Baby won't resettle in cot after waking in the night

[CountrysideVibes]

My three month old is a good sleeper overall. We have started putting her down between 7 and 8pm. She always has a false start and wakes 30-45 mins later but literally only needs to be picked up, rocked for two mins and put back down again.

She then sleeps through to somewhere between 2.30 and 5.30am.

I'll then feed (breast) and resettle her with a cuddle and she falls back to sleep quite easily whilst in my arms / on me, but when I put her back in her next to me cot she is very fidgety, might wake up or is just noisy for a while, but ultimately won't fully settle back to sleep.

I try for a while but normally end up sleeping with her on my chest for the next few hours until between 7 and 8am when we get up for the day.

Any tips on trying to get her back in the cot for the second big sleep? I know sleeping on my chest isn't ideal or the safest but I do it as safe as I can (husband not in the bed with me, no quilt etc).

First baby so also appreciate any advice on the general routine / times putting her to bed etc!

Thank you!

Just bumping for you op as I am by NO means a sleep expert.

I would only suggest to keep practicing maybe? She's doing amazingly to go that long in her crib but by 6.30 the sleep drive is pretty tiny so it's quite common to see little ones struggle to resettle at that time.

Would your husband consider taking a shift occasionally at that time to let you get a bit more sleep?

It's possibly a little early for a strict routine at 3 months but getting up and going to bed at the same time is a good starting place.

My DD slept amazingly in her next to me cot up until 3.5 months when she slowly went from wanting to feed every 4 hours or so to every 40 minutes. We fully co-slept up until she was 10 months as it was the only way I could get any rest. At 10 months she started the night off in her cot in her own room then came into my bed at the first wake. We've continued with this to now and she's 2.5yo, I have now fully night weaned her apart from a quick feed before/as she falls asleep but I still get more sleep this way than trying to resettle her in her cot. She's starting to sleep through in her cot occasionally now as well which is nice!

It's very normal for that time of night 3-5 am ish for sleep to be lighter and more active ie noisy.
There's not a lot you can do, it's what babies do. Sounds like you've got a baby who is sleeping really very well 😊

Thanks for the advice and experiences everybody - it's a balance of wanting to maximise sleep but also not create 'bad habits', be safe, and hopefully get my husband back in bed with me!!!

I second what everyone else has said. I am wondering why baby sleeps on your chest though- must be uncomfortable for you and potentially riskier than sleeping in the actual bed? Can you try feeding her side laying at that point so you’re both comfy (try a pillow between your knees if needed). My 14 week old sleeps until 2-4am in her cot and then sleeps in our bed until we wake. Much better at crib sleeping than my eldest who wanted to stay latched to my boob ALL night (she now sleeps totally independently in her own bed at 3, just to give perspective that babies who need a lot of help to stay asleep quickly grow into independent sleepers).

Well done mama OP!

She's a tiny baby. You can't create 'bad habits' whilst meeting her needs. Please don't think responding to her, comforting her, letting her sleep close to you, is ever a 'bad' thing. It sounds like you have a normal baby and you are doing a bloody great job. My only suggestion would be to read up on safe co-sleeping, as her being physically on top of you is not safe