I found the baby wanted lots of contact so if she wasn't in the sling or asleep my house was a mess! Do you have a swing bouncer? Mine also loves this x

Jemzy12345 · 14/12/2015 21:54

Yes got a swing bouncer and a standard one, he likes them but won't sleep in them. I have got a Chicco baby carrier but it's hard to get on by myself and to get him in it. So need an easier one.

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mrsmugoo · 14/12/2015 21:57

As others have said - what you've described is perfectly standard daytime sleeping for an 11 week old.

I absolutely did my own head in over my DS "only" sleeping 45 minutes at a time and dedicated my entire life to trying to extend his naps and analysing to the nth degree why he didn't sleep longer.

I should have have just accepted the 45 minute sleeps and concentrated on getting enough of them into the day rather than feeling despair because he wasn't sleeping for hours.

EssiesInvisibleLlama · 14/12/2015 22:06

The wrap slings are good I've got a karime. It took a bit of getting used to but there's loads of vids on YouTube showing you how to tie them and you can get one on ebay for next to nothing. Might be worth finding your local sling library? It's been a lifesaver for me with naps. He won't nap anywhere else in the house and I nearly went mad in the first couple of weeks!

NewBallsPlease00 · 15/12/2015 00:34

Sling works here too- I'm a massive new convert after borrowing one - a caboo fwiw, Tis fab

Jemzy12345 · 15/12/2015 04:54

Mrsmugoo that's exactly how I've felt, you wonder what your doing wrong, why he is not sleeping longer. Hopefully if I can get more sleeps in for him and get him sleeping before he gets overtired he will not be so grumpy all the time and the crying will not be as much that we can enjoy the day together.

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Purpleboa · 15/12/2015 07:28

I'd be lost without my sling! My almost 6 month DD hardly ever naps in her cot. It's usually pram or sling. And you are very lucky with 8 hours at night, we get nowhere near that! Get a sling, it will make life so much easier.

Jemzy12345 · 15/12/2015 08:23

Yes we are lucky he sleeps at night. Not sure how we would cope without that sleep. It makes me think about other mums who have babies that don't and have other children as well . Makes me appreciate my mum more now that I've become a mum, she had 3 including me and I keep asking how did you do it. It is definitely the hardest job I've ever done and I'm only 11 weeks in and with sleep at night. These chat forums have definitely helped me on numerous occasions. Do u think if I get him to sleep in the pram, a sling or on me that we will have problems later getting him in to a cot ?

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Angelik · 15/12/2015 08:46

I would have sold my soul for a 45 min nap with my ds. would take 45 mins of rocking, pushing up and down in buggy whilst singing and using kettle for white noise to achieve a 20 min nap. this never really changed and he dropped naps entirely by the age of 2. he was generally very good during the night. he was an alert baby who just enjoyed being cuddled and when awake loved being talked to. I got into habit of morning walks around 10 when he would drop off. fresh air works wonders. and total submission by 4pm when I would cuddle and doze with him on sofa. do not fret about co-sleeping. your ds is still so teeny. savour it.

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