Sleep? What's that?

norab2684 · June 2014

Yesterday DD (3 weeks old today) was feeding every hour and then was up from 530 pm until 12am. She falls asleep on my breast and then won't stay asleep when I try to put her down. Any advice? I'm at my wits end.

Avion22 · June 2014

Just hang in there. Sound like maybe a growth spurt. It does get better! Do you have any kind of routine for putting her down at night?

norab2684 · June 2014

No routine because she falls asleep at such different times. Usually I change her diaper and nurse until she's asleep or hold her until asleep. What other things should I do?

Avion22 · June 2014

norab2684 said:

No routine because she falls asleep at such different times. Usually I change her diaper and nurse until she's asleep or hold her until asleep. What other things should I do?

Here's what we do (we started at about two weeks), and it may or may not work for you.

We cluster feed in the afternoon/evening. He usually wants to eat every hour or so when he's awake. H and I eat dinner at around 6:30. At 7:00, we take the baby upstairs, change his diaper and change him into jammies, then we turn the lights down in his room, and turn on lullaby music (we have an iHome in his room). I nurse him in the glider, then put him down in his crib. Sometimes he's asleep, and sometimes he's awake but drowzy. Then we watch on the monitor downstairs. He USUALLY falls asleep in about 10 minutes if he's not asleep already. Maybe once or twice a week he will be wide awake. If he's still awake at 8:00 I go back in, check his diaper, then feed him again. This always does the trick. Then he's good until I wake him up to eat at 10:00 before I go to bed. Lately he's been sleeping till maybe 5am.

Some people do a bath every night as part of their bedtime routine, or will do a story, or sing lullabies, or whatever.

The big key for us was that we did NOT have to rock him to sleep. He is more than content to lay in his crib by himself, and usually falls asleep in just a few minutes after I leave. If i'm there, and he knows I'm there, then he will want to interact. On his own, he just chills out. We watch and listen on the video monitor, and will go in there immediately if he starts crying -- but this has only happened maybe twice.

spartybride3 · June 2014

I just went through this last week when we were going through a growth spurt. We had to supplement with formula at night because my supply couldnt keep up with her demand. Doing that knocked her out for some 5-7 hour stretches (which also freaked me out).

Have you tried the 5 S's? We just started doing that and so far it's working every time.

PaoPao820 · June 2014

What are the 5 S's?

spartybride3 · June 2014

I think it's from the happiest baby on the block?? Basically you swaddle them, hold them on their side (belly to belly), give them something to suck (paci), swing gently (we rock in the chair or sway standing up), and make "ssshhhh" noises. It's suggested for colicky babies, but it works for others. We use it for bedtime & naps (when she's being difficult) and she's asleep within about 5 minutes every time. When we start sometimes she's calm and just awake and other times she's being a total spaz.

https://www.happiestbaby.com/5-ss-system-may-help-colic-symptoms/

norab2684 · June 2014

My LO won't take a pacifier. She falls asleep but often not for very long! She did sleep more late yesterday afternoon and evening but woke 4 times during the night, one of which was for over an hour. Ugh!

flcl · June 2014

norab2684 said:

My LO won't take a pacifier. She falls asleep but often not for very long! She did sleep more late yesterday afternoon and evening but woke 4 times during the night, one of which was for over an hour. Ugh!

Ugh, hang in there... my LO won't take a pacifier either. What time are you putting her down? Do you have any sort of bedtime routine in place yet? How long are her stretches right now? Keep in mind that night time sleep will develop before daytime naps...

norab2684 · June 2014

No real routine yet. She's so unpredictable! Some days she sleeps all afternoon and I to the evening. Some nights she gets up at like 9:30 and is up for hours.
Last night we did put her in her crib earlier than we had been-at 7:00. She slept until 9:30, ate then back to sleep but only for an hour. Was up from 11-12 then slept until 230, up until 3:30, slept until 5, then up at 7. So lots of wake ups!
Her stretches at night are anywhere from 1 to 3 hours. Usually about 2 hours.

flcl · June 2014

All of that sounds right on for how old your daughter is. It might be helpful to start some routines even if she's being unpredictable. For example, at night, you could give her a bath, nurse her, swaddle her and then put her down. Do the same thing every night for awhile so she realizes that these are the things you guys do before she goes to bed at night. During the day, try to get her to nap however you can every 75-90 mins or whenever she shows you she's tired. Don't let her nap for more than 3 hours though. It's a catch22, the better she naps the better she'll sleep at night and vice versa. Try to establish the night sleep first. And I'm sure everyone is telling you this, sleep when she sleeps. If you can pull that off, that'll help a little with how tired you're feeling right now. Also, if anyone offers to help you, take them up on it and take a nap. The house chores will be there waiting for you whenever you're ready. You need to sleep and take care of yourself first.

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