Babies: 0 - 3 Months

Sleep fighting insomniac

Everywhere I read says newborns sleep 12+ hours a day. My 6 week old never has and I am SO tired. We've tried just crib, bouncer, swing, rock n play, mamaroo. The only way he really will sleep is being worn in a wrap or Ergo but obviously I can't do that overnight. I swaddle, have tried not swaddling. I EBF, have tried giving a bottle right before.
In the day he will maybe nap grand total of 4 hours. I swear the kiddo acts like he is determined to be wide awake if he suspects he feels sleepy. At night maybe 5 hours but broken up over a few times waking up. HELP!! 

Pregnancy Ticker
FTM after 2 years TTC
Married since 2010

Re: Sleep fighting insomniac

  • I'd like to add baths, massage, rocking, singing. Really likes walking around and being held but I can't do that all night as he would have it.

    Pregnancy Ticker
    FTM after 2 years TTC
    Married since 2010
  • Has your baby ever nursed to sleep when he was younger?

    My girl is 11 weeks old and I still often nurse her to sleep. She fights it during the day, but I put her in a swaddle (we're using Love To Dream's zip up swaddles because she can break out of traditional swaddles very easily) and then she'll nurse to sleep.

    A variation on that which works like magic is nursing her unswaddled in the side lying position. Having her cuddled up close like that puts her at ease very quickly and she'll nod off in about 5 to 10 minutes day or night. 

    If you haven't tried it before, swaddling your baby and then using motion can work wonders. My husband gently bounces our daughter on an exercise ball and I sometimes hold her on her side and walk and bounce her at the same time. 

    Something I've heard about but haven't tried is using a ring sling to walk your baby until he falls asleep and then gently easing the baby off. It looks like it's a much smoother transition than using a soft structured carrier. 

    You've probably already read this, but I've found the adage that an overly tired baby is much harder to get to sleep to be true. Once you've found something that works, putting your baby to sleep will probably get somewhat easier after he gets past being over tired. 

    As for once baby is asleep, I've found playing a YouTube video of womb sounds helps keep our daughter asleep a bit longer since she can't hear noises like doors opening and closing as well, and they're definitely less jarring than they would be in complete silence. I've also got an attachment that I place on her bedside bassinet that gently vibrates her bed. This helps calm her back to sleep when I transition her from my arms to her bed. I'll also either gently pet her head or lightly hold her arms as she works her way through some initial flailing that can wake her up more. 

    If you start to consider bed sharing for naps or nights, make sure you read about the safety precautions you should take first. The moms in my breastfeeding support group love the book Sweet Sleep from La Leche League. I picked it up after accidentally falling asleep in a recliner during late night nursing sessions a few times despite my best efforts and it does have a lot of great advice and reassurance if you decide to go that route.

    I hope you can find something that works for you and your family soon. These rough, sleepless days will be behind you before you know it with any luck!
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  • Great advice in  post above. I'd just add that in my experience bad sleep causes bad sleep, so if your baby isn't sleeping well during the day she prob won't sleep well at night either. My youngest was a horrible sleeper and we sometimes wore her in the ergo for 5 naps a day to make sure she got her zzzss and she was always fine to sleep at night.
  • catem07catem07 member
    M will pretty much only sleep during the day if she's being held or if she's in her car seat (which don't put her in unless we're in the car). She will sometimes sleep in her swing or in the stroller. 
    DD #1: April 2017
    DD #2: May 2020
    Baby #3: EDD May 2023; MC October 2022

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