15 week old sleep/nap times

[teacher123]

My DS seems to be getting better at settling in the evenings (I have probably jinxed that now and am prepared for this to get worse at the drop of a hat!) he generally is asleep for the evening in his cot by around 6.30 and then wakes up usually around 12am, 3.30am and then always dead on 5am... Which is an absolute killer and he will not settle without being fed, even though he's not hungry as he's usually only fed an hour before.

I think that the early waking is because I have to put him to bed so early because his napping in the day is so appalling... He has never since he came back from hospital aged 1 week slept at home for longer than 20 minutes in the daytime unless he's been on my knee after I've fed him to sleep. He will sleep in his car seat, or pushchair so at the moment I am spending 3 hours a day walking/driving him around. I am absolutely shattered.

He will sleep beautifully and peacefully in his cot at night. Is usually fed to sleep but will self settle if he wakes up on being put down but screams and screams if put down in the day awake or asleep. We have tried: swaddling, white noise, Moses basket, cot, bouncy chair, light room, black out room, dummy.

I need to get him to nap at home! Any suggestions gratefully received!

Feed him to sleep on your bed and nap with him?

Have tried that-it worked once-for 20 minutes! I don't know whether to do some sort of sleep training?

Will he not feed back to sleep if you get him just as he's stirring?

Not sure you can do any sleep training on a 15 week old.

At that age, dd could only manage about an hour awake so if she woke at 7, by 8am I was resettling her in bed for her first nap. Even if she didnt look tired, it was dummy in, teddy and lights out. You could try putting him into his buggy an hour after he wakes in the dark and pushing it back and forth till he drops off?

On the plus side I am 2 stone lighter than the day I got my bfp so maybe I should stick with the walking will try feeding to sleep on our bed again and see if I can at least have a nap myself at those times!

He will occasionally deign to nap at home in his bouncy chair or if I rock him in his maxi cosi but will always wake after 20 minutes... It's so frustrating! He doesn't need to be rocked to sleep at bedtime! I always plan for his first nap to be around 1 1/2 hours after we get up-there have been many many 8am trips to Starbucks in the rain....

My dd2 is same age. She currently goes down at 6pm and only rarely gets up once for a feed then up at five am. Brilliant lucky me yada yada. But during the day she also only has about twenty mins here or there and it's driving me nuts! I have tried sticking to same routine, feed to sleep, rocking walking, in car all with various amounts of success. I guess really she doesn't need as much sleep during day as other babies and after taking a step back, I've realised she's quite happy, feeds well, growing well and she's still little to establish set daytime naps. If you're really concerned your health visitor can recommend sleep techniques and routines and general advice :)

I'm more selfishly concerned about myself! I always make sure he gets naps as he screams the house down if he gets overtired... It's just the constantly having to be on the move that is really exhausting. Before I had him EVERYONE said 'it's ok, you sleep when the baby does!' I feel cheated! He is ebf so I do all nightwakings which is fine, but he's still waking at least 3 times a night which i know is absolutely normal, but I'm getting seriously knackered now. Am currently going to bed at 7.30 whenever I can just to get some sleep in!

I sympathise completely, my 12 week old has struggled with daytime sleep since week 3. My hv, GP and midwife suggested trying to get her into a daytime routine as she is so overtired (she rubs her eyes raw) and has so little awake happy time. I'm currently trying a routine with the help of a maternity nurse/midwife, it's very, very hard emotionally. It's also very slow progress. At least your baby sleeps in the car seat/pram and well at night, that's a plus. I wish mine would do any of those things! If you want more info on the routine am trying out feel free to message me. Best of luck!