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Daytime nap length

5 replies

ocelotka123 · 28/09/2022 13:42

My 9 week old doesn't sleep great at night. He goes to bed (in his bedside crib) usually between 7.30pm and 8.30pm and sleeps well until around 2am-3am (sometimes waking up for a feed in the middle, sometimes sleeping through). I feed him, settle and put back into his crib, but after that he doesn't sleep great - wakes up after about 20-30 mins and keeps grunting and stirring in his crib, eventually crying if I don't pick him up. He will usually sleep, on and off, until around 6-7am if I hold him (but not in his crib). He will then go for a nap at around 8-9am and will sleep for 3-3.5 hours. He will then have another 2-3h nap in the late afternoon. They are contact naps as he won't sleep anywhere else in the day.

Does he get too much sleep un the day and that's why he doesn't sleep well at night? I tried doing 3 shorter naps instead of 2 long ones but it didn't make a difference for the night. He can't go longer than 2hrs of being awake in the day, otherwise he gets too tired. He'll also struggle staying awake and is grumpy if each nap is shorter than 1.5hrs.

Any suggestions what I could try to get him to sleep better after 2-3am at night? He does have reflux and I read about grunting baby syndrome so wondering if that's what keeping him awake (he does fart a lot at that time), but then he sleeps really well at the start of the night and during his naps 🤷‍♀️. Are there any adjustments I could try making to help him sleep after that 2-3am feed?

I posted on here before about contact naps and been reassured that it's normal, so I'm happy to continue with them during the day but it's hard when I can't get much nighttime sleep, even though I go to bed at the same time as he does.

OP posts:
Hairymaery · 28/09/2022 13:46

I think he's soo young for you to be worrying, they don't get into a pattern til they are a bit older and circadian rhythm sorted. Newborns are awake at night unfortunately

Hairymaery · 28/09/2022 13:47

*too

ocelotka123 · 28/09/2022 14:06

@Hairymaery I don't think he wants to be awake though, he barely opens his eyes but with all grunting it sounds like he's uncomfortable. He will go back to sleep quickly in my arms though. Sometimes he's wide awake in the middle of the night and that's ok with me, we play for a bit, wait until he's tired again, have another feed and he'll go back to sleep - only to wake up 20-30 mins later grunting and stirring! Is this normal then? He seems to be still tired at those times but something is keeping him from falling into deep sleep..

OP posts:
Hairymaery · 28/09/2022 14:10

Perhaps it's juts a bit of wind making him uncomfortable and mommy cuddles are making him feel better, I had a cuddle monster too (she's still the same as at 12 months!)

ocelotka123 · 28/09/2022 14:24

@Hairymaery oh no, I was hoping it would get easier when we're out of the 4th trimester! 🤣😭

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