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10week boy wont sleep long periods

Hi all

i am a mummy to a 10week old boy who is formula fed and having difficulty with getting him to sleep long periods! 

At night he sleeps in his own room in a cot with white noise playing in the background. he wakes every 2hrs through the night n in the day time he will not nap longer than 20mins! I can tell he is tired in the day  and will put him down when drowsy but then he just wakes up and wont nap without being held. 

When he wakes at night i give him the dummy to settle him back to sleep And will do a feed once during the night

he feeds every 3-4hrs and we do a cluster feed at night before bed. 

i ave tried to keep him to a routine but we are quite social parents so are out n about which makes it difficult to follow a strict schedule! Any help would be fully appreciated. 

Replies

  • At 10 weeks it's pretty normal for them to be waking every few hours through the night... it's rough I know but it will get better. 

    I would say one night feed is not enough at 10 weeks... especially if he's waking up upset. My son at that age would do one longer sleep (maybe 5 hours) then up every 2 or 3 for the rest of the night for feeds. 

    Some things you can try which might help:

    1) if you're not swaddling at night that would be worth a try... young babies have whats called a startle reflex which is where their arms and legs jerk up suddenly... if he is asleep & this happens it could wake him up & then he gets upset. Swaddling keeps their arms in a comfy cuddle position so they can't hit themselves with a startle. 

    2) I would try feeding him at his bedtime (whatever time you have set that to be) then when you go to bed, do a dream feed then (where you gently pick him up, change him & feed him while he's still very drowsy. You shoudl then at least get a few hours sleep to start your night off. 

    3) advice now is to have baby in your room with you (in a crib or bassinet etc next to your bed) until 6months. This is to try & protect against SIDS & also means that when he does wake in the night you can just teach over to soothe him. 

    4) you say youre doing white noise... that can help so keep doing that. 

    5) if you're not already using a different 'night time' nappy then I would do that. There are ones specially made to absorb more / keep it away from their skin for longer so that it doesn't affect their sleep. Myself & several friends found this very helpful. 

    6) stuff a lovvie or small square of blanket down your shirt for a day and then give it to him at night... if he wakes & is upset he will smell you & that can be a comfort. My son has had his lovvie from a young age and it's very comforting to him. 

    You may try all of these things & find nothing works just yet. As I said, I know it's a tough time! The lack of sleep leaves you feeling like you've been hit like a bus! But try & just hold on to the fact that it will get better... he is still super young & developing good sleepomg habits takes time... he has to process all that you are trying to help him to learn... reptition & time are the key.

  • Thanks for the the detailed response! I know he is young but because he is quite a big baby he outgrew his moses after 4 weeks because he stretches alot n hitting the sides kept wakin him up also. 

    I thought swaddling was only for newborns! Thanks i will give this a try. 

    Do u stick to the same routine everyday? 

  • No... we are a busy couple like you... started back at our weekly quiz nights when he was 4weeks old so he's used to being out in loud busy places & staying out late sometimes! If we are at home then he goes to bed at 6pm & has slept through (12 or 13 hours) since about 5months old (he was breastfed so they do take a little longer to start sleeping though). If we are out at quiz then he is out until about 10 or so! we also go out for dinner in the evenings & out with friends & he often comes with us! It has been our experience that because we started him young with going out / being social and having a flexible bedtime 'routine' then he got used to that and so is great to take out. He naps in his pram if he needs to or just hangs out & loves the socializing! Whatever time he does actually get put down in his crib if we've been out I just follow that but if a routine the same... Jammie's on, music on (he has classical music playing all night similar theory as the white noise... I started that while I was pregnant with him so it'd be familiar), then we sit in the dark & he has a bottle of milk while we rock in the chair and then he goes straight down. Don't give him a bath every night or story at night or anything... we read during the day & I give give in a bath sometimes in the morning, sometimes in the afternoon... it's not part of a routine for us. 

    Yes the swaddle worked great!!! We had halo swaddle sacks until about 4 months when he outgrew those... then we switched to the baby Merlin magic sleep suit. I'd say if your little one is on the large side hes probably be big enough to break out of the swaddle so you'd be better going straight to the magic sleep suit... it does the same thing in principle... it's like a little astronaut suit & just gives a little padding on the arms and legs so that they can't startle & wake themselves up that way. That worked great too until we weaned him off that around 6 or 7 months as he was sleeping so well! they are a bit pricey but was definitely worth it for us! Take a look at them! (Baby Merlins magic sleep suit). 

  • imageHere's a pic of our little guy in the sleep suit. to avoid overheating I would just put him in a babygrow underneath rather than full on jammies

  • Amazing!!! Great advice! Will definately try that as hes like dnacing or fighting when i watch him on the monitor! Its great to hear stories where the babies dont sleep through at such a young age! my friends babies all tell me they sleep so well n through the night so i thought my boy was slow! But i guess not 😊😊

  • Nope you're definitely not alone! I would say it's more common that they don't sleep through that young than that they do!. 

    GOOD LUCK! Let me know how things go! 😊

  • Hi there,

    Came across your feed and I know what its like to crave a response so thought I would chip in.

    My son is 19m now and 10w old sounds so long ago but much like the lady's response everything she has said is spot on!

    SWADDLE is the king of tips! I had a very small baby so I was able to swaddle for about 5m the general advice is not to swaddle once they can roll over so you've got plenty of time left - do you use something like a sleepyhead? the feeling of having that close surrounding is very helpful I found.

    Have you tried hungry baby milk ?and dare I say it and be the devil mummy but my HV told me although the advice is nothing but milk and water till 6m try grate a rusk into his bedtime bottle it might fill him up more - maybe not just yet but if you run out of options.

    I think him being in your room would make the world of difference you will be surprised how much just smelling you close to him will settle him much like the muslin idea which is also great.

    Its really important to remember its not that uncommon to be still waking at this age his stomach is so small bless him. I would say that routine is KEY i stuck to it religiously and by 6m my son slept 12h night with 2 lots of hour and a half naps in the day and we have only just cut the second one out.

    One of the best thing I was told is that soon those nighttime wakes will stop so when he wakes just enjoy a cuddle and remember this will not last forever! x

  • Thanks Alba! he sleeps in a grobag but i am going to give the merlin sleepsuit a go And maybe wrap one of my scarfs around the matress. Funny i never even considered swaddling even when i was pregnant

    I heard hungry milk is alot thicker n can cause bad wind so dont want to put him on that Even though he is a lil chubster!!!

  • first night with the Merlin sleepsuit and OMG he slept for 6hours straight!!! He has never gone longer than 3hrs before! Just fed and put him down so lets see how long he goes for now! 😃😃😃

    did u guys find putting arms in the sleepsuit a bit difficult? Especially at night when he is drowsy after a feed, battling to put his arms in would wake him up?

    thanks so much! Lets hope this carries on! 

  • fantastic news newmummylove!!! So glad it worked & hopefully will continue to do so!! Thanks for letting me know... I really am pleased to hear it! 

    Never had difficulties with my little guy getting the arms in... maybe once your baby gets used to it he will not struggle so much to get it on... or if that continues maybe try putting it on before giving him his feed so you haven't got to do it after & wake him back up. 

    Hapoy sleeping!! 😊

  • Well done you! I bet you feel like a new women x 

  • I love the sun but its too hot!!!!

    What do u guys put under the merlin when its this hot?? 

     Its 28degrees in his room! Too hot for the merlin? Just got a vest underneath the suit but thinkin even this might be too much.

    think i need a fan! Sweating just typin this 😅

  • That is hot! I didn't have that worry as we live in a house with air conditioning. I looked up what the Merlin website says about heat & it says you can put them in the suit with no clothes underneath if it's hot & that the open feet & hands allows for ventilation but that it is up to parents to decide if baby is too hot or not... so not really that helpful!

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