Sleep help

kdoak2015

Mommies my 4 week old DD has been having awake periods of 3 hours for the past 5 days or so. She'll stay awake at different times a day for 3 hours and then sometimes sleeps for 4hrs, 2hrs or 20mins. I really don't like that she's awake for this long. By the time she settles she's ready to feed again. She doesn't fuss to much during these awake periods but tends to feed quite a bit(BF and supplementing and she's 40mins breast and then takes 4-6oz formula) during this time. She has a growth spurt last week so I don't think this is a spurt again. Any suggestions on how to get her down before the 3 hr mark? We try swaddle, bath, etc nothing seems to work.

doodleoodle

I've been having the same exact problem. There have been days where my LO takes only one nap the entire day. She will fall asleep several times for a minute or so and then wake up and try to stay awake. She usually gets really drowsy though and falls asleep sometimes if I dim all the lights, cradle her, put a thin receiving blanket over my shoulder (draped very loosely over her head), rub between her eyebrows down to the bridge of her nose as I walk around shushing.

grapesoda1111

I wrap my LO in my boba and that puts her to sleep after I take a lap around the house. Maybe invest in a carrier if you haven't already?

cdepperschmidt

@grapesoda1111 I love that idea, but then to you have to lay LO down in the carrier?

Pontot31

cdepperschmidt said:

@grapesoda1111 I love that idea, but then to you have to lay LO down in the carrier?

Sometimes I keep him in the carrier and keep getting stuff done. Other times if he's sleep enjoy I can make a transfer to the bed.

GoogleMD

I usually let lo keep sleeping in the wrap. Sometimes I will sit on the couch to untie the wrap and then lay him down

missphil

My little guy got fussy the two or three times I tried the boba wrap (so I took him right out each time). Do you put him in there after a feeding when he's about to take a nap? Do you let him fuss/cry for a minute and then he settles? I really want him to love the wrap!

Pontot31

missphil said:

My little guy got fussy the two or three times I tried the boba wrap (so I took him right out each time). Do you put him in there after a feeding when he's about to take a nap? Do you let him fuss/cry for a minute and then he settles? I really want him to love the wrap!

Mine has to be fed or he roots for a boob. Even if it's not nap time he falls asleep every time. Movement helps.
Try waking around and bouncing when you first get him in.
Also look into different holds. You can watch YouTube videos to learn new ones. Sometimes you need to find what works for your baby.

GoogleMD

missphil said:

My little guy got fussy the two or three times I tried the boba wrap (so I took him right out each time). Do you put him in there after a feeding when he's about to take a nap? Do you let him fuss/cry for a minute and then he settles? I really want him to love the wrap!

Sometimes he will fuss for a few min, but chills out once I start moving. He liked it a lot more once I changes the way I was holding him. I forgot the name but he likes to be in a sitting position with his legs out.

grapesoda1111

cdepperschmidt said:

@grapesoda1111 I love that idea, but then to you have to lay LO down in the carrier?

I either keep her wrapped up until she wakes up or unwrap her and put her in her swing, but then she usually will wake up.

missphil said:

My little guy got fussy the two or three times I tried the boba wrap (so I took him right out each time). Do you put him in there after a feeding when he's about to take a nap? Do you let him fuss/cry for a minute and then he settles? I really want him to love the wrap!

Mine might fuss for the first minute but I just walk around the house and she's out.

gipfish

Why do you need her to sleep if she isn't fussy? My LO is almost 8 weeks and is up to having 2 of these 3 hour awake periods most days (and sleeping more at night; yay!). I just put her in her bouncer seat or wrap, feed her or give her a pacifier when she fusses, and let her just look around at stuff when she doesn't.

dramaphile

At four weeks, my LO has long periods of being awake some days, and then sometimes sleeps most of the day. I don't worry too much as long as she is content. If I need to get something done, I strap her into a seat and let her chill while I work. She sleeps well at night (usually gets at 5-7 hour stretch) so I don't mind the awake times.

kdoak2015

Thanks I may have to invest in a wrap.

missphil

Thanks for the advice ladies!! I tried the wrap and he looked squished at first but I started walking around and he fell asleep instantly! Then we went on a walk and he didn't flinch or wake up for any noise. Normally we tiptoe around the house when he's asleep!

ColoradoHiker

gipfish said:

Why do you need her to sleep if she isn't fussy? My LO is almost 8 weeks and is up to having 2 of these 3 hour awake periods most days (and sleeping more at night; yay!). I just put her in her bouncer seat or wrap, feed her or give her a pacifier when she fusses, and let her just look around at stuff when she doesn't.

This. DS is 6w, and has started having several longer awake periods during the day now.

Also, did your baby spend a ton of time being held during the holidays? It took most of the week for DS to have his normal 2hr nap in the morning again this week. He was doing these short twenty to forty min naps instead. I eventually realized that over Christmas he had grandparents and relatives constantly holding him and having him fall asleep in their arms and staying there. I normally put him down mostly asleep for naps and rarely hold him the whole time bc I the naps are so long and I usually have stuff to do. DS is back on a normal schedule now.

gipfish

missphil said:

Thanks for the advice ladies!! I tried the wrap and he looked squished at first but I started walking around and he fell asleep instantly! Then we went on a walk and he didn't flinch or wake up for any noise. Normally we tiptoe around the house when he's asleep!

One of the first pieces of useful advice I got when I became pregnant was *don't* tiptoe around the house when baby is asleep, as this makes for a baby that requires silence in order to sleep. I was told vacuum, do the dishes, anything noisy during sleep. Initially, newborns tend to like background noise because they were used to it in the womb, and if you keep it up, they will sleep through most anything. Now, every baby is different, but I took this advice to heart, and LO will sleep through the screeching bird, the barking dog, us talking, loud TV, household chores, fireworks outside, anything that's not right next to her ear. Just my personal experience. Take it or leave it.

helsbels222

gipfish said:

Why do you need her to sleep if she isn't fussy? My LO is almost 8 weeks and is up to having 2 of these 3 hour awake periods most days (and sleeping more at night; yay!). I just put her in her bouncer seat or wrap, feed her or give her a pacifier when she fusses, and let her just look around at stuff when she doesn't.

I would do more tummy time or play if they are not fussy. Why force sleep?