OK, I've done a few posts around the place about DS's sleeping habits lately. He is only 6 weeks old but isn't the best sleeper on the block.

I feel like I'm constantly comparing him to other bubs his age and constantly seeking reassurance but I just want to know if his sleeping habits are pretty normal for a new bub or if we should maybe think about getting some help from a sleep school or similar.

Basically he feeds 3 hourly throughout the day (he is breastfed). We follow the feed, play, sleep pattern during the day. He will wake, have a feed, be awake for around 45mins to an hour (depending on how he's going, I try to watch his tired signs) then I will start to settle him back to sleep. I wrap him, give him a cuddle until he starts to relax a little and get a bit sleepy (usually no longer than 5 mins) then I put him down awake. Most of the time he will cry or protest in some way when i put him down so I pat him, shhhh, stroke his face etc. Often this is enough to get him to start to doze off and then I'll leave him.

Often though he'll be crying again within a few minutes so I go back in and often will repeat the above process.

Once he is finally asleep, 9 times out of 10 he will wake after one sleep cycle. Sometimes he can resettle himself straight back to sleep, but often I have to resettle him. Again sometimes this is easy, other times it's takes a while and sometimes I just give up after about 30 mins and get him up.

I do use a dummy with mixed results, sometimes it helps, other times it doesn't, sometimes he won't take it.

I've been told he should be sleeping for about 2 hours at a time between feeds and he generally does this for at least 2 of his 4 days sleeps, his first and last sleep tend to be a little shorter because he is more unsettled at these times.

His nights used to be perfect - he'd wake, I'd feed him, wrap him and he'd go straight back to sleep, no settling at all. He also used to do a longer sleep of about 4-4.5 hours at night but now has gone back to 3 hourly feeding. The last few nights he has not settled as well after his feeds and has needed a bit of help. Last night was a really bad night by our standards and he was awake between 1.45am and 3.30am!! I was beside myself tired and ended up in tears (again).

He sleeps in his cot in a darkened room during the day (we have had much more success since doing this) and in his bassinet in our room at night.

I just find the constant settling, resettling and lack of sleep at times exhausting and often feel stressed and upset about it.

So what do you think? Does this sound fairly normal or do you think we've got a few sleeping issues on our hands already?

I love my little man to bits, he is a beautiful baby boy, but god I just wish he would sleep more/better/easier!!