Young Baby sleep

[gigi556]

I've been reading a number of threads on hear about this but wanted to ask a slightly more specific question. I'm a FTM with a 10 week old DS. The lack of routine is driving me batty. I get that his sleep and routine or lack there of is relatively normal but I really want to work on improving it. I can't seem to find a Day pattern. His normal evening pattern is sleep around 9/10 then wake around 1/2 then up again around 4 and then waking every 30-60 minutes until we get up around 7:30. I say normally but some nights he goes totally off piste. We were starting to implement a bedtime routine but I have family in town and it's gone totally out the window. When they leave next week I'd like to start again with bedtime routine and also possibly try the whole EAT, AWAKE, SLEEP thing again. I tried it previously but only stuck it out about a day as it drove me crazy but I'm wondering if I tried too much at once...

My goals
Limit night waking to 1-2 times particularly the every 30-60 minutes in the morning.
Get consistent good naps independently

Baby sleeps in our bed in the sleepyhead which my partner and I are happy with. I'd like to get the baby to his own room in the cot as soon as he's consistently only waking once or not at all, but don't feel I need to work on this now as he's still so young.

Baby naps either on me in the ergo or moby wrap. I'm finding this the best way to get a good nap but I really can't get much done or sleep at the same time... I can get baby to sleep then transfer to sleepyhead or pram but sometimes baby wakes immediately and sometimes baby sleeps but not for very long.

Settling baby day and night usually involves ergo or wrap and walking/bouncing/squats etc. Sometimes baby falls asleep at the breast but not consistently. I've been trying hard with a dummy but he usually spits it out repeatedly. I've tried swaddling, but the carriers are more effective and I don't think he likes the swaddle.

I'm wondering if I should try the EASY routine with all naps on me to figure out his pattern and then work on independent naps or work on the independent naps and the routine all at once? How can I get the baby to stay down in the morning??? Why is he waking up repeatedly?!

Cyclic routines that are derived from awake time (like EASY) are fine at this age, to give predictability to your day. But you need to be prepared for flexibility depending on loads of sleep/feeding/life issues that come together to affect awake and asleep times.

Dummy is pivotal and central to no crying independant sleep.

Without something to suck (dummy or breast) when going to sleep, there is likely going to be some crying when baby goes to sleep independantly sooner or later. Either initially when you force the issue to teach baby or every sleep time. Your decision depends on your tolerance to crying. Many of those who's baby doesn't have a dummy and who won't listen to their baby crying end up feeding to sleep. Less by choice, more by necessity.

I'm wondering if I should try the EASY routine with all naps on me to figure out his pattern and then work on independent naps

Daytime naps will always require more help to get baby to sleep compared to night sleep. Because of this i have always given extra help for naps, less independant, in order to get a goid routine going. Then once naps extend past 90m or so (around 6m), then move to completely independant cot naps.

The extra help you give baby can be easier to wean off or more difficult. Holding baby is going to be a harder 'crutch' to wean off when you seek independant sleep. Likewise feeding to sleep or rocking/bouncing in your arms.

I favour naps in something that moves. This means baby is used to being put down to sleep, going to sleep physically separately to you, but still gets the extra help to get to sleep and stay asleep. I favour the bouncy chair for this. Pushchair/pram in a dark, quiet room would do the same.

You could do WAFS (wake, activity, feed, sleep). It allows for a cyclic routine that comes from limited awake time, but allows for feeding to sleep. You don't have to feed upon waking. It does help develop good sleep hygiene though.

How can I get the baby to stay down in the morning??? Why is he waking up repeatedly?!

With regards to this, at 10 weeks old you need to realise that sleep is going to be constantly and rapidly changing over the coming 9 months.

There really is no benefit stressing too much about fixing anything. Because a few weeks down the line everything will change again and you'll have something new to face regarding baby sleep.

Yes, of course have in mind the kind of sleep habits you are aiming for and work towards there. But don't stress the ups and downs too much. New parenthood definately tests a persons abilities to relinquish control and be flexible to another humans ever changing needs.