help - my baby won't sleep in the day

[NK76d905eeX12399e92367]

Could anyone please offer some advice. My 7 week old refuses to sleep in the day. Quite often she'll be awake from 5am till 9pm with only 5 min cat naps in between. She's exhausted. I've read about spotting the signs when she's first tired and have tried numerous times to put her down in her cot. Sometimes she'll doze for about 30 mins but then she'll wake up crying and will continue to cry every time I try to put her down. If I take her out in her pram she'll generally (not always) drift off without a problem, sometimes sleeping for up to 5 hours, but I'd really like to break this cycle and have her able to get to sleep on her own. Oddly enough, she's absolutely fine when getting off at night.

Yes, I've tried a sling. It worked for a while, but she just cries when I try to put her in now. I've tried white noise, playing lullabys. She will sometimes fall asleep in my arms and whist she's feeding, but I'd really like to break this habbit.

you need to build up to her going to sleep on her own. when you've fed her does she nod off? can you then pop her in her basket? if so you can then try gently stirring her so you put her down a bit dozy, then build from there.

You have my sympathies. I have just put DS2 to bed and had to listen to him cry whilst dealing with DD1 (He is 6 weeks). Swaddling has been a sucess for us but he's getting too big now and can fight his way out of any arrangement I try.

I have a white noise machine which gets quieter before switching off which I do think is helpful. I have also used a dummy (shame) which I thought I'd never do.

I'll probably get flamed for this but I have let him cry a bit (and I'm talking 5 mins max) which has resulted in him falling asleep alone sometimes. i hate listening to him cry but when I know he's shattered and I have tried absolutely everything then it has been worth it. I think sleep promotes sleep so if he gets overtired then it's used as a last resort.

Let us know iif anything works!

white noise works wonders for my DD3 - I use our old analogue radio tuned out between stations - and you have to have it loud at first, then turn it down when they fall asleep. also swaddling helped with my older ones but not this baby. make sure they are nice and warm too, and maybe try warming the mattress before you put them down. good luck!

Many thanks for all the advice. We've tried white noise, but it doesn't seem to make any difference. We are still swaddling her as she doesn't seem to mind it. It does the trick in the evenings, but not in the day.

She has been awake since the early hours today and is so very tired now! I try to catch her when she first yawns as the books suggest, before she gets to this stage, but no luck!

The dummy (which we also vowed not to use) did seem to calm her yesterday so we'll keep trying that. Failing that, we'll have to keep taking her in the pram - although this doesn't always work anymore either!

Thanks again for all the tips!

Had the same problem, I know how frustrating it is. Especially in weather like this!

I would persevere every so often. I did and now my DS sleeps for 2 hours each morning and 30 mins each pm. Has done since about 4 mo. I guess the 20 mins wind down routine, mobile, dummy and shushing may have helped to instigate and then extend the naps, or maybe he would have stated napping anyway, I don't know. He's super-sensitive and maybe your DD is too. She may be picking up on what's going on around her...?

In the meantime may you get lovely legs from all the walking..

best of luck

Not good in this weather but DD also doesn't nap much during the day and I took to taking her out in the pram every afternoon. She's 4 months and still doesn't nap well but I find popping her in the bouncy chair after she falls asleep on me works okay, along with 'shhh'ing. When I have time, I do put her in the cot when she's tired and calm, and she will fall asleep on her own - so I know she can do it.

At the mo, her having a couple of 45min naps a day is the best we get and I'll do whatever to achieve that as we're both happier.

My DS (7.5 months old, 7 weeks prem) drives me nuts. He's such a tired grisley monster but will not sleep more than 30 minutes in the morning in his cot. I'm sick of walking the pram aimlessly around town and for the last month I have been very consistent with popping him in his cot once he gets tired using the same short routine (dummy, blanket, wave sounds, close curtains). I'm also very careful to BELIEVE that he's going to sleep so that I am calm and consistent. Over Christmas I thought we'd cracked it and even had some 90 minute naps that I could enjoy too but now we're back to screamy hell again.

mummywoowoo you say you have a 20 minute nap routine, what do you do?

I've just dusted off the sling and he's fast asleep in it. He's so heavy though, this is not practical long term.