Babies: 0 - 3 Months

Newborn won't sleep unless being held

So my DD is very new, we just came home from the hospital yesterday.  But the last three nights so won't sleep anywhere except in our arms.  Yesterday she slept in the PNP during the day some but at night she screams if we are not holding her.

I know she's super new but we'd really like to be able to put her down to sleep at night even if it's only for an hour or so until her next feeding..

Any suggestions?

Re: Newborn won't sleep unless being held

  • In the beginning really there wasn't too much that worked for us to be honest, we were up a million times until he sorted out his days and nights. Once that happened we were able to swaddle him tight (miracle blanket), letting him suck on the pacifer while doing a little bit of rocking until his eyes started to close, removing pacifier then putting him down drowsy but awake. Now days all he needs is the swaddle and to be put in the crib and he knows it is time to fall asleep.

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  • We did the rocker for awhile because he liked the incline.  Good luck!
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  • Hang in there. Soon enough things will get sorted out and her sleeping will greatly approve.
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  • Good luck. The only thing that helped our LO was time. They grow out of it eventually.

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  • I slept on the couch holding DD (surrounded by pillows and boppy) the first week she was home. When they are that new, I think they need to be held - they are used to being warm and close in the womb.

    By week two she was sleeping in her bassinet and by week four she was in her crib (she kind of put herself in there, she was napping in the crib and slept so much better that we made the full transition much earlier than I had intended. It's gone well.)

     

  • try putting a heating pad on low for a few mins in her bassinet. Remove the heating pad right before you place her down. The warmth will help the transition. We do this & it works great for us. Even if you can only get her to do this w/ one or 2 shifts a night, it will slowly get better. GL.
  • jgoojgoo member

    Only suggestion is to hang in there.

    DD was like for the first few weeks. But she gradually started to like her swing & bouncy seat more. She's still my snugglebug, but she definitely likes to be put down & will asleep elsewhere now.

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  • imageScout05:

    I slept on the couch holding DD (surrounded by pillows and boppy) the first week she was home. When they are that new, I think they need to be held - they are used to being warm and close in the womb.

    By week two she was sleeping in her bassinet and by week four she was in her crib (she kind of put herself in there, she was napping in the crib and slept so much better that we made the full transition much earlier than I had intended. It's gone well.)

     

     

    I did this too! Except almost 8 weeks we are still sleeping together but in bed not the couch anymore. It works for us and is perfectly fine. They grow so fast so enjoy the baby snuggles while you can still get them :)

  • imagesammerz29:
    imageScout05:

    I slept on the couch holding DD (surrounded by pillows and boppy) the first week she was home. When they are that new, I think they need to be held - they are used to being warm and close in the womb.

    By week two she was sleeping in her bassinet and by week four she was in her crib (she kind of put herself in there, she was napping in the crib and slept so much better that we made the full transition much earlier than I had intended. It's gone well.)

     

     

    I did this too! Except almost 8 weeks we are still sleeping together but in bed not the couch anymore. It works for us and is perfectly fine. They grow so fast so enjoy the baby snuggles while you can still get them :)

     

    I should add that she doesnt NEED to be held to sleep anymore, she naps in her swing or bouncy chair during the day. But her best sleeps are with us :)

  • darmcadarmca member
    My little guy did that for the first couple nights too. I ended up sleeping in a big armchair in the living room holding him. But whenever he fell asleep I would put him in his crib and try to go to bed. He usually woke up within 10 minutes but I kept trying- day and night. By day 4 he would sleep in there for up to 2 hours at a time. Now at 3 weeks he sleeps in his crib up to 4-5 hours at night and rarely during the day (he likes his bouncy chair or being held during the day).
  • we took turns on the recliner for a few weeks. Finally, the car seat worked for us. Try putting her in the car seat.
  • I had luck with a tight swaddle, Rock n Play, and a ton of persistence.  I just didn't give him the option of sleeping anywhere else.  If he fell asleep in my arms I put him down.  If he woke up I calmed him down and then put him down again.  Sometimes it took a million tries but once he got used to it he knew that it's where he ws supposed to sleep.
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  • Are you swaddling? Try the escape proof swaddle in my siggy link.

    Also, don't force your LO to stay awake. A newborn basically eats, then sleeps.

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  • Are you swaddling? Try the escape proof swaddle in my siggy link.

    Also, don't force your LO to stay awake. A newborn basically eats, then sleeps.

    Also, try putting her down awake to fall asleep on her own after she's been awake for about 25-30 minutes (i.e. after eating).

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  • Thanks.  She did really good today napping in the PNP.  DH and I will take turns tonight staying up with her if need be.  We're going to see if we can get her to sleep in the PNP downstairs first.  One we get some good sleeps we'll work on the crib.
  • luvmygirlssluvmygirlss member
    edited July 2014
    *spam*
  • hordolhordol member
    edited June 2014
    I feel for you. It's very very common for newborns to need to be held in order to sleep at first. The first week DH and I had to sleep in shifts because he would not sleep unless we were holding him. I watched a lot of late night HGTV that first week. It will eventually get better. How quickly depends on the baby, but it will. These babies are coming from a warm and cozy environment where all needs are met at all times. They like being held because it's as close as they can get to that coziness. For us, DS was able to start sleeping 2 hrs at a time by week 2, 3 hrs by week 3, and 4 by week 5.

    Lol and now I see that this is a zombie thread.
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  • I *never* co slept with my 1st two children, but my 3rd slept on me for her first 7 weeks. It was the only way either of us could get any sleep. I tried to fight it and employed all my 3rd time mom know how, but none of it worked. She was finally able to "cut her cord" in that 7th week and she's been in her crib now for a month.
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  • kcredi1kcredi1 member
    edited July 2014
    We had the same problem! From 2 week - 12 weeks my baby girl SCREAMED when she was awake. (Not crying - screaming!) Here is an article I read (too late.)

    **just saw this was first posted in 2011! whoops!
  • I know not sure why it came up. Didn't realize it's from June 2011
  • So crazy, I was like when did I write that and realized I commented on this thread in 2011 after DS, so wild to be back in the same position again.
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  • iqwedding3iqwedding3 member
    edited July 2014
  • How long did it take for your LO to grow out of it? Eventually she was comfortable  being put down to sleep?
  • I know this thread is old but how did you get her to transition during that 7th week? Did it just happen out of nowhere that she became comfortable being put down? 
  • this is a really old post but the person who recommended baby sleep in car seat is a no no for overnight or unsupervised sleep.

    Anyway, my current almost 8 week old baby is also waking up at night and won't sleep unless being held. I'm a third time mom and I'm just rolling with it (I know this is also not recommended). We do try and put him in his crib but he tends to wake up anywhere from 10 minutes to 25 minutes. We had him sleeping in the rock n play but these have recently been recalled so we tossed it away!
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  • Just wanted to share that having baby sleep in bed with you is very dangerous, and sleeping with your baby on the couch or in a chair is even MORE dangerous because there is an even greater risk of suffocation. Additionally, babies should not be left to sleep anywhere other than a crib, bassinet, or pack n play that is approved for sleep (sleeping in a rock n play, car seat, bouncy seat, swing, etc all raise the risk of SIDS)
  • My baby wouldn't sleep either without being held, until out of desperation I put a baby size travel neck pillow around his head like a headband, and the difference was amazing!  The Dr said it's because they're used to having something touching the top of their head. He only needed it for about 2 weeks till he learned that his crib wasn't so bad after all. 
  • Don't give up. Things will be settled up soon enough, and her sleeping will be very pleased.
  • I know this is a zombie thread... My lo 2 months refused to be put down, we used to fall asleep while holding him or put him in the boppy, which I know is unsafe, so he'd be monitored 24/7 while he slept, which was disasterous on our health. We got the Purflo from the UK, so we had to get someone in the UK to get it then ship to the USA, but it's the only baby nest certified safe for baby sleep. He has slept like an angel since the first night we got it. We can set him down awake and he will lull himself to sleep. 
  • My 5 weeks old baby doesn’t sleep longer than 10 minutes unless I’m holding her, what can I do to make sure this doesn’t become a bad habit? Also, my husband insisted that our baby sleeps in bed with me and now I’m having hard time training the baby to sleep in the crib, how can I get her to get comfortable sleeping alone in the crib?
  • Just seconding not sleeping with baby on the couch or armchair... If you have to sleep with baby, the bed is better than couches or chairs because couches and armchairs have cushions with nooks and crannies for baby to potentially fall into and suffocate. If you absolutely have to sleep with baby, bed is going to be safer, just make sure to move all pillows and blankets far away from baby's face, stay away from edges of the bed (including where the bed meets any walls), and don't sleep with them on your chest to avoid them rolling off of you. I try to keep baby in bassinet next to my bed as much as possible but there are times where the only way for me to get a nap is to lay with him, so I just try to minimize the risks as much as possible.
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