HELP! DD won't sleep longer than 30mins at a time....

:help: :( Today has been one of those days.....

DD has had 3 sleeps today.... but each ONLY 30mins long. She wakes after 30mins crying or calling out for me so I will go in and try and re-settle her but nothing seems to be working today.... why? She is quite upset today and not even feeding properly.
I have no idea how to help her to sleep today.... some days are great and she can self-settle but today... I'm at a loss! And I'm exhausted :( We only got probably 4hrs sleep last night too.....

What happens when they turn 12 weeks? Is this what this is? And I just seemed to calm her down and the neighbours kids next door start crying and we can hear them :wall:

Any tips or ideas? Cheers! I'm desperately trying to get some housework done.... just something! :dunno:

eta - days like this... controlled crying doesn't seem to bad of an idea..... (joking joking) uuuggghh!!!

gotta go, she's calling out again....

have you got a sling or a swing you could pop her in?

Have you ever tried just putting the vacum on. I was vacuming around DD this morning and it seemed to soothe her. Someting about 'white noise'. You could try it out. Get the vacuming done whilst soothing her. Other than that I am so not sure. I am still learning this myself. If worst comes to worse go and get into bed with her and she might doze off and then you can sneak out. :hug:

Ren - Hugs babe!
Unfortunaly Bella has been like this since 1 month old! And she still will only sleep for 45 mins max during the day at one time so she has 5-6 little sleeps during the day, Its hard to get stuff done but Bella has now learnt to self settle and will be asleep within about 10 mins of putting her down. I just put her in her bouncer and take her from room to room and sing and talk to her while I do stuff.

How ever she sleeps from 7 pm at night till 8.30 in the morning so I just do most things after she has gone to bed.

Sorry no real help - just wanted to let you know that you are not alone!

Kate xox

It's like that here Ren. I can only get her into a second sleep cycle in the HAB because I can start rocking as soon as she stirs! So annoying! :hug: Hope you get more sleep tonight!!

Big :hug: Ren! You're doing a great job on only 4 hours sleep.

I second the sling recommendation. Sometimes it's the only thing that will settle Jacob.

It won't last darl. She will sleep longer eventually. I'd probably write today off, accept she will be awake (who wants to do housework anyway ;) ), and look forward to a better night tonight and day tomorrow.

I think I'll go turn on the vacuum cleaner and do that and mop.... let her sit in her swing and watch me... is it bad if she cries while watching me?? :lol:

I'm at a loss :wall: NOTHING is making her happy today.

Tried all of your recommendations and it doesn't work and the HAB is hanging up drying!!
My other sling i could use but it's not safe when vacuuming etc i worry she'll fall out...

Gotta go, crying baby...

OMG vacuum cleaner is working.... I should have done this 2hrs ago when i got the damn thing out ready to use!! Why did i hesitate?!? LOL
She's in her swing watching me vacuum.... hmmm maybe when i'm done i can leave it turned on and go and have a sleep..... just kidding.... i wish!!!!
Yeah must be the white noise like you said Alibaby.
Thanks girls for your suggestions.

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days like this... controlled crying doesn't seem to bad of an idea.....

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on days like that the same thought goes through my head, lol. It's just so frustrating. And I remind myself the more she cries the harder it is to settle her again, then it doesn't seem like such a good idea. And when I'm really frustrated I force myself to smile, you can't feel bad for too long when you're smiling stupidly, pmsl.

ETA-

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OMG vacuum cleaner is working....

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yay!! I won't tell DH this, he'll expect me to vacuum, lol.

Yeah I don't agree with CC but at times it's tempting!! especially when you've exhausted all other options and you've been trying to get them to sleep for 4hrs or more!! It's so hard... :(
I could never leave my DD to cry longer than a minute or so.... have to pick her up!

Well, I vacuumed and mopped the floor and DD sat in her swing and just watched me... she didn't cry. Yay. I just want her to be happy and not upset anymore today... it's so upsetting when they are so sad :(

She's stuck (in her swing) in the middle of the lounge floor while I wait for the floors to dry so I am :pray: she doesn't start crying otherwise i have to walk all back across my wet floor! :lol:

I think I'll vacuum every day now :lol: it seems to help!

SJ - haha I don't even normally vacuum normally DH beats me to it! I just thought today was the day I should do some housework and have the house clean for DH when he gets home. He says to me "go to bed and rest" but I can't cos' DD won't!!!

Uh-oh..its the dreaded 12 week "I don't wanna sleep" thing...

ALL the mothers in my mothers groups have experienced this. Its like the babies suddenly clue onto what you're trying to do and decide "I don't wanna sleep".

I don't believe in CC, but I have learnt to be a bit tougher than I was. Now i let DD whinge and cry a little and don't scoop her up immediately unless she's beyond it. I stay with her though and offer comfort when she needs it. Its worked a treat for us.

HTH

Isn't it heartbreaking when they cry and cry. Really does break your heart. I remember DD going through this and like the girls have said, write today off and remember tomorrow is another day. Great job getting some housework done darl.

just read this thread, Renstar i am so happy for you that the vaccum worked!!
i think sometimes they need something totally different to distract them. i know its too late now but when ds is like that i often just chuck him in the pram and go for a walk, the crying seems less when your outside and he generally falls asleep sooner or later which then makes the rest of the day easier to handle. i also put him in his bouncer in the garden which he loves! (that way i can then get the washing done!)
i find distraction is the key ;)
and i can tell you it definatley does get better! just take each day as it comes.
hope you get some good sleep tonight :hug:

sending you lots of hugs.
DD is doing this now and shes 8 months!!
heres hoping they settle back down soon.
xxx

I went through this with my DD around 12 weeks too. Someone told me that at around 12 weeks is when they can start to keep themselves awake. Before then they will eventually fall off to sleep. Not sure if that's true or not - but the staying awake longer does seem to happen to a lot of babies around 12 weeks.

I had to do lots of patting to help her off to sleep and I also introduced a dummy around that time. Both those things helped DD to start sleeping for longer periods of time again.

Hope you can get some sleep again soon.

Thanks for your replies ladies.

Today was the same.... not much sleep.... went down for 30mins then woke.... then another sleep she went down 15mins and woke! Just can't get past 30mins.... So no sleep for me today.... and feeding twice in the night instead of her usual once.... it must be her 12wk growth spurt :rolleyes: :rolleyes: I'm more tired than I was in the first few weeks!!!!!

I'm sure it will pass.... in the meantime, she's asleep now so I'm going to go to bed before her 10pm feed!!! :D

Tired here too, it sucks hey!! :hug: DD has been waking in the night about 4 times!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh no Sara! :hug:

Well last night she woke 1:30am for a feed even after feeding at 10pm :rolleyes: (normally doesnt wake til 3 or 4am!) and then she went back down and woke again 4am, 5am, so we just brought her into bed with us but she wouldn't sleep there either :wall:
Arrggh!!!

Hhmmmm hoping it passes soon.... I need sleep!! At the moment, she's in her cot just talking to herself and not going to sleep and has been in there for 30mins now... lol at least she's entertaining herself and not calling out to me. Hopefully she'll self settle soon. I would love to lie down and have a nap but if i do... she then wakes up soon after so theres' no point me trying to sleep really LOL
Just as well she's cute otherwise this would be alot harder ;)

OMMGGG!!!!!!!!!! :( :( My DD has been awake since 5am!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHY????? :wall: she fell asleep at 1am but only for 20mins!!!!!!!!!

I'm exhausted.... why won't she just go to sleep? And she won't feed!!!!!!! :(

is this normal at 12 weeks? please? anyone??? Ugh!!! :wall:

BTW - she's happy as! She is happy lying on the floor playing with her toys or in her swing looking around.... she is just sooo wide awake!!!!!!! And i have been trying since 630am to get her to sleep at different intervals but to no avail!

ren- have you got a hug-a-bub or something like it?

Ren, I feel your pain. I am so tired. DD has slept for 1/2hr since 10.30. I have given up trying now, she is looking at her toys. She looks tired but she won't let me put her to sleep so I GIVE UP!!!!!!!!!!!!
Counting down the minutes until DH gets home.

ren how long is she up before you try putting her down again??
have you tried a dummy?? i understand you might not want to go down that path but a once off wont hurt, she sounds extremely overtired, even if she doesnt look it.
your doing ace hun :hug:

She doesnt' take a dummy... she spits them out!! I don't mind though cos' that means I don't have to worry about that habit and weaning her off them one day....

She's not crying or unhappy. she's just ALERT and AWAKE!!!!!! :lol:

I just fed her as she was showing hunger signs and she fed for about 5mins off one side and then fell asleep on me so I carried her to her cot and put her down, not wrapped, just straight down with a muslin wrap over her to keep her warm. Wish me luck :pray:

AJP - thanks hun :hug: I have been trying every 20mins to get her to sleep ALL day. what a day its been .... shocker.
Rainforest - yep we do have a HAB but I can't have her in it all the time she needs to learn to sleep in her cot during the day i feel thats important.
Sara - :hug:

I'm quite upset about this today as i was pretty good getting her down when she first showed tired signs around 730am i put her down and only lasted 10mins! then at 1pm she lasted 20mins!!!! :(

IKWYM about the HAB Ren. The reason DD has been up so much today was bc I was trying to get her to sleep in her basinette and not use it. FAILED. She is asleep in the HAB now coz she wouldn't stop crying so I gave in.

Well she's asleep in her swing.... she lasted 20mins in her cot before (as i suspected she would) so at least shes asleep in her swing.... its somethign!!!!

Tomorrow is a new day :D

At least I managed to cook dinner :lol:

Sara - :hug:

PMSL, you're better than me, DH is picking up KFC, yuuuuuuuuummmmmmmmmmmm

my dd often slept in the bouncer or swing till i got a hammock and then i bounced her in that. My first two often slept in the swing it was my savioiur.

Hi Renstar, it sucks that she still isn't sleeping well :doh:
Ds did go through the same thing at 12 weeks, so i do think its normal! - still dosent make it any easier!
she does sound like shes extremely overtired.. its proberbly best just to get her sleeping - anywhere - in the swing, HAB, with you, in the pram etc... and worry about her sleeping in her bed later. just to break the no sleeping cycle, you might find that once shes sleeping better then she'll be more willing to sleep more often - does that make sense?
also have you thought about trying to get her into more of a routine? thats what i ended up doing with ds (not sure if you want to go there? but there is some good books around)
maybe if she feed better and didn't snack then she'd sleep better too.
i know it can be so hard and tiring, but your doin a great job, and a least shes still smiling and happy!
x

:hug: :hug: :hug:

You're amazing Ren!! Dinner cooked on a day like that. I hope she stays down now for a while for you and :pray: that tomorrow is a better day (doesn't sound like it could be much worse sleep-wise).

Hugs to all!

Just wanted to come in and commiserate. I am going through much the same thing, but my bubs is 10.5 months. Suddenly he WONT SLEEP. Its driving me up the freaking wall. Separation anxiety is an evil, evil thing.

Sympathy to all fellow sleep deprived mums.

DH got home at 630pm and finally got her to sleep soon after that... she needed an authority voice LOL... I can't believe it took so long to get her to sleep!!!! What a day.....and it doesn't help when she doesn't like being swaddled anymore and kicks them off.... she can get out of those miracle blankets too!!!!

Today will be better :D

AmberJ - sorry you are still having troubles! Hopefully it passes soon for you too :doh:

Hope you're having a much better day today Ren! :)