Baby doesn’t nap during the day.

[Willow951]

Baby is 7 weeks and has been a terrible at going to sleep during the day since around 3 weeks and I feel I’ve tried everything. He falls asleep for a few minutes and wakes straight back up.

He wakes around 6am and will sometimes go down for a nap around 9/10am for an hour then another nap around 3/4pm. he eventually falls asleep around 9/10pm, wakes up at 12/1am and 3/4am for hour long feeds.

So essentially he can spend up to 6 hours awake at times other than cat naps on the boob/pram/rocked.

We’ve tried everything; swaddle, white noise, darkness, feed to sleep, follow awake windows (this is impossible unless at home 24/7) and also doesn’t work (he can be on the boob for the entire awake window but not fall into a deep sleep), look for sleepy cues (don’t see any, even if I did he doesn’t sleep) ect

I spend all day trying to get him to sleep it’s exhausting.

I get he’s overtired and over simulated but I’m so lost and exhausted as to what to do or try next.

I also feel I can’t leave the house as he does not sleep in the car or when in company, which I then feel bad for taking him out as I should be at home trying to get him to sleep.

Ive tried staying in the bedroom all morning which does help a little but I can’t live like this.

he also uses my breasts as a dummy; he can be soothing for hours (literally 2 hours just sucking with a shallow latch not actually feeding). When I take him off he opens his eyes and cries. I can’t give him to anyone when my partner is at work so he just cry’s until he’s put back on. The smell of milk stops me being able to rock him without rooting.

when he does nap it’s generally feed to sleep but it’s taking a big toll on me as I do tend to think ‘put him on the breast he might fall asleep’ so he spends a long long time attached to me just incase he falls asleep.

I’m so upset, he needs to sleep for his development.

Please help. TIA

[MyloC]

Hi OP, I couldn't read and leave so I'll do my best to help as know how desperate I felt when my baby was 7 weeks.
What about long walks in the pram? I used to walk for ages to allow my baby to sleep as soon as I stopped she woke up. Also the sling? Put baby in sling (I found a wrap one at that age great) don't try and get them to sleep just go about your day and hopefully they will drop off.

I would try your best to just go about your day and not be stressing about trying to get baby to sleep all day as this will just leave you both miserable. Go to the coffee shop, park, meets friends etc and hopefully baby will eventually drop off when tired and out and about.

I really do sympathise as I've been here with my first who's now 4.5. Good luck OP the days can feel so difficult and long at this stage but it will all pass eventually.

[EdithGrantham]

My DD was similar, she cat-napped a lot and contact napped until she was over a year. To be honest I just went about things as normal and just trusted that she would sleep if she needed it. I'd offer the boob if she was really upset but if she didn't fall asleep on it we'd just carry on our day. But the fact he's feeding shallowly for so long maybe suggests a latch problem, have you had that checked?

[catsnore]

The early days are tough while you figure out what works. Do you have a sling or carrier of some kind? That way he can be right next to you, can nod off if he wants but you have hands free to do stuff and can move about more easily? Some babies sleep less - my first was always bloody awake but my second was always asleep!

[Bobskeleton]

This was me 3.5 years ago.

Every aspect of it is exhausting and all consuming.

I'm sorry, I don't have a magic bullet solution for you just a hand hold. I was "lucky" in the way that my DD would eventually sleep in her buggy so I honestly spent hours just walking around.

Is he generally happy? Could there be reflux or colic or a tongue tie? Could the HV help?

Stay strong. You sound like you are doing an amazing job. And please don't worry about sleep and development. X

[fairymary87]

My baby was like this, I introduce wake windows. And reduced visitors etc it really helped.

[Willow951]

Hi all,
thank you for so many replies.
I’ve just had a well earned nap and read through your comments which has helped.
We have an appt coming up with a specialist about his tongue tie as we’ve already had it cut twice with referral for potential further treatment. I have my theory it’s all connected but felt more could be impacting it in the meantime.
I will keep preserving and hope things improve x

[BurbageBrook]

OP, my baby was exactly the same! The only thing that worked in the end were walks in the pram. She grew out of it about 3-4 months and started napping better. It also turned out she had CMPA so was in some discomfort. However she's still not an amazing napper now at 7 months, she naturally wants to do the majority of her sleep overnight.

My top top would be get him to nap as early as possible in the day e.g. by going for a pram walk 1.5 hours after he wakes up in the morning as a morning nap often set mine up for better day naps later on.

[fairymary87]

Yeah. Echoing the cmpa thing! We had that too

[Reb1986]

Hi Willow,

I have a 3.5 month old and I can tell you I was there wondering how on earth to get my baby to sleep and why everyone else seem to manage it!

What works for me: pram naps. Absolute guarantee of sleep. I follow wake windows adjusted with sleepy cues (which get more obvious as they get older - I couldn’t see any at first). If my LO wants a feed at the end of the wake window, he might feed to sleep, but I will end up holding him and as you describe, he will insist on popping back on from time to time so not my preference.

A game changer was getting a bedtime routine in. I do pacifier, massage with light show, lullaby, swaddle and lullaby, gentle rock to sleep.

Once that was established, when he looks really sleepy in the day, I use an abridged version to put him down.

I have to say I felt so totally stressed about this; out of control and as though my ignorance was damaging my baby. They’re all different.

The false starts are, I think, to do with the cortisol of being overtired. The pram helps as it constantly soothes. Once you have a few good days under your belt, they’ll go away.