6 week old who won't nap!

[MustBeDueSomeBetterFeet]

Hi everyone, I wonder if anyone could offer me the benefit of their experience!

DS will be 6 weeks tomorrow. He's sleeping fairly well at night, going down relatively easily at 7pm and sleeping for a long stretch until his next feed.

The issue I have is with daytime.

I am trying to get him to take regular naps, based on when he's displaying signs of being sleepy (usually 1.5 hours after waking). However he just won't play ball!

I know a lot of babies seem to be able to sleep wherever, but I've tried his carrycot, his bouncy chair, a travel cot, to no avail. If I do get him to sleep in his moses basket in a dark room, it takes ages. Often when I put him down he starts screaming immediately, and I don't know what approach to take to resettle?

Sometimes he'll only go through one sleep cycle before he screams, and I find resettling him very difficult. I am also getting the stage where I dread trying to put him down during the day as it takes so much energy and then I'm just waiting for him to make the smallest noise - signifying the madness starting all over again!!

Any advice would be welcomed on how to help him get enough sleep in the day.

He'll probably sleep in short bursts if you keep on the move eg have him in pram or sling. My DS only slept in short bursts (20 mins or so) on the move but was ready for long naps in cot by 5 months or so. Tiring for you but not nearly as tiring as constantly trying, and failing, to force him into a routine when it's not for him.

Big hug. First few months are exhausting but it'll pass.

can you try a sling for a few weeks?

Pushchair
Sling
Your lap

God it's awful when they don't nap - draining and stressful especially with first baby IME. Firstly don't try too hard for regular naps as you will wear yourself down, and secondly you may need to accept short naps for now.

I know "won't play ball" is just an expression, but it suggests your mindset is one where you want, or think you ought, to be in charge. Babies play their own ball game, they change the rules all the time, they don't do what their mothers' friends' babies are doing, and definitely dont do what the books say!

Sorry if I sound patronising. I don't mean to be.

Thanks for the replies.

Yes, he will sleep in the car/pram as long as we're moving. Or in the sling if I'm walking about, but the second I sit down he's awake!!

Surely he needs more than occasional cat naps?

Maybe I just need to get out and about with him much more so he can sleep on the go. The problem is that I'm still recovering from the birth so walking (even around the house) is very sore. Hopefully that will improve over the next few weeks though.

Sorry X-posted.

I think furiousrox what you say is fair. I guess where I'm coming from is that I know he needs to sleep from his behaviour, and I wish he'd go along with it! But I appreciate that a lot of babies need to learn how to sleep well.

I also don't know whether to try a dummy for daytime naps, but am concerned it'll be habit-forming. Although I don't know what I'm afraid of necessarily - storing up problems for later?

1.5 hrs is a very long time for a six week old. At that age, I would put dd down after 45 mins awake time, regardless of signs, as if I left her till she looked tired she was over tired.

I kept her near me in the lounge or bedroom whereever I was, but would swaddle her and pop.a dummy in. Have you tried swaddling? I found it very very helpful.

Maybe a bit more winding down before naps? The Baby Whisperer has a good routine, 4S - sit, swaddle, shush and another S that I've forgotten but you spend a good ten minutes getting into sleepy mode rather than just plonking them in their cot.

My 3 were a bit like this and could get a bit overstimulated - I would swaddle them (you may not want to do this bit), put them on my shoulder and pat and shush them off. Sometimes I would lay them down then or just let them have a nap on me (as long as you don't fall asleep too). After about 8 weeks old I could swaddle and put them down sleepy but awake and they would fall asleep themselves.

Can you pop into pram and rock from sofa ( so you can rest also)

I am very much for a baby into a cot/ routine etc , but dont worry about it this early. 6 weeks and say 16weeks are very different. So maybe spend the next few weeks recovering yourself/ sleeps in sling/ buggy etc, and then you can gradually beginning 'proper' naps in a month or two

Babies sleep cycles are 45min long. It takes a while for them to learn to go through one and into the next

Thanks for all the help.

mortifiedadams you're probably right - if he is particularly sensitive, then I need to get him to bed pronto rather than wait for the yawning to start!!

We are swaddling which found made a massive difference immediately. lyndie he'll generally fall asleep in my arms fine, but when I try to put him down he wakes up. I'm also trying to put him in drowsy rather than fully asleep so he knows where he is and settles himself but it doesn't tend to work. I agree on winding down though. I try and take my time, but I'm not sure how to fill the wind down period though! We try and sit in a quiet room, I'll sing or read a book to him, I'll cuddle him for a while. I think I will re-read Baby Whisperer though.

Good idea forevergreek on rocking from the sofa!!

Probably what I need to do is just give myself a break and do what I can to get through right now. It's hard to feel so helpless though and I worry what I'm doing wrong will lead to him not sleeping enough/developing well.

I second the swaddling. And try a dummy - just see if it works and don't worry too much about forming habits at this stage.

Ha from my position of immense wisdom (I have a two year old an a five month old so I''m really not an expert) it is always a question of doing what it takes and worrying that it might not be enough! Giving yrsf a break is a good move for sure.

Our dd (9 weeks) naps lots during the day, but won't go down in any of the places you've tried, either! She'll only sleep on one of us. I've got very used to watching long stretches of telly and operating the computer with one hand while she sleeps for a couple of hours.

Hope they both grow out of it at some point!