Good night sleeper, bad day sleeper

My son who is 12 weeks has always been a great night sleeper, I can put him down with eyes open after our bedtime routine of feed, play, bath, cuddles and he will put himself to sleep, waking only for feeds.

But the day are killing me - and the longer it cotinues the more insane I am becoming.

He wakes for a feed and we have a play, he gets tired - but if i put him down awake he screams, if i rock him to sleep and then put him down he either wakes instantly or in about an hour screaming - and now because he is over tired takes me up to 30min to settle him again, by this stage i give up putting him down in his bed and instead just let him sleep in my arms until his next feed. This means that i am holding him for all his 3 naps a day 2hr in the morning, 3+ hours at lunch, and 2+ hours in the arvo. He will sleep in my arms in my bed but I really canniot go to bed all day. He has just starting to do to sleep in the pram, it takes about 30min to get him to sleep but the minute I stop moving - he wakes up. He falls asleep instantly in the carrier, but my back is starting to kill me and with the weather heating up I cannot carry him all day.

Any suggestions. As with the 4 hourly feeds all day and night - and no time to myself I am starting to wonder if it is all worth it. - but then one smile, giggle or his cute sleeping face makes me know it is. But it is horible feeling the fustration.

Sorry to load this all on you, please any ideas in getting by son to have daytime naps by himself.

oh, my DD is 5.5 wks and I'm having exact same problem..... i think its a growth spurt?

Janda,
My Pip is just the same, isn't it frustrating!
For me I've started having a shower when I put him down to nap - if he fusses a bit he's gotten over it when I'm out of the shower.
Try to put him down before he's actually tired? Like at the first slow blink or other tired sign? Maybe with a toy or rattle in his cot and he may fall asleep with it?

Good luck!
kaz

I had a similar problem, I was only getting 20 mins sleep per nap out of him. I ended up starting to wrap him, then he started sleeping for 2 hours!! He was just over 3 months when this started to happen for us. He was sleeping great at night time, so I left that as it was, his morning sleep was also fine, so the wrapping was mainly done in the afternoons.
It was definitely worth trying for us as it worked!!!!
Good luck with it, its definitely worth it :)

My DS is very similar so much so that we call him velcro boy because he is always stuck to me (lol) at night he is fantastic and goes down at 9.00pm and is asleep for 12 hours (wakes 4 hourly for feeds) but in the day I can't get more than 20 mins out of him... that was until we bought a fisher price swing. He Looooves it and will sleep in it for hours. For a bub like yours who seems to like being on the move, it might just do the trick.

Spring

My DD sounds exactly the same as yours, except then she became a terrible night sleeper as well. I just went to sleep school on Wednesday (day time only) and they suggested the following routine for 3-6 mths olds:
Wake say 7am: Feed then Play.
8.30-9.00 Bed/Sleep 1.5 - 2 hours (try for 2 hrs)
10.30-11.00 Feed then Play
12.30pm - 1.00p.m Bed/Sleep (1.5 - 2 hrs) try for at least 1.5 hrs
2.30 - 3.00 Feed and play
5pm - 7pm Bed/Sleep for approx 1 hour
7pm Feed, Bath, Quiet Time 8pm Bed
10-11 Rollover Feed then demand feed overnight but not under 4 hrs, aim for long stretch.
I varied their routine as my DD wakes approx 8am
Since reintroducing the Rollover Feed (we dropped this when she was fairly young) she has slept through the night.
They say to always wake bubs for feed during the day (approx 4 hourly) and them to sleep for approx 2 hours at a time during the day. I also vary this b/c it depends on what sort of day DD has had. They also suggest that you keep bubs in bed for the whole 2 hrs, even if they wake earlier and try to re-settle. This is suppose to encourage them to get used to sleeping that long.
I guess I have found being consitent and persistent is helping and not running to my DD's room as soon as she grumbles, I think this was stimulating her, not helping her go to sleep?? The other thing they say to do is not give eye contract, but I can't do that. I look at my DD, but try not to talk to her too much and pat her gently or stroke her face.
I've also just stopped wrapping DD and put her in sleeping bags cos the little Houdini kept wriggling out and was more unsettled. She also rolls over now, so it is not safe for her to be wrapped.
You could also try different positions for them to lie in. We have found now that DD sometimes likes to lie on her tummy (safe b/c she can move her head to the side to breathe) and she sometimes settles easier, but I always put her on her back first. You could try side positions during the day and roll up towels on either side of bubs so they don't face plough into the mattress if you feel it isn't safe if they roll on their tums.
The above are some tips, you may or may not want to use. Some people don't like 'routines' and I understand that, I tried not introducing a 'routine', letting DD lead us but it didn't work and it all got a bit out of hand.
By the way DD is 18 weeks old.

Thanks for all your replies.
The routine you suggested is exactly what we are doing - monitoring his tired signs and putting him down. We have always wrapped DS as when he gets his hands out he wakes himself up.
We have been lent a swing so I'll give it a go.

Today we got 1 hour out of him, then he snuggled into my chest and slept another hour. It is so cute. But I would still like a little time to myself.

Thanks

Hey Janda, I know your frustration - Natalie used to be a real daytime catnapper.
Their sleep patterns do change though. It sounds like you are doing everything you can to encourage your DS to sleep on his own. One day he will just 'get it' and you won't know what to do with yourself! But seriously, hang in there. You're doing a great job :)

Bonnie is the same :) But she is getting much better with a bit of training. I told someone once about it and they said maybe get a dummy... but there is no way!! If they sleep well at night I would hate for that to become disturbed by the want of a dummy... anyway.
Do you wrap him? Maybe it would be easier to put him down if he is wrapped? I found that using one of those little sleeping bags works too.. rock them to sleep in it and put them in bed in it.... that worked once. Also if you have one of those cocoons... put him in it and use the handles to gently swing and rock it then when he is asleep put it down. If he stirs, just do it again without picking him up :D

Good luck and let us know how you go!!

How are things going Janda?

Hi,

Xavier was like that a few weeks ago, but then suddenly changed, not sure why, and not complaining. I've started to think that maybe I'm the one that changed and I'm getting better at reading his tired cues.

Is yours an August Bub, feel free to come and join us in August 07 baby buddies.

Moving this to Baby & Toddler General Discussion.

Thanks to all for you commenrs and suggestions.
I have started to put him down straight after seeing tired signs and he attempts to go to sleep, but then cries and as soon as I pick him up he falls asleep in my arms. Then I can put him down for about 40 min. I think it might be getting better.
BUt his reflux is playing up, so I have an dr. appointment monday to get that looked at.
And to top it off today I've come down with a terrible head cold - so I am struggling to get up and feed DS. Lucky husband had the day off and was able to let me sleep in.

Thanks
PS DS is an august bub - I look at the august 07 buddies

Hehehe, I hate to say it, but consider yourself lucky! ;) My little fella was feeding every 2 hours (day & night) at his age... I couldn't put him down at all during the day, he would just scream the whole time (up to 2 hours if I let him!) so I had to sit in the rocker with him (even one of those electric rockers didn't work). (DS has severe reflux)

Sorry, I know I'm no help...but I do hope you get to work something out soon...our DS has only just started sleeping better recently (like in the last 3 weeks!) and he's 14 months old now... It is VERY tiring!

Good luck!!!!