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Sleep

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Original poster

6 week old won't stay asleep

22 replies

eggybrokenoff · 25/03/2009 11:37

my 6 wo ds seems to have lost the ability to sleep! He'll fall asleep ok at the breast, in the pram or being rocked, but wakes almost immediately crying because he is so tired. it's exhausting - at night one of us is having to hold him in our arms for anyone to get any sleep, and in the day I'm wearing him in a sling almost constantly although worryingly even that doesn't seem to be working any more. Any ideas how we can make sure he stays asleep after dropping off - we're exhausted and I'm not sure how much more I can take

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Emmanj · 25/03/2009 14:50

we had this and invested in a fisher price rainforest cradle swing that rocks side to side (got it off e bay) and DD fell asleep in this and stayed asleep. not much help i know, but worked for us!
a friend puts a hot water bottle down 10 mins before going in cot/car seat etc to try and mimic the feel and warmth of u holing them, she swears blind by it!

dinkystinky · 25/03/2009 17:47

eggy - try swaddling (really tight swaddle) and white noise - it may do the trick. Has he got a cold? If so elevate head of cot a bit. Hot water bottle trick is good too. You could make a nest in the cot of rolled up blankets (stretch sheet over top) to make it more cozy or him too.

In the postnatal threads in Parenting there are lots of sleep deprived feb 09 mums (we've called our thread attack of the zombie mums for that reason) so feel free to come join us....

ches · 26/03/2009 04:07

How long are you holding onto him before putting him down? You need to wait 5-10 min to let him get into a deep sleep. Try elevating his head, too, to help with reflux (normal, not GERD).

gagarin · 26/03/2009 07:00

Is he going through a growth spurt and needs loads of extra feeds - that can happen about now? Go back to 1-2hourly feeds both sides for a week and see what happens?

Does he need something to suck to help him soothe himself - give him a dummy perhaps?

RaspberryBlower · 26/03/2009 07:21

Have you thought about co-sleeping? Not for everyone, I know, but it meant we didn't have to carry on doing the staying up all night in shifts thing. Even if you don't sleep too well, at least you're lying down. I read up on it and made sure I followed all the Unicef guidlines. We only did it in the early days, so it hasn't meant we've had to carry on co-sleeping or anything.

We also used a rocking cradle, the hot water bottle and the white noise machine all of which helped for us. I have a friend who swears by those ambi-nest things.

My dd unfortunately hated her baby swing, although my friend's baby loved it, but they're expensive so definitely get one of e-bay.

SKYTVADDICT · 26/03/2009 07:24

Ches has a point about reflux. My DC4 had a silent reflux and as we didn't know it used to drive us mad as he woke as soon as we put him down day and night. It may not be that, but worth a thought.

shootfromthehip · 26/03/2009 07:30

We had a vibrating bouncy chair which was really helpful. Swaddling also worked for both of ours as did putting a rolled up blanket beside them to kind of prop them on their side as they both seemed to need something touching their cheek to stay asleep. And this is a bit gross but if you're breast feeding sticking a 'used' breast pad at the top of the cot can kid them that you are near when you aren't. This made no difference for DD but seemed to work for DS.

You are not alone- many babies just don't want to be put down (my first was like this and it took about a year of rocking/ patting/ stroking as she got bigger to get her to sleep which was TERRIBLE). The sleeping alone thing will kick in eventually if you persevere. Good luck- feel for you

Original poster

eggybrokenoff · 26/03/2009 08:34

thanks everyone - will try the suggestions we haven't yet tried and will try and find postnatal thread top chat to others in the same situation - the only friend I have with a baby the same age has an angel who feeds four hourly, self settles and never cries - would be nice to chat to people with babies more like mine!

OP posts:

Jojay · 26/03/2009 08:37

Sawddle Swaddle Swaddle - tightly. It really does work

StarlightMcKenzie · 26/03/2009 08:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

Jojay · 26/03/2009 08:45

And if he keeps getting his arms out, do this:

Lay out blanket, then put a muslin on a diamond shape on top.

Fold the top point of the diamond down about 6 inches, and put that edge level with the top of the blanket.

Lay baby in the middle of muslin with the top level with his collar.

Put his arms down by his sides, then take the left side of the muslin. Wrap it over hisarm then tuck the end of the muslin under his back - this will hold his arm down. Repeat on the other side.

Then wrap the whole blanket around him.

It's the only way I could get my DS to stay in the swaddle, but it works like a dream. It's the same principle as those 'miracle blankets' they sell in mothercare so I'm not completely bonkers

Jojay · 26/03/2009 08:47

Swaddle him up like that beofre you feed him, let him feed for as long as he wants and let him fall asleep on the breast.

if you're lucky you should then be able to put him down and hopefully he'll stay asleep for a bit longer

SomeMightSay · 26/03/2009 09:01

eggbrokenoff My 7 week old is having very bad colic that lasts all day. All day. Yesterday I swaddled him for the first time and he slept all day and most of the night. I have never swaddled before, ot even with ds1 as I don't really like it, but I was at the point where I couldn't put the baby down, so thought I'd give it a try, I don't even need to hold him to get him to sleep now (well yesterday and this morning), I wrapped him up, put him down and he was asleep within minutes

SomeMightSay · 26/03/2009 09:05

And with ds1, we did what dinky suggested, and made a 'nest' in the cot for him which was great. Also like the hot water bottle idea, just pop one into the cot/crib for 10mins to warm it up, take bottle out and put baby in. Worth a go.
Goodluck

Jojay · 26/03/2009 16:01

SomeMightSay - swaddling had a similarly drastic effect on my DS2 too - at 5 months we're still swaddling. It's been a godsend, and a swaddling blanket is now my standard present for anyone I know having a baby!!

Give it a go, Eggy!!

McDreamy · 26/03/2009 16:10

My 6 week old will settle during the day and sleep really well but will not settle at night. Same cot, same room but she will scream and scream. We don't swaddle in the day but maybe I should try it at night.

Original poster

eggybrokenoff · 26/03/2009 18:50

can i swaddle over the top of a gro-bag?

OP posts:

McDreamy · 26/03/2009 18:56

OH WOW! OH WOW! OH WOW!

Jojay I read your post and despite swaddling in the earlier weeks with little effect I thought I would give it a go tonight, I had nothing to loose!

She's only gone and fallen asleep. Not only that, I heard her come to for a couple of minutes, she started making some moaning noises that would normally escalate into full on crying - but she's gone back to sleep - BY HERSELF!!!

Thank you for your wonderful advice

Jojay · 26/03/2009 19:21

Hurray!!! Enjoy the peace and quiet

McDreamy · 26/03/2009 19:22

I am but I can't stop myself keep going upstairs to check the baby monitor hasn't broken - I truly cannot believe it!

Jojay · 26/03/2009 19:29

It was the same with my DS - he hadn't slept more than 2 hrs on the trot, ever. Then I swaddled him properly, using the muslin as he kept escaping before and he slept for 7 hours straight!!!

He still wakes in the night to feed a couple of times, but he settles himself to sleep very easily with hardly any or no crying, and after a night feed, goes straight back down, so it's transformed life for us!

It should be the law to swaddle all babies under 3 months!!!

McDreamy · 26/03/2009 19:32

I have just told them all on my post natal thread. I wish I had known about this before today as I go to my post natal groups on a thurs and we were all having similar evening problems.

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