Sleep suggestions?

bacorrea · June 2014

My LO won't sleep. The MOST she sleeps at a time is 2 hours, and that's on a good day. She will be 6 weeks on Saturday and she has been like this since coming home from the hospital. I've done everything I can think of/been told/ have read including:

-The 5s (swaddling, swinging, sushing, laying on side, pacifier)
-Rocking
-Car seat on top of dryer
-Baths before bed (she hates baths)
-White noise machine
-Sitting in the bathroom with the shower running
-different places for bed, RNP, crib, PNP

The only thing that has semi-worked is holding her, but I'm petrified that I'm going to fall asleep and drop her or somehow suffocate her, so I still don't get any sleep.

She does sleep in the car, but I'm too sleep deprived to go for a drive at 3am, plus she wakes up whole transferring her to the RnP.

Does anybody have any tricks up their sleeves I could try?
Thanks!

MissWhis · June 2014

My daughter was up every two hours at 6 weeks as well. I think that's pretty normal. She's 10 weeks old today and still up every 3 hours. I'm used to it by now.

bootsiebabe · June 2014

You didn't mention a swing, which I know works for some.

Rileypie · June 2014

If she falls asleep in the car can you just bring the car seat inside and let her sleep in it. My ped said if I'm desperate for sleep its okay, just don't do it for months. My LO slept there for 2+ weeks, now I can get her to sleep n pack n play for 3-4 hours. Good luck, no sleep is rough

bacorrea · June 2014

@MissWhis‌ I know every two is normal, she doesn't do that though. She was up from 1am-6am yesterday and she has been up since 2am today. She only slept 3 hours combined from 6pm 2am before that.

bacorrea · June 2014

@bootsiebabe‌ oh sorry I meat swing in the 5s parenthesis. She hates her swing.

nycgirlkat · June 2014

I agree with the car seat. My LO is 6 weeks and is colic/gassy and when we are desperate we take her for a drive. We don't do it every night but on the nights/days she does fall asleep we leave her in the seat. So far she's had her best stretches of sleep in there!! Have you spoken to your pedi about her feedings? Does she maybe need a little bump up to feel satisfied?

bootsiebabe · June 2014

Eek. Hopefully she'll start stretching things out soon as she grows.

bacorrea · June 2014

@nycgirlkat‌ yep! She isn't colicky or screaming she is just awake. I nurse her whenever she is hungry and her growing is on track.

Cecilbear · June 2014

I posted something very similar on FB yesterday and nearly all of my mom friends came out of the woodwork to praise beds sharing, which really surprised me. I'm not ready to go there yet, despite there being guidelines for doing it safely. What about getting a foam cosleeper that fits in your bed? That way you can put your hand on LO and let her know you're near. Everyone is saying their babes slept better when very close to them. Also! Can you get her outside during the day? There's something about fresh hair that puts my kid out like a light. Try a long walk or bring a book to the park while LO chills in her stroller?

macynsnoop · June 2014

My guy does that same thing, he's 8 weeks & 12 lbs. I really thought once he was heavier it would stop & he would sleep longer..nope. Some nights he only wakes up twice so I know he is capable of longer stretches. It's rough, to be honest I'm used to it now, but those nights he does go those longer stretches are glorious! Good luck!

NatalieBier · June 2014

Mine hated the swing at first, but it really does train their body to sleep longer. The first few times she screamed for about 5 min then passed out. Now she likes it. Also, try the miracle blanket. Best swaddle around and worked with my other two. Every two hours is such a beat down. Good luck!

*sparky* · June 2014

If you take her for a drive and she stays asleep when you stop I would just leave her in the car seat to sleep.

Other than that I've got nothing - you have tried everything I would suggest. I hope it gets better soon.

PaperBowl · June 2014

I thought my kid hated his swing but then I read this article I found via googling that suggested putting it in a dark room, swaddling them before strapping them in, and then turning the swing onto the fastest setting-- faster and wider the better. That last thing was the "magic" touch and bam, my son went from hating his swing to loving it and he'll sleep and nap in it for hours! You might have tried all that though. Is it possible your lo has reflux or silent reflux? That can keep them awake!

CalinAZ · June 2014

What made the biggest difference for us was having a longer bedtime routine to try to wear him out and keep him up for about 2 hours before bed (instead of just letting him nap when he wanted). You are probably already doing that, but thought I'd mention it

.

We do a feeding, playtime, a bath, massage with coconut oil, dress and swaddle, sing, then another feeding. This has really helped him sleep longer for that first chunk.

Hope it gets better soon!

Rrrrrachel · June 2014

I don't think your baby's behavior is that abnormal, unfortunately. Hopefully it's just a phase and they'll move past it soon! They're just so tiny still. I think you've gotten some good suggestions. Have you tried warming up the sleep surface before you put them on it? Like with a heating pad? Or putting a tshirt down on top so it smells like you? Some babies just insist on being held! With my daughter I spent many a two hour nap with my feet propped up reading a book on my phone while she slept on me. We didn't bed share with her but we are with my son (part time at least) and the difference in how much sleep I'm getting and how I feel is night and day compared to the first time!

cd92007 · June 2014

These three things work perfectly for us: woombie, sound machine and a heating pad down in the crib before I put him down (remove it obv). And before all this I nurse him while rocking in the glider.

KyMackey · June 2014

Having you tried scheduling at all? Worked like a charm for us. LO is 8 weeks and has been sleeping 5-7 hours since she was 4 weeks old.

AnnH74 · June 2014

Check out the troublesometots website. Awesome info-maybe you've already seen it but it's very helpful!!

bacorrea · June 2014

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. @Rrrrrachel‌ I pretty much only get sleep if I prop up on the couch with her on the Breastfeeding pillow/sleeping on me.

MamaFantastic · June 2014

Here's our failproof combo:

Swaddle with arms tucked down
Belly to belly in my arms
Deep bouncing with swaying
My cheek pressed against the top of her head
Rhythmic shhhhing to the beat of my bouncing
Firm (FIRM is the key!) bum pats, also to the same beat if my bouncing and shhhhing.

For transfer to the crib, the trick is to take away the sensory input slowly and one by one... so I'll stop the bum pats first, then reduce the bouncing, then slow down the swaying next, then start leaning over the crib while still shhing and keeping my cheek on her head... and if she stirs while I'm trying to do this, I'll pick up the stimulus again (deeper bouncing, resume bum pats, louder shhhhing, etc). Sometimes it takes awhile and a few tries, but it works.

In the crib, we have a white noise machine too.

Good luck! It's hard to get no sleep. It's ok to lower your standards too... if you need to sleep while holding her (we ALL do!) just put measures in place to do it as safely as possible.

Rrrrrachel · June 2014

I did put my daughter on her tummy from about two months on. It saved my sanity.

hordol · June 2014

KyMackey said:
Having you tried scheduling at all? Worked like a charm for us. LO is 8 weeks and has been sleeping 5-7 hours since she was 4 weeks old.

What's scheduling?

cjpell0 · June 2014

We use a moby wrap right before bed
to get LO relaxed. Then we change, feed from one side, burp, swaddle, feed the other side and read a book and then put in the pnp.

After we eat dinner (1-1.5 hours before bedtime) we also turn all the lights off and turn the volume down on tv and our voices. He's 11weeks tomorrow and has gone 3-4 hours between feedings since 3 weeks and slowly progressed and now does one 7 hour chunk

KyMackey · June 2014

hordol said:

KyMackey said:
Having you tried scheduling at all? Worked like a charm for us. LO is 8 weeks and has been sleeping 5-7 hours since she was 4 weeks old.
What's scheduling?

Scheduling is setting up a routine to follow day and night. Your baby learns when to expect to eat, have interaction and awake time with you and most importantly when to sleep. It takes a while for everyone to get accustom to it but it's amazing how quickly my baby girl picked it up.

See: https://www.babycenter.com/baby-schedules for more info. I just googled baby schedule but have a couple books on it too.

Holljade · June 2014

Turning the hair dryer on has worked wonders for us. When all else has failed (not all white noise is created equal!)

selina1113 · June 2014

PaperBowl said:
I thought my kid hated his swing but then I read this article I found via googling that suggested putting it in a dark room, swaddling them before strapping them in, and then turning the swing onto the fastest setting-- faster and wider the better. That last thing was the "magic" touch and bam, my son went from hating his swing to loving it and he'll sleep and nap in it for hours! You might have tried all that though. Is it possible your lo has reflux or silent reflux? That can keep them awake!

This just worked for us! Here I thought the swing was too fast. I didn't think to try the fastest setting. Thank you @PaperBowl

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