Sleeping sounds = no sleep for mum and dad

[leoniethelioness]

Hello

My son is 4 weeks old - although he was born prematurely at 35 weeks. He sleeps peacefully all day. However, at night he makes lots of sleeping noises - grunts, squeaks, gurgles, "urghhhhhh" noises - like a small dying animal. He is asleep through this but I can't sleep through it and it's starting to get me down. I've only been able to sleep if I go to another room and leave him with DH. (We've been sleeping separately and taking turns with him.) DH goes back to work tomorrow so this isn't really an option in the week any longer.

Do you have any ideas why he is only noisy at night? What can we do about it? I'm not seeing the health visitor until Monday and need help now!

We've tried elevating the head end of his crib, giving him Infacol before feeds and using a dummy. I put a hot water bottle in his crib when he's not in it so it's warm for him and stick his blanket under my duvet to keep it warm. We change him at every feed and he sleeps in a co-sleeper crib so we're right next to him.

We've now resorted to playing Radio 3 overnight to drown him out...

Ah I remember this! I think tiny babies are often snuffly and snorty in their deep sleep, can you wear earplugs? Should drown the grunts out but you'd still hear him cry if he's right next to you.

Dd2 moved into her own room at 6 days for this reason!

My 35 weeker was exactly the same and isn't much better now at 8 months, but thankfully he's finally in his own room. I wore earplugs and it was great. He was in a cosleeping crib so even with the earplugs I'd hear him as soon as he stirred but wasn't kept awake by the ridiculous grunts/snores etc (and the same from my DH)

This is why DD moved into her own room at 7 weeks! I couldn't get back to sleep after the night feeds due to her noises and it was driving me demented. Everyone much happier and she slept far better too!

I liked it. After my 3rd child died at birth, the only way I was able to sleep when my 5th and 5th were born was because they were both grunters and snorters. I still woke every half an hour to check the baby hadn't died, but that half an hour was only possible because of the noises.

Little babies make noise. That's just how it is, unfortunately. We learned to sleep through it. Then once when he was 9 weeks, MIL had to sleep in our room when DH was away (long story why) and she woke up looking shattered. And I was all bouncy because he had breastfed only twice at night. And she looked at me and said, 'but the noise?? All that noise he was making constantly?!' And I was all 'huh? What noise?' So clearly I had learned to block it out and go to sleep. Don't respond to every squeak/grunt etc. Let him sleep and just tune it out as best as you can. It's developmental and it passes.

Oh I remember this. I got an horrendously blocked ear when she was 4 weeks old and it saved my sleep. By the time I got it syringed she was quieter. White noise to drown out the snuffles might help

I'm already wearing ear plugs. 😂