Getting 4 week old into deeper sleep

[avocadotoast]

DD is 4 weeks old. She usually cluster feeds all evening until about midnight, at which point I'll take her up to bed, feed her some more there, and she'll settle to sleep on my chest usually around 1 or 2. From there I transfer her into her Sleepyhead in the bedside crib.

I don't know whether she would settle earlier, but I'm not sure; sometimes she does doze while we're still downstairs but it's not proper sleep.

Anyway, past few nights when she's woken for a feed around 3:30/4ish, I can not get her settled again for love nor money. She'll be dozy after a feed, but if I put her straight into Sleepyhead, she'll be bolt awake again. Usually I keep her on my chest in the quiet and dark until she drifts off, then put her down. Recently though even if she seems fully asleep, I'll put her down and she'll either wake up or be just half asleep, grunting and wailing and making little cries (and then awake again 10 mins later).

Is there anything anyone can suggest to keep her asleep? I tried putting my tshirt into her Sleepyhead, but I'm not sure it worked. I don't mind letting her drift to sleep on me but I can't stay awake like that for hours in the dark I'm really starting to struggle, past couple of nights have been really hard.

Is it wind/reflux? On your chest, she will be at an angle whereas, from what I know of them, she will be flat in the Sleepyhead which may make her more uncomfortable. Or she is just missing you. Getting them from you to anything else can be impossible when they are this new. Eventually, warming the moses basket with a hot water bottle helped my two but I think that they were a little bit older than your DD when were were finally able to transfer them.

I had wondered about reflux - she's been a little bit more sicky lately and sometimes arches herself back after a feed. I tried propping up one end of her mattress this morning with a wedge pillow but I'm unsure whether it helped. I'm taking her to clinic tomorrow so I might mention it then.

Try swaddling her, this worked for mine and still has to be swaddled now at 4 months, he also had reflux so we had to raise the head end of Moses slightly.
Hang on in there, it's tough going but does get easier

It was about this age that we started a routine with DD. She does cluster feed in the evenings but in between feeds, at about now (8:30ish) she has a bath, PJs on, taken upstairs and in to a quiet bedroom with just a lamp on, given final feed and usually put down awake/dozy and swaddled.

Took her a little while to want to stay in her bed but now she cries if you don't get her down quick enough and she smiles when she's put to bed. It's about 9:30 when she's put down.

At 4 weeks she was still getting up at 1 and 4 for feeds but we kept the room quiet, lights dim, quiet voices and minimal chat. Quick bum change and straight back down.

Bearcub when should I swaddle her? When we go up to bed? I tried swaddling her a couple of weeks ago but don't think I was firm enough, she's like bloody Houdini! I have to pretty much strap her blankets down so she doesn't escape

I'm actually hoping it might get better once she's big enough for a Grobag, as there hopefully won't be the shift in temperature to deal with.

A grobag was our lifesaver at this age!

We have the mega muslin and wrap really tight, tighter then you would ever think would be comfortable but he gets out other wise, we have also bought the swaddle pods that zip up the middle, sometimes a bit hot for these though, we try and stick to bottle at 5-6 play time, bath, hair brush/story upstairs so it's quiet, swaddle tight and dummy, put Ewan the sheep on (which we love) and stroke his head sshhhing him till he's gone.
If he does stir we put Ewan the sheep back on so he associates that with sleep instead of me all the time.

Swaddle when you put them in their crib, not before, only when it's absolutely time to sleep.

We use a really big muslin too, the zip swaddle we find is a total faff.

We have a couple of those specially shaped swaddle blankets, I've just never tried them could give it a go tonight I suppose. Last time we tried it she just screamed and wriggled free!

Or don't swaddle? Both mine hated it. Honestly, I've found different things worked at different times with different babies but warming the mattress was a good one and keep everything darkish and quiet to signify night helps in the long run too. Good luck and hope you find some good tips

Also make a note of the temperature. Not necessarily with a thermometer but one of mine slept best when the nights were warm (not over heated obviously). In other words, keep a eye on what does work

That's true, check to see if your LO is cold. We quite often have cosy socks on our DD so she sleeps better