OK how can I get my 6wk old to sleep more than a 20min stretch during the day?

[PrincessPeaHead]

OK a long one and I'm sure there is an answer but I don't know what it is....

She sleeps v well at night - goes down around 7, wakes around 2 for a quick feed, then back up at around 6/7. So no complaints there! But during the day she wakes herself 20mins after she goes to sleep, and won't settle again unless I pick her up and rock her, then sleeps for another 20mins etc. She isn't getting a nice big long stretch at all, so she gets windy and overtired in the afternoon and doesn't feed well. And I am bored of having to conduct my life in short 20 min bursts - it is hardly time to have a pee and make a sandwich!

The problem seems to be that she is a thumbsucker who hasn't found her thumb - and also her startle reflex is still v strong. So although she is fully swaddled, she startles herself awake and then tries to free her arms to suck herself to sleep, which of course she couldn't do even if her arms were free. I've tried a dummy (and got a lovely 2 hr nap out of her on two days) but it gives her TREMENDOUS wind, really uncomfortable, which puts her off feeding the whole afternoon and means she wakes more at night. She probably sleeps well at night because she is so knackered.

So how do I get her past the 20 min mark in the day?!! Please? Anyone?

Hi PPH
Baby massage classes might come in useful. They are very relaxing. Myself and ds really enjoyed them.
Maybe a relaxing massage in the afternoon may encourage more sleep.
Good luck

PPH, I have to conduct my life with DD in a sling. She will only sleep long enough for me to make, say, a cup of coffee, sit down with it and go "aaahhhh" before she wakes up otherwise.

She's fast asleep and snoring right now, bundled up in her pouch sling like a kangaroo.

red I do massage her and she loves it - the problem isn't that she doesn't want to go to sleep - she does - but she wakes up (knackered and wanting to sleep again) so quickly. soupy, I CAN'T carry her around in a sling all day, the mere thought makes my back ache. She is 12lbs 3! And anyway I have a very nice new ring sling and every time I've put her in it she has whinged until I've taken her out. I'll try it again...

I think she NEEDS to suck - she is desperate to get to her thumb. Ergo she needs a dummy until she can find her thumb I guess. I've been using the flat kind of orthodontic teat - I might try a round "cherry" type one - she might take in less wind if it is easier to keep in her mouth? Maybe? If that doesn't work I'll just have to institute thumb- finding masterclasses until she cracks it. Unless anyone else has any other ideas?

i ahd htis with one fo them and it drove me nuts
cant rememebr what id di
but there you are
sorry babies eh>

you helpful fish you

I could slap her with a wet fish I suppose

what about a baby swing so she's in motion while asleep? Or a cot that swings?

oh YES! god i dhave had one fo them if hteyd beena round wiht ds1

dd used to be rock, rock, rocked back the minute she looked like waking iirc. This was in a car seat rock a tot but they rock v easily with your foot.

Babies do other than this? Seriously? They do?

I do massage and all that and they've both only slept for 20 mins in the day for the first 7,8 months + (finally DS starts having hour long naps, just when I have another!)

how long is your lo awake for before you try to put her for a nap? At that age my dd couldnt last more than 1.5-2hrs max before getting tremendously overtired which makes them harder to get to sleep and stay asleep. Have you tried pat/ssh?

From the babywhisperer website:

Patting and shushing is done with a firm pat in the center of the back (like a tick-tock rhythm) and a long, repeated shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh past (not into) the ear. Loudly, like a faucet. Not fast.

Generally you do the patting/shushing in the crib. Though if he cries, you can pick him up, patting and shushing him over your shoulder, until he's completely calm. Then lay him down and keep patting and shushing. (Put a hand on his chest, or if the room isn't very dark, shield his eyes from visual stimulation.) Try it in the crib but if he wont settle you can pick him up. Keep patting and shushing in the crib for 7 - 10 minutes after he's completely settled and zoning out. Eventually stop shushing. If he cries, shush again while patting and pick up if necessary. Eventually you will get to the point where you are patting and shushing, and he's zoning out and settled in the crib. Then you slow down the patting and shushing, then stop shushing, and keep patting until baby goes to sleep. Stay with him until he's in stage three - deeper into sleep, totally let go, no eye movements. Past the "jolt." You may or may not need to be patting still at this point. Some babies will need the patting, some will need the hand on the chest or just your presence. This is the age where they still need you to guide them into sleep, and this is how you do it without accidental parenting.

The key is not to stop just because baby has calmed down, keep it up. And stay with him, don't leave, until he's melted into the crib!

Mother of FOUR! You must have had very placid babies... both mine never slept much in the day...

you could always try plonking her in a ring sling... this is all that makes DD sleep for yonks and yonks...

all my others used to be chucked in a cot with their eyes open once they had been awake for an hour and a half - they'd conk out immediately for as long as they needed. not used to this no sleeping lark!

patting and shushing sounds possible seona - but how long do I have to keep it up? start it when she begins to wake at 20mins, hope she goes back to sleep, and stop when? when she is asleep or long enough to get her past the next 20mins cycle? Hmmm, will have a look at the baby whisperer site...

otherwise I will take malory up on her kind offer and post her ooop north...

hi, i discovered baby wisperer with my third on discovery health then bought her book and found her really usuful i learnt loads and got dd3 into a sleep routine easily. Also may help to have some cranial ostoperthy (sorry i can't spell) if shes windy i had this with dd2 and it was amazing only took two sessions to sort her out. Good luck

"Patting and shushing is done with a firm pat in the center of the back (like a tick-tock rhythm) and a long, repeated shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh past (not into) the ear. Loudly, like a faucet. Not fast."

I do this with a few muttered "for god's sake shut up"s inserted into the routine,

PPH, DD was 10lb 6oz a fortnight ago, heaven knows what she is now but I still walk around with her inthe s@dding sling all day. You wuss! :o

HURRAH! Cherry-shaped dummy worked like a dream, got 2.5 hours sleep from her at lunch time and she was super smiley and not at all windy this afternoon. And has gone to bed like normal for the night without it. It looks FOUL - huge, bright pink, with a big ring in it like a pig - but a huge success nonetheless. Will endeavour only to use it for naps and chuck it when she finds her thumb.... lets see if that works...!

Sorry Malory, no large jiffy bags coming through your door any time soon

he he he

chavvy he he

ps carol, I've taken her to a cranial osteopath and she is noticeably better after one session. going again this week. thanks!

pps soupy can I have a photo of the lovely miss s please??

ppps bog off codlett

After 20 mins babies start to fall into a deeper sleep - sometimes this can mean they waken... but still desperately need sleep. Do try leaving for 5 mins and see if dd re-settles herself. Mine hated being swaddled from day 2 and it's not compulsory after all. Maybe one way of helping might be to go for long walk one day. Get her wrapped up and ready for when she normally goes down then take her out in pram. If she wakes keep walking... Only suggestions...

We borrowed a swinging chair for our second and it worked a treat. Poor DD couldn't keep her eyes open and in the end she had to sleep. After a while we'd turn it off and then the length of time we kept it going for got shorter and shorter.

We also had an old Marmet pram that was great for sticking at the end of the garden. She was a February baby so well wrapped up. Again, we mostly rocked the pram for the first few times but sometimes we had to see to DS so she would yell for a bit. After a while she would just go to sleep when she was put into it.

Ah, boo.

I was going to say, get a cherry soother, i think big babies struggle to keep the rubbish flat ones in, so they slurp at them and get wind. Ds had a cherry soother, instant 2/3 hour sleeps!

on the dummy front, Dd had a NUK latex one, which she seemed (if I remember rightly) to take to immediately. I'd out her in her cot, give her this & those littles eyes would close amazing ! Slept for at least 45mins in the morning, same for the afternoon. Pretty sure lunchtime was a good 1.5 hours.

Swaddling!!!