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Newborn Sleep HELP!

Im lo is only 4 days old and i know newborns are meant to sleep most of the time but he seems to sleep all day and then when it comes to night time he just wont go to sleep in his cot yet if hes put on bed with me he doses off straight away! any ideas would be great, im sooo tired :cry:

Replies

  • I've only one idea, with so young a baby and that would be to sleep when he does i.e during the day. Establishing a regular routine would probably help but i can't advise you on this really as i'm still trying to get my 11 week old into one :roll:
  • It sounds like he's got his days and nights confused. You can turn him around. Try these things:

    - stick to a routine, same thing every night, same time
    - distinguish between nighttime and morning - curtains open, say "GOOD MORNING" in the am
    -Keep the house bright during the day; curtains opened, lights on, tv/radio on. Basically keep the baby as stimulated as possible during the day.
    - at night stick to a darkened room
    - no talking when you feed in the night
    - no eye contact with the baby when you feed in the night
    - no tv, radio, stimulation at night
    - be in the baby's room for the routine (ie:feed & comfort the baby in his room during the night rather than taking him to another room)

    In the meantime, do try to sleep during the day. Any bit of sleep you can get is going to help you to fee better. Don't worry if your house isn't tidy. Unplug the phone and don't worry about missing calls. Don't worry about cooking meals. Do an online grocery shop and have it include lots of ready meals.
    Good luck to you! It will get better.

  • thanks, have tried alot of them things but definately a big help, thanks alot. i guess im just being selfish with sleep, after all he is very young.
  • hey, it is totally normal for newborns to wake more at night and takes them a few weeks to switch around and sleep more at night. i agree with keeping things quiet and dark at night, which you prob. do anyway, and it'll get better soon. i don't think your being selfish for wanting to sleep! just try to catch up whenever you can!
    as for sleeping in your bed thats o.k if you don't mind it but he will get too used to it, you could try swaddling to make him feel more snuggly and secure in his cot x.
  • Thanks mumto2. I dont want to get into the habit of having him in my bed but he settles straight away. When I told my mum I did this she went ballistic! I felt really bad after. Ive tried swaddling him but hes soo fidgety, hes forever throwing his arms and legs about i dont think he likes it. But will definately try it again. xx
  • hi sam,
    babies go from being in a dark warm place where they can be awake and asleep and its constantly dark, so like it has been mentioned, keep it really light during the day.
    my lo hated to be swaddled, she was in her big cot without swaddling by the time she was 1 week (she hated her moses basket with avengence,no idea why). but i was an evil mum ( i was seriously) if she had been fed, changed, winded and she was still crying, i left her to cry (it was hard but like i said i am evil lol)
    she was sleeping thru the night 10 til 7.30 from around 2 weeks.
    i never had her in bed with me, a old friend of mine did that and she rolled on top of her baby while asleep (luckily tho she woke and called 999 and thank god no permanant damage was done to baby) but mum has never forgiven herself and still goes on about it to this day (10 years later).
    its does no harm to baby to let them cry for a while, altho that depends on whether you have the heart for it.
    good luck xx
  • Hi

    Have you tried using a ready-made swaddling blanket. My LO was so wriggly the he'd escape from a swaddle made from regular blankets. Mothercare do a swaddling blanket and its really secure.

    I must admit that I've caved in a couple of times and had LO in bed with me for the night, when hubby has worked nights. Can you try settling him with you and then moving into cot when asleep, its only a short-term fix but it might give you a chance to catch up on a few Z's.

    I hope you can find a way that works for both of you.

    p.s you are NOT selfish for wanting sleep, its a basic human need not a luxury xx
  • i no this might sound silly but my lo got used to cuddling with oh after bottles and feel asleep on him but would not settle in moses basket after i used to put a pillow case oh had slept on so it had his smell and layed it on top of the sheet worked a treat got used to sleeping in his own bed noe he dont have the pillow case anymore x
  • Hi Sam im glad its not just me i nearly passed out the other day from lack of sleep and now my mum is on my case to give up breast feeding and put Lexie on the bottle, she dont like moses basket she will go down for 1 1/2 hours then wake for a feed but then will not settle unless its on the bed with me although last night she did sleep an extra 1/2 hour i was so happy lol she is 11 days old now so i know it will get better we just have to hang in there take careimage
    Lin.
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