I thought newborns slept for 18 hours a day :S

[FeastofBeans]

I've definitely read this (NHS book I think) but I'm lucky if my 2wo sleeps for 18 minutes in every 24 hours! She falls asleep whilst feeding but when we try to transfer her to her basket she's wide awake again and whimpers/whinges until she's picked up. She rarely cries but just sounds pained and like everything is a massive struggle. Sometimes she falls asleep on me or DH but this means we don't sleep as we are anxious about rolling on her or something terrible like that.

Is it normal for one so little to sleep so little?

Have you been out in a car/buggy/sling? I'm knackered from pushing our 6 week old around but she has a great nap. Of course your baby is still tiny and I know I found it hard taking her anywhere in the early days. I've heard sleep begets sleep, if she has some good sleeps when out it might reset her clock a bit and help with naps at home?

We had trouble transferring ours to her basket but we've just switched to sleeping bags (she's big enough) and that's made it easier.

Hope someone with more expertise can help. And congratulations!

Some sleep a lot and some don't - mine deffo didn't!

I second a sling

Have you tried swaddling - its very soothing

DD slept on me or in bed with me for the first few days and then we co slept until she was 4 months. Are you breatsfeeding? If so, co sleeping is a life saver and can help settle your LO

Sling and let her sleep on you (while you're awake). Some newborns really hate being separate from another human, sounds like you've got one of those. She really needs more sleep, please hold her more

Is she doing that "Nnnngh nnnggh nnnnnnghh" sound? DS used to do that and it was really annoying! I'd think "Just cry or don't cry, argh!"

It's normal for a little one to want to be in constant contact with you - I'd try and go with this as far as possible. Co-sleeping is safe if you follow the guidelines. (I can't find a link now) and really really don't worry about getting into bad habits. Habits can be changed and it doesn't have to be a struggle. Besides - she's used to being very close to you and hearing your heartbeat! It's a bit of a shock for them to come out and then be constantly put down away from that.

Hi,
My DS now three months never slept for more than a hour in total day and very little at night. At about a month he calmed down. He now sleeps 3 1/2 in the day and probably 11 hours at night. Not all in one go but wakes twice for a feed normally but that has dropped to one the last few nights.

Our DS was an assisted birth. His head and neck got squashed at birth and he was in so much pain that didnt help him sleep either. He would only lie on one side,hated vests being put on BUT we took him to see a crainio oasteopath which the hospital told us to who has helped him beyond belief!! The midwife gave us some numbers but a friend recommended oneon the list. I have a different child to the one I came home with you. I will be taking every future baby we have normal or assisted birth! Go honestly it will help. Three others on my Nct course have used her after seeing my baby before and after treatment. Good luck xxx

Normal for them not to want to sleep away from you! If you can, co-sleep (or just hold her) - if you have to put her down, hold her for at least 20 minutes so she's deeply asleep, and then transfer her onto a warm surface with a blanket or t-shirt that smells of you.

They do need plenty of sleep though, so maybe take turns holding her so she can get some decent sleep and you can take turns sleeping.

It's a complete myth put round so that people actually reproduce - if people knew the realities of the early weeks/months then many would be unlikely to!

DS slept a lot - we let him sleep on us/in a sling. Sometimes in the day we could put him down swaddled in the day for short bursts.

However images of babies sleeping for hours in their cots/Moses baskets for hours on end. Remove those from your brain!