DD not getting enough sleep

**Mum2SweetCs** · June 13th, 2008, 10:22 AM

Hi All,

During the last 3 weeks my 2month old DD has developed sucking on her hands.

The only issue is, when I put her to sleep all wrapped up, she wiggles her hands out and starts sucking on it and then wakes herself up with her hands!

She's only getting like 20-30mins max sleep before she wakes herself up again.

I have tried a few different dummies but she hates them!

Why has she started developing this habit? Is she teething?

Thanks in advance!

**Esme** · June 13th, 2008, 01:50 PM

Hi Phoenixml, my DS is 4 months and has done the same. As far as I know it is just a developmental thing. What helped for us is wrapping him really tight in one wrap and then wrap him again with a second wrap over the top of the first. This way he couldn't get his hands out (or at least it took a lot more time). At the moment we are going through the transition to sleeping unwrapped and it does take him a bit longer again to fall asleep as he still isn't too well coordinated with his hands, especially when he is upset or overtired. He too doesn't want to take a dummy. HTH.

**MantaRay** · June 13th, 2008, 02:09 PM

I don't know - neither of my boys would let us wrap them at that age. I guess you could try using two wraps and trying to make sure that she can't get her hands out that way . Or try no wrap and see if she will sleep that way. Sorry, I'm not much help!

**Willow** · June 13th, 2008, 02:13 PM

Just a thought - are you sure she's not actually using this sucking to put herself off to sleep and then just waking after one sleep cycle (which is usually anything from 20-45mins and a very normal pattern for a small baby)?? If this is the way she is soothing herself off to sleep, I wouldn't interfere with it, I think it's a very valuable skill and much better than a dummy.

If, however, you are rocking, patting her to sleep etc and then her hands are waking her up, well that's another story.

I'd be very surprised if a 2 month old was teething, although it does happen. Sucking on their hands is just a developmental phase, she's just learnt a new trick, that's all

The above suggestion of tight wrapping is good, that's what I'd try. Luckily it's cooler weather, but just be careful not to overheat her either.

Butterfly_Princess · June 13th, 2008, 02:41 PM

Heey
Ive noticed this too with my 2mth old DD!!
I think its a developmental thing, i was getting a bit annoyed with all the slurping and sucking so tried giving her her dummy with no such luck, so now ive just accepted her sucking on her lil hand, i now find the sounds rather cute.
I second what Willow has said about the sleeping patterns. Ive watched Isabell sleeping and she will wake every 20-40 mins, but will either resetlle and go back to sleep, or ill rock her back to sleep rather easily.