sleeping tips for a new born

[sunlitbays]

Hi

I would welcome any tips you have for getting a 5 week old to sleep in the evening so we are not still awake at midnight!

Rocking, feeding, taking baby for a drive or for a walk in the pram or sling - I find fresh air knocks DS out... or have you tried these and still not working??

I find picking a bedtime (7 is good) and the getting a routine going for about an hour beforehand works

I keep 4 wk old DS awake from about 6, then bath about 7, then a feed. Wears him right out and he sleeps until 10.30

If baby is awake it's possibly because he/she needs to feed, if you are bfing. DS did this and DD (9 weeks old) does it now from about 6 til 9/9.30 every night - she'll only go off once she's had enough and with bfing particularly in the evening time it takes a while for her to get stocked up. They will grow out of it, in the meantime just encourage the routine - with DS we introduced a small top up of formula around 6 weeks, about 2 or 3 oz (so not a full formula feed) at 7pm on top of being breast fed and this got him to sleep for the evening, largely, I seem to remember. Just haven't got round to it yet with DD!

Also make the evening different to daytime ie make sure it is quiet and dark - it may not be such an issue at 5 weeks but certainly as they get older they do find it harder to settle when there is light and noise - too much stimulation - and some babies are worse for this than others. DS would sleep quite easily but DD is much more easily stirred.

Put the baby to sleep in the place they are going to sleep for the next few years.

If they are in a moses basket, put the moses basket in the cot.

Do it at set nap times each day using 7pm as a nite nite one.

I second the routine, and plenty of feeds, but I also think it is important to know that you can let your baby cry for five minutes.

Go through your routine, have the last feed somewhere dark and peaceful (not infront of the TV) then put baby down and walk away. If baby is still crying in five minutes then back in - reasure and cuddle, still in dark peaceful place, then back in bed. If you've done a good feed, then more food isn't necessary for a couple of hours.

Lots of people will say that 5 weeks old is too young to try this sort of "controlled crying" technique but I think it is important to get the message, "it is bedtime therefore you sleep" message in early.

I have 3 girls, oldest is now 10, who all slept through the night from 6 wo by giving them this strong message. My brother also has 3dc, none of whom slept the night because if the children were awake then they were played with/rocked what ever time of day or night it was.

It does get better, but if you are going to be good parents you need sleep.

My baby slept through from 3 weeks. Solid from 10 till 7. And has done so every since (now 4 months). Hope she continues

When I was putting her to bed and she was crying, instead of picking her up, I was rubbing her tummy and head for a few minutes. Repeating after a couple of minutes if she started again.

THat worked for me.