3 week old awake all the time??

[Atticus500]

It seems like my 3 week old DD is awake all day. She does nod off in the afternoon for a couple of hours and sleeps on and off in the mornings, but she’s up and alert and feeding most of the day. I’ve tried to implement the beginnings of a sleep routine (I know it’s too early; but I bath her and change her and put her into her sleep bag) and manage to get her down around 10 and up again around 12, 3 and 5 (up properly at 8am). To my mind, she isn’t sleeping the recommended 14 -17 hours a day and it’s starting to worry me. Should I be worried? She often cries in her sleep too and is extremely vocal throughout her sleep time with grunts, wails, groans and whimpers. Any thoughts?

What do you do to help her get to sleep?

In this newborn stage, recreating womb-like conditions are really important. So are you swaddling? The swaddle gives baby that secure, tightly held feeling she is used to. You don't need anything fancy to use as a swaddle, a giant muslin is fine or a cut up bedsheet.

Babies also get comfort from sucking. Feeding to sleep can help with this, or a dummy.

Finally, in the womb baby was constantly swayed around. So movement is naturally soothing for a newborn. Rocking in your arms, pram push back and forth. Or I liked a bouncy chair and rhythmic boucing with your foot.