4 wks - fusses and cries before sleep

[becsta1]

My BS is just 4 wks old but is becoming increasingly fussy before daytime naps. When I spot signs of tiredness I put him in his crib and he immediately cries/fusses/kicks/pulls at ears etc. I read this is a sign of overtiredness, but he just won' t drop off. When he does, it's with a dummy and usually only for a max of about 5 mins before he wakes anf the whole cycle starts again. He constantly drops his dummy too, but he's not spitting it out - he seems to be desperately reaching for it. If I pick him up, he falls straight to sleep, but wakes again if I put him into his crib. What's going on? Am I worried about nothing? Is he just too little to go to bed on his own?

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I guess I'm just worried about creating bad habits. Also, he's only managing about 4 hours a day of napping. Is this enough? He's fine at night though (after about 9PM) so that's one blessing.

My DS only started napping properly in his crib around 4 months. Until then it was always on me or in the buggy. You will not get him into bad habits. Would recommend getting comfy on sofa with tv remote and choc in reach, and enjoy him being tiny enough to cuddle up with! (Typing this one-handed with hyperactive and super-wriggly 6mo on lap...)

If he's sleeping at night I would thank your lucky stars! Daytime naps will sort themselves out - he is only 4 weeks after all - he literally doesn't know what time of day it is! Much better this way round imo.

don't worry sweetheart, sleep is something that has to be learnt (as daft as it seems) and being able to get to sleep without too much "mind-hassle" is a skill like any other. dd was the same, i think that if you hold them a lot as babies, they learn to be more secure that you won't walk off as soon as they fall asleep iyswim

@ becsta1: Yep, sorry--that's simply what they do! My DD3 is the same age (isn't "age" a funny word right now? ). It appears they are simply not born knowing how to settle themselves off to sleep alone, unless it is when mum doesn't want them to (such as at 8am for a good few hours), in which case they seem to have it down. First couple of weeks are easier than the next several IMO because they are in such a baby fuzz that sleep comes and goes all the time. So it probably feels to you (does to me, did with DD2 and DD1 also) that your DS is getting worse. In fact he is simply getting slighly more aware that he exists!

IMO they are not too little to start going to bed on their own--you just have to expect the success rate to be rather low and improve with time. DD3 has been in her own room since day 3 and is mostly OK with settling but can easily blow it. Most likely times she won't go off are lunchtime and 7pm.

Re dummiesthis young they simply don't have the ability to keep them in their mouths, so they will suck gleefully, doze off and drop it then a couple of minutes later (or half an hour if you're lucky) they will get back enough consciousness to realise it's gone. The thumb can normally be manipulated into the mouth voluntarily at about 3M, until then you've gotta keep re-plugging, orif you want and it hasn't been that long--try to get rid of the dummy (not easy)