baby won't sleep until after 11pm....

[LimesMum]

DD is 7 weeks. Having trouble getting her to go to sleep at night.... Well more trouble getting her to stay asleep. She will fall asleep on boob or in baby carrier/ rocking but once transferred to cot wakes straight up

Now I know I'm gonna get loads of comment saying I need to put her down awake but I've tried and it just doesn't work!!!

The last 2 nights she has screamed and screamed and seemed so uncomfortable and then been majorly sick in her cot - I wonder if she has reflux??

She is constantly sucking at her fists/fingers - is this normal??

In the day we don't have these issues and she falls asleep no problem - she is sleeping a lot in the day maybe too much? Today she slept from 830--1230 then 130-4 then awake 4 until now (almost 11pm) - is this too much?? Should I be letting her sleep less??

Any advice greatly appreciated! Thanks x

Sounds like she hasn't worked out when is day and when is night yet? Could you take her out more in the day so she gets more daylight (if you aren't already)?

If she cries until she is sick when you put her in the cot then I think the most likely thing is that she is just distressed and wants to be close to you. What happens if you put her in the cot but let her know you're there e.g. rest a hand on her chest?

Have you tried swaddling, so she feels safe and secure but without necessarily being held?

Sucking fingers is totally normal. will she take a dummy?

It will get better!

Oh and the general "rule" which most people I know seem to follow is that babies should be awake two hours ish maximum before they go down for a nap. So you'd want to avoid a long stretch e.g. from 4pm-11pm as the baby might just become overtired and impossible to settle. That is easier said than done though!

I had one of those well, not really, mine didn't sleep much in the day either.
Sounds like she hasn't worked out which is day and which is night yet. Don't fret - they all have different sleeping patterns. If she's reliably having long sleeps in the day like that though, then that is when you too must get your head down and catch up. Everything is easier to cope with if you are getting almost enough sleep yourself.

Thanks for the advice - I do try take her out but she actually seems to sleep more when I go out and about!! Is she having too much sleep in the day??

Yes I did know that 2 hour rule and on the day she can't stay awake longer than that at a LL so goodness knows how she ends up awake so long in evening?!

Tonight she did fall asleep quite a few items but woke as soon as put down.

It's not so much crying until sick as she was quite calm at the point when she was sick ?!?

Not tried a dummy - reluctant to for some reason but maybe I need to try!!

If she's falling asleep feeding then she probably has wind making her uncomfortable and then sick. My DCs have always gone into a kind of pretend sleep after feeding, I call it a milk coma. If I lie them down on my bed they wake up, then I pick them up again and wind them properly before getting them back to sleep again with some rocking or bouncing or whatever works at this stage.

You could also try a light swaddle so the baby feels more secure in the cot. At 7 wks they're too little to be put down awake IMO.

I also think a lot of babies go down for the night quite late still at this point. At least mine did. DC2 is 3mo and still usually sleeping around .9.30 if I'm lucky.

DD was definitely still up with us until we went to bed around 11 at that age, although she would usually sleep on us for some of that time. She wouldn't settle in her cot until she was over 4 months (even then still in Sleepyhead and with lots of perseverance!!).
Would she have a sleep in a sling of an evening?

She's only 7 weeks, still very early days! Took mine longer than that to work out the difference between day and night. And it's totally ok and normal to be putting her down asleep! Babies learn self settling by themselves when they are ready. If she's being sick it sounds like she's very distressed. Just go with what you're doing but agree on getting her lots of fresh air and daylight. The important thing is she's getting sleep even if that's during the day right now. Not great for you sorry, but it will get better soon I promise you!

Thanks all - reassuring too!! Think I expect too much of her after having issues with DD1 and not wanting to cause similar issues/rod for own back etc etc!!!