Noisy 6 week old sleeper

[AussieMum28]

Help! My 6 week old son is currently feeding every 3 hours which is absolutely fine BUT I can't sleep in between feeds because he is so noisy! He grunts, moans, whimpers, shrieks all while asleep. He doesn't need me to settle/calm him. He is just so noisy I can't actually sleep through the sounds he is making. I'm currently getting about 1 hour solid sleep and anywhere between 1-2 hours of light dozing overnight. I can't keep this up. Any ideas? I've got a white noise machine but I can hear him over it. Also have ear plugs but they only drown out his little noises, not his loud ones and he hated being swaddled

I'm afraid it's totally normal. Sleeping next to DD (now 5 months) was like trying to sleep on the set of Jurassic Park. No one ever told me that babies were so loud! Every 3 hours for feeding is totally normal but you do of course need to rest in between times. A couple of things that we did helped:

1. Do you have a partner who could go to bed later or get up earlier so that you're splitting the night with baby. That way you both get some quiet time without baby in the room.
2. Trying to get baby down for a nice long lunch time nap. This gives you time to nap to. We used the little ones sleep programme so that I could try and time her nap and have my own.
3. After dinner, I usually crash out on the sofa for a couple of hours before the late feed which helps me catch up on sleep. We use a motion mat with the baby monitor so baby can sleep in a different room and we would be alerted if they don't move for 5 and then 20 seconds.
4. Try to make the room baby is sleeping in as dark as possible, monitor the temperature to make sure it's comfortable for them. We used a gro bag that was like a swaddle but with zips and DD could have her arms out which she prefers. DD also hates a standard swaddle. This all helped her to have more deep sleep. For baby's they are loud in their light sleep (first phase of sleep) and quieter during deep sleep. The noise will be worse after midnight and peak from 2-4am so try and time your best sleep around this. Nap, go to bed early, go back to bed and sleep in etc.

Remember that the end is in sight! DD started to improve around 10 weeks of age and now at 22 weeks all we hear is her chewing her hands rather than barnyard noises.

I feel your pain, from about 7 weeks my DD starting grunting, wriggling, kicking legs in the air etc and I hardly slept all night. Not what you might want to hear but that lasted until about 15/16 weeks. It’s all to do with their little tummies developing appaarently. Now at 23 weeks DD doesn’t make them noises thankfully. Sleep while you can, maybe co sleep for a few weeks?

Thanks for replying and all the advice! My little one is prem so cosleepjng is out but I might pop him in a sling and cuddle on the couch so I can doze a bit. Got an hours sleep last night! Hopefully he will get better soon x

I've given up tonight and I've popped him in the sling and will try and nap on the couch! 3:30 and no sleep yet! Lol

Silicon ear plugs are the best, if you’re not already using these. I find they drown out all but the loudest of cries. I hear my baby if she actually cries out for me but not all her regular snuffles/gurgles/farts. I recommend Bio Ears.

It will get better! My little one is 10 weeks old and is now getting better at sleeping for longer stretches. The noise is annoying but I have learnt to sleep through it. If it doesn't get better though see if you can share that sleep time with your partner.
I had forgotten how tired you get with baby when they are soo young

I remember often waking up during the night with all my DCs as babies, and thinking that a team of large rugby playing blokes had sneaked in and crashed out in our bedroom after they'd had a night out on 10 pints of beer and a curry each. It just did not seem possible that one tiny premature angelic-looking baby could be responsible for all those noises and smells.

Can you put him in his own room? That way you can both get some decent sleep in between feeds?

No one tells you they can be do noisy. DH is a teacher so definitely needs his sleep but he's getting up an hour earlier so I can grab a solid hour in the morning and he takes DS when he gets home for a couple of hours. I do try and get some sleep during the day but it's not guaranteed! Advice is not to leave them before 6 months but I can't keep going on literally no sleep so will try him in the other room on Friday night. Hopefully that is far enough away I won't hear him make the noises but will still hear him cry.

Ah, the grunting/groaning/straining sounds from about 4-5am. How I don't miss them!!! My LO is 19 weeks now and honestly, when he was doing that (about 4-6 weeks) I was so concerned. But in living proof that it does pass.

Try to remind yourself that babies change almost week to week at this age. Just when you think they are in a routine pattern, it changes again. I kept beating myself up wondering what I was doing wrong but it's just babies!

Just thought I would let you all know DS is sleeping so much better this week! I'm managing a good 4-5 hours a night so feeling great! Think he had bad reflux which is why he was so loud. Changed this formula this week and it has made a massive difference. Thanks for all your comments. It genuinely helped me get through a tough week xxx

It's awful, isn't it, and I think mothers are programmed to respond to the sounds their babies make - my stomach used to do a flip when my DC's made noises in the early days.

Sorry, just read your last post. Well done!

Glad to see your update, OP. Every stage has its really tough challenges, but most do pass. And then suddenly you do actually have a snoring rugby player DS in the house, and you wonder where the years went.