Help! Our otherwise good sleeper has been having a dreadful week of sleep and I need some advice as to what I can try to try and get us through this!!
All the sleep advice (CIO/routines/drowsy-but-awake/etc etc) is really geared towards older babies, and she's still too young for any of that so I am struggling to figure out what I can do.
It seems to have kicked off when she got a cold and was slightly snuffly around 6 weeks. Her sleep was poorer (but still ok) which I chalked up to the congestion. But she's recovered from that and at the same time her night sleep has decended into absolutely abysmal for the last week. (Naps during the day - contact napping and on her bouncer chair - are still fine though.)
As an example, the last two nights have gone like this:-
Night One:
Commence bedtime around 8pm, gave her a bath, change into her sleep sack, then a breastfeed in the darkened bedroom and then white noise and walk her around until she dozes off.
Put her down in cot, instantly eyes open, legs kicking, hands grabbing at her face, grunting and groaning. If I don't pick her up within a couple minute crying will start. Previous night we'd had some success with rocking the cot until she fell asleep, but tonight it only seems to stave off the crying, the vigorous thrashing just continues and continues. So I pick her up again, walk her to sleep, then try again. Same story.
Eventually around 10:30 I guess exhaustion wins, we finally succeed and she stays asleep.
2h sleep
Awakes for a feed, first attempt at putting back down fails but after dozing on me for 20 mins she then stays asleep in the cot.
1hr 15 mins sleep
Wakes up, falls back asleep instantly on me, but wakes up as soon as I put her back into the cot. I try feeding her. Changing her. Tilting the cot. Jiggling the cot. An hour later I've not managed to get her back to sleep in her cot at all.
At this point it's 3:30am and husband takes her downstairs where she falls asleep happily in her bouncer chair (reclined pretty flat) for the next 3 hours.
Night Two:
Baby napped from 8-9pm, so thought this time will just put her straight into bed, no waking her up with changes, baths, etc. Once down in her cot she lasted about 5 mins before waking and thrashing around.
Tried to lull her back to sleep and try again but to no avail, she was now awake.
Oh well, went ahead and changed her into her sleep sack, and gave her a breastfeed around 9:30pm, and started to pace around dark room with white noise to lull her to sleep. Takes a while for her to doze off, once dozed we put her in her next to me cot. Thrashing ensues. Pick her up again. Repeat. Once she's in my arms again she dozes off fairly quickly but the cot is instant awakeness. We try putting a sheepskin under the sheet to make the mattress slightly softer. Not sure if it helps. Eventually at 11:15pm she gives in and stays asleep in the cot.
1h 45m of sleep.
Breastfeed in the dark room.
Putting her straight back into cot is more thrashing, so I pick her up. She dozes on my chest for 20 mins, and this time when I put her back down again she stays asleep.
30 mins of sleep.
Attempt to get her to sleep again by rocking the crib, letting her fall asleep on me, holding her hand, resting my hand on her belly, etc etc for 40 mins to no avail.
Then it's been long enough so give her another breastfeed, she falls asleep on the boob, but still won't settle in the cot.
This time I try tucking her arms inside her sleep suit in an awkward swaddle, she wiggles a little bit but it seems to mollify her enough that with a bit of rocking the cot she finally falls asleep.
2h of sleep
I notice she's got a big damp patch on her back/side. Not sure if it's sweat or a leaky nappy, so I go and change her nappy. It's wet & full but doesn't seem like it would have leaked that badly so suspect it's sweat.
Shes too sleepy to feed, so I unswaddle her arms and put her back down.
45 mins of sleep
I breastfeed her, then husband is awake so takes her downstairs where she snoozes for another hour in her bouncer chair.
So.... the max 1-2 hour patches of sleep are totally unsustainable and I'm just shattered. This has been going on in similar fashion for a week now. Should we just continue to try to put her down in the next-to-me cot and eventually (how long is eventually???) it'll work again? Or should we be looking at trying different sleep arrangements (Moses basket, putting her bouncer chair into the crib, idk?) until something sticks? Any other tips for things we can try??
Thank you for your help!!