Daytime naps for 7 week old- don't know what to do!

[LuigiB]

A bit of background - ds1 is 6 and has always been a terrible sleeper- probably due to the fact that we would pick him up at the slightest noise and would definitely not let him cry to self-settle as a baby. He finally slept thought the night consistently at 4.5 and that has been a factor in our waiting to have another one.

Now I have ds2 who is seven weeks old, and it looks to me as it is going the same way. I am desperate for it not too, partly so he can feel happy in the day and not overtired, and also so I can not end the day in tears with a screaming baby.

When he came home from the hospital he slept most of the day, and up until about a week ago I was able to put him down in his Moses basket drowsy and he would sleep for 1 - 1.5 hours. Last week that all changed - his eyes would pop open if I even went near the basket and rocking and holding would only work occasionally. Yesterday was diabolical - he was so overtired and I just kept feeding him and rocking and laying down in my bed with him and patting him, but nothing would work. Tried a sling too, he just screamed his head off. The pram works a little, but he just catnaps really, so as soon as you stop his eyes flick open.

Today I have been trying to read his sleep cues- yawning, going drowsy at the breast and glazed eyes and so have been putting him in his Moses basket and patting and shushing him. He is crying for 5-10 minutes and sleeping for 45mins - 1 hour, but should I be doing this? I just don't know really, he just feels too young to be crying so much and yet if I don't do this, by this afternoon it will be meltdown after meltdown.

Any advice or reassurance? Thanks

Oh poor you. My dd was like this although a sling really helped. White noise helped too, I had an app on my
Phone. It's not as if your letting him cry on his own, you are there shushing him. And he is then sleeping.

If you let him stay on the breast will he sleep there? It's not ideal but it might help with the crying.

What about a walk? I always felt if the crying was bad it didn't sound so bad outside...although you may create a sleep association with outside and EVERY nap will have to be outside....

Anyway good luck!

Hi DrMcDreamysWife, thank you for your response, it's nice to know there are other people out there with baby's like mine!

When I let him sleep after a feed he will wake himself up after a few minutes and start crying again. The pram is ok, like you say the crying doesn't seem so bad in there.

I have just been sobbing down the phone to DH, probably mostly due to sleep deprivation, but in part due to extinction of hope that we were going to get a great sleeper this time. I might have to resort to driving around the streets yet, lets see...

Sleep deprivation is awful, totally makes me cry. My dd is now 9mo and still goes through weeks when
She wakes every 2 hours at night...we're on a 3-4 hour week so I'm relatively sane.

Someone asked me recently if I was thinking about another. Crazy person, shes not even 1!! I'd love another I think I'll be like you putting if off till she sleeps... And then pray for a good sleeper next time!!

My advice is think of your reaction in levels.

Ie: if baby is in cot crying. Low level would be no touching but voice reasurance, next level something like kneeling down to his level and reasurring with both voice and touch ie patting, strocking face. Highest level would be picking baby up.

Sometimes baby will need picking up/ rocked to sooth, but other times you may be able to just talk and reasure with touch. It means you are closer to the final aim ( ie of them sleeping in cot ). If baby of picked up, falls asleep on you, then to get them in cot you have to remove from your body and resettle in cot. But if you can manage to settle them whilst they are still in cot it saves one step ( ie resettling once moved/ hoping they stay asleep).

Might sound confusing but can really help of makes sense!

Another thing is letting them get used to cot as a good safe place to be. When they are happy and not tired try putting in cot with a toy to look at and just potter around the room putting clothes away or something and talking to them. Even 5 mins or so, gradually increasing. As they get older let them sit in cot when awake with a toy or book whilst doing the same thing of just highlighting that the cot/ bed is a nice place to be.