Sleep confusion

[Carryniccy]

My little boy is 6 weeks old at the end of is week. Last night we had the night from hell, up every hour, as the weeks gone on its got progressively worse to this last night.
Spoke to hv today and she said to make sure he gets lots of feeds in the day which I do but will be ultra hot on this today and make sure he's not too asleep when he feeds or misses any feeds.
Now I'm confused, he won't fall asleep on his own in the day, so I tend to rock or hold him until he sleeps, I do this to prevent him getting overtired. But every keeps saying not to do this as it creates later problems, but if I don't then he won't sleep and then gets overtired....which hv has said to make sure he doesn't get as that could be why he's not sleeping at night.....help! Confused!
If I do rock him to sleep and then put him down he ends up waking and crying the house down and again worries me about over tiredness, so more and more I've found myself sitting with him sleeping on me, not a habit I want to get into but I want him to be a happy non overtired baby and this seems too be he only way of making him sleep in the day!

Ps I only rock him to sleep when he's had a feed, a play and is still. Eying and I assume it's due to tiredness!

*crying

I wouldn't worry too much when your baby is so young about creating 'bad' habits down the line - if you need to rock/hold/feed your baby to sleep then I'd do that as the most important thing at this stage is that he gets enough sleep, by any means.

Once he has a more established sleeping routine and starts to mature a bit then he'll more than likely need less and less soothing each time until he can eventually self-settle.

Mine would only sleep propped up on my chest due to reflux, but by around 10 weeks he was able to sleep for longer and longer in his moses basket and eventually did all of his sleeping in his own basket/cot.

Might be worth ruling out any health issues like reflux that might mean it's discomfort rather than just tiredness that's causing him to get so upset.

I'm curious why you don't want your baby to fall asleep on you during the day? If he's your first it's one of the most lovely indulgences you can have! You won't get the chance again to spend time with him like that. My ds is 14 months now and I really miss those early snuggly weeks! He's far too busy dashing about to snuggle up with me now. And I can also see that if I had a second baby I wouldn't get the same opportunity again.

It really doesn't create any long term problems. My ds would only sleep on me or in the pram for about 7 or 8 months. Gradually got better about being put down, and now he does all sleeps in his cot without any bother. He just got to the point where he was happy to do so.

Will your ds sleep in his pram? Have you tried a sling - he can sleep and you can move around with your hands free?

He needs sleep day and night. Dont withhold sleep - this cretes problems. He's so young to be restricting naps - that's what people do with toddlers!!!!

So stick him in a sling, or pram or whatever works and get him napping in the day. Hopefully after a week or so he'll catch up on lost sleep and his nights will improve (although you'll still get night wakings, which is normal!)

Thanks all. I must have worded this wrong, he has been napping in the day but only because I rock him to sleep and I wasn't sure if I should rock and hold him as people keep saying it creates future problems but I've been doing it anyway!
ExBrightonbell, I love cuddling him but was worried about bad habits but ignoring these people now and snuggling the days away!

Newborn snuggles are the best Miss those days a lot!

If I could ban a phrase used around new mums it would be "creating a bad habit"! No such thing at this age.