Why doesn't my baby sleep at night?

[Disgruntledpelicanlady]

Hi - FTM so still getting to grips with this.
DD is nearly 6 weeks. Past 3 nights have been hard work.
She sleeps in next to me cot on our bed. She was sleeping fine - 3-4hrs between feeds and changes. But now she wakes every 30 mins crying. Every time I pick her up she goes straight back to sleep with a cuddle. She refuses to feed most of the time so she's not hungry. She doesn't wake up as soon as she's put back, but then 30 minutes later she cries and again immediately stops when picked up and cuddled. This repeats all night.
She's fed and clean. She has white noise. She has had colic but this is different. It's not that she doesn't want to be put down cause she stays asleep when first put down.
She sleeps fine throughout the day - in her pram, moses basket, on us etc.
What am I missing?

I'm not sure you're missing anything other than that babies are often shit at sleeping. If it's only been the last few days hopefully it's just a phase and will go back to what you had before, which to be honest sounds like it was really very good for a 5 week old.

If it continues you could try co-sleeping with her actually in the bed, maybe being a bit closer to you would help?
Or you could go to bed early, leave her with your OH, and get a few solid hours of sleep at the start of the night? Just to help you manage your own tiredness.

Its probably not this, but if it's just been the last couple of nights, is she a little cold maybe, as the temp has dropped from the weekend?

It's possibly just that she's becoming a little more aware so as she shifts between sleep cycles she realises you're not holding her, wakes, as soon as you are there she's calm enough to go back to sleep.

I'd avoid picking her up and try rubbing her back/patting her bum/stroking her face/giving her dummy a little wiggle or tap, basically comfort her, but if at all possible get out of the habit of picking her up each time.

My baby is 6 months always been a crap sleeper but been pulling this stunt the past few nights too I am losing my mind! Solidarity OP, this too shall pass…

From memory they go through a bit of a developmental leap around 6 weeks. Generally this always affects their sleep but will hopefully return to how it was in a few days.

She is a 6 week old baby and biologically she needs a cuddle when she wakes up. So you cuddle her. Safe cosleeping is the solution to you not losing your mind.

Thanks for the replies.
I do think the temp change might have affected her.
I'd love to cosleep but lullaby trust says to avoid (even if following the guidelines for safe co sleeping) if they were premature - which she was and spent time in scbu. So I don't feel like I can risk it.
Luckily me and my husband have got a good shift routine sorted when needed and she sleeps well during the day meaning I can nap so I'm not too sleep deprived yet.
I was more concerned she was uncomfortable/distressed and I was missing something obvious she needed.

Ah fair enough. Well there is a development leap at 6 weeks, so it's probably she's unsettled and needing comfort of mummy.

What does she sleep in at night? A swaddle sleeping bag might help if it’s the startle reflex waking her?

Swaddle and dummy?