Day sleeps

[little_O]

Dd is 8.5 weeks old. She generally sleeps wells at night, will settle by herself and is starting to sleep 5 hours.
I have noticed though that I she doesn't sleep properly during the day she is back to 3 hour sleeps at night.

My issue is that unless I/someone holds her or we are in the car she won't sleep during the day.

I've been given some information from a sleep doctor who helps getting the patterns right. Only issue is I dont completely agree with some of the principals:

- starting to introduce solids at 8-12weeks
- crying it out (although this only goes 3 nights max and is a very supervised cry, not left by themselves)

Does anyone have some suggestions I can try prior to this extreme? At the moment she will generally start to doze after a feed but if I put her down she is wide awake, or if she is asleep she will wake within 15min max.

At night I do cuddle her until she is drowsy then put her down, but she tends to stay asleep or settle herself.

[~TT40~]

during the day when she wakes is she upset? or just lay there awake? ive been noticing this with dd, sometimes she wakes but is still settled, because its during the day i then talk to her and she then doesnt want to go back to sleep. ive been then thinkinng maybe she does thus at night to but because im asleep i dint know and she lays there awake but after a while just goes back to sleep itms

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[leesha]

I posted about this 5 weeks ago when ds2 was 6 weeks old! It hasn't got much better I'm afraid! He will do a morning sleep in his cot but afternoons he doesn't want to for anymore than a 20 minute cycle :-(
I now pop him in the hug a bub and he sleeps I'm that for over an hour while I'm cleaning round the house! But I have two other little ones to run around after! I also have a rocker/swing that I put him in and he sleeps in that!
With time on your side you can try sitting in there with her and stroking her face or lie her on her side facing away from you and pat her bottom.. You cant let an 8 week old baby cry it out..they are crying for a reason!!
Is she happy when she is awake? I find if I get to him in time I can pick him up and give a cuddle back to sleep otherwise I do the hug a bub or some more floor time to tire him...
It's hard but it should pass, just takes time and some longer than others!!

[Frangipani Lou]

IMO I agree with leesha. A child of that age needs you close. That had been their world on utero and closeness to a parent helps children's development and studies show that this closeness is beneficial in so many ways. A hug a bub sounds like a great option. It sounds like your DD needs you close. Solids at that age?? Mmm...
Your instinct seem to be steering you away from the ideas the dr gave you.

[sloane]

Cio or cc is never usually recommended before 6 months old. And I don't believe there's much evidence that solids will actually help a baby to sleep (bb is full of posts from mums who have found solids make no difference to sleep & at 8 weeks are probably more likely to wake your baby with tummy pains!).

I'm afraid I don't really have any suggestions other than perhaps using a carrier so you can keep baby close and still get things done during the day or go for a walk if sh .sleeps in the pram? I know my dd gets woken up by ds or I don't get a chance to put her down for a napp when she needs it so I'll take them for a walk sometimes so I know she gets a decent nap.

With my ds I spent many hours holding him while hew napped when he was about 5-6 months old he was happier to nap in bed. Holding him didn't 'ruin' him - he's 3 now & still sleeps for 2-3 hours most days in his bed without me doing much more than tucking him in

sorry - don't know if that helps other than to say that it's pretty normal behaviour!

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[teresa]

oh poor little mite!

whatever you do please dont do cc or cio! like pp say, its not recommended before 6 months!

i would try what others have suggested and get a sling or use a rocker and see if that helps. i rocked DS to sleep every sleep until he was 15 months old and decided that he was all good to go to sleep himself. infact from about 4 months old till 8 months old he cat napped for half hour blocks during the day but slept longer at night.

i suggest you enjoy the cuddles now because soon she will be just wanting to play and run around and you wont be able to get as much cuddles then as what you can now.

good luck and let us know how you go

[HotI]

Babies change their sleeping, eating patterns often.

the 'dr' sounds like a fruitloop.

[MummyDuck]

I had the same issue with dd when she was young and tbh it did my head in LITERALLY and being alone with no support I ended up in an MBU.

They taught us how to sleep - ahhhh

We bought a black out blind for her room.

We rocked or patted (slowly) till she slept - first day took us an hour she didn't cry the whole time (only a few minutes till we tried to stop then she would start again - i hated hearing her cry so i couldnt cc) and I learnt that humming helped she knew I was there. And white noise can sometimes help. After that initial struggle she had beautiful naps.

Consistency I think is key, I would try something different every 5 minutes till I let her sleep in my arms before this and being a neurotic type It was getting too much that I could never get dinner ready or do washing or whatever.

This time I'm going to baby wear I think. Beggining with a sling. After all it's not long before they are 4 and have the attitude of a 16 year old lol


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[BellyBelly]

They are terrible recommendations, especially at that age... babies are used to a controlled environment - food, temperature etc are all a constant - in the outside world there are so many new feelings and there is no constant! Its a huge change once they are out. You wont ruin your baby by comforting them, feeding when they are hungry... Also there are Wonder Weeks to consider. Have you read it/heard of it? Great book!

[Mumma T]

Little O my DS is doing the same thing. Some days I can get him to sleep in the rocker so I can get stuff done, others nothing but my arms is good enough.

I find he is worse the days after we have been out. I just figure go with the flow if he doesnt want to be in the cot then so be it.

Not sure that is of any help whatsoever but at least you know your not the only one

[Taurean]

What terrible advice from a so called doctor!!

DD1 was a terrible day sleeper until about 6 months (but oddly an amazing night sleeper AND in her bed). It bothered me no end and I was constantly upset about it until I realised that going with the flow was far more relaxing for both of us so I wore her in a sling, for all her day naps. I went out quite a lot too (visiting friends or family, to the shops, etc) as I felt much better being out and about and she slept fine, as long as she was in the sling. She also loved her dummy but only for sleeping generally.

So my advice is just wear her My DD1 randomly started sleeping in her cot for day sleeps at 6ish months. I recall I was expecting visitors and thought I'd try her in her cot for her nap and she slept for over three hours straight. I was gob smacked and we never looked back after that.

DD2 is a completely different kettle of fish. She's slept well since day dot and still (easily) has brilliant day sleeps in her cot. She'd actually prefer to be in her own bed than 'on the go' as she happily sleeps for 2-3 hours at a time. I feed her to sleep (or rock her, cuddled in quite tightly, if she's not interested in the breast). She also has a dummy for sleeping and wears a sleeping bag with Sleepy Wings (google them). She likes to have her hands covered and a bit restricted, even still at 7.5 months so that always helps her sleep. In the warmer months and when she was little, I user the Love to Dream swaddle bags. They could possibly help your DD?

Reading sleep cues is really important as well but there are definitely plenty of babies who just like to be held when they sleep and a sling or carrier makes that a lot easier.

[Hotaru]

Hey little_ O, DS is the same. I am typing with one hand as he sleeps in the other! DS will sleep in the pram (while it is moving!) baby bjorn and our arms during the day. It's only on the odd occasion that he'll do an hour stretch in his basinette, usually when someone else is here so they wonder what i'm complaining about!

I'm grateful he settles well at night and the rest of the time, we walk, wear or cuddle. I don't really have any useful advice but just wanted to say you are not the only one!

[LuluHB]

Same here too. I don't even try to persist with getting her down for a sleep at this point and probably won't for another 4 weeks or so. If I can put her down and she stays asleep its a bonus but I just wear her and get on with stuff. Its also a good excuse to sit and put your feet up yourself, which is a benefit not to be ignored!

[little_O]

Visited child and youth services this morning to weigh and measure and for a check up on my bfing.

The nurse there was awesome! Went through some settling techniques: darkened room, wrapped her in a cot sheet, rocked her in the bassinet and....she slept 1.5hours (was so happy apart from the fact I had to sit there why she slept lol). Then when i got home fed and let her play, then did the same thing and she has been sleeping for over 2 hours now!!!!

No cc and no solids!!! Woohoo! Just hoping she keeps at it.

Do feel a bit silly that I hadn't tried the combo before

Thanks for your tips and help and reassurance! Oh and MD you were spot on

[Heaven]

You have a perfectly normal baby. Trying to change them to fit in with when you want them to sleep is just super stressful. You're doing a great job. Babies know what they need xx

[leesha]

That's great you got some good advice that works!!

[Mumma T]

Is the cot sheet more effective than a wrap?

[little_O]

Is the cot sheet more effective than a wrap?

Seems to be for her. I think because it's larger you can wrap them tighter and so they can't squirm their way out. I know the muslin wraps didn't work on her but the cotton cot sheet seems to.

What do you wrap yours in?