My 6 week old has suddenly stopped sleeping at night! He used to get up every 1-2 hours. Then for a week he gave me one 3 or 4 hour stretch followed by a 2 hour stretch and then his every hour until morning. Now the past 3 nights he wont go down at all unless I am holding him. Last night at 130 in the morning I put my son on his belly and he stayed asleep while I stood there watching him for 5 minutes but as soon as I turned him over on his back, within 2 minutes he was awake and screaming. After many more attempts I brought him to bed with me by 230 am. I am NOT ok with making this a habit. I have no problems with those that choose to have a family bed but it is not for me. I need some suggestions to get him to sleep at night on his back. I have a night light, soft noise, a swaddle. He wont stay asleep in his car seat or vibrating/bouncy chair. He does sleep in his swing downstairs and I could leave it in his room but I'd like to try some more permanent solutions first. Thanks for your help. (It's all me at night, my husband is unable to help as he commutes long distances for work and I can't have him sleep deprived and behind the wheel...plus I am nursing)
Both my boys were belly sleepers. We had the angel monitor that would sound an alarm if it didn't detect movement. I know that it's not the "correct" thing to do, but neither is going bat crazy which is what I would have done if I didn't get any sleep. I would let him sleep on his stomach. Good luck!
I moved the swing into my room and my son and daughter both slept in one until they were about 5 months old. it was a GODSEND. I never would have got any sleep! I know you want a permanent solution, but when babies are that young it's never permanent! You know, they hit a growth spurt, get new teeth, change up their eating...no matter what you do, it's never going to stay the same. I say, if the baby wants to sleep in a swing for a bit and that means you get more sleep....GO FOR THE SWING!! :)
L.
When we were at that point (a few years back) the doctor said - let him sleep where ever he will sleep! Ours slept in the swing many nights - dr. said that was fine. You need to look out for you now. He'll be fine sleeping in the swing. I would just move it closer (doesn't have to be in your room, but I would at least bring it upstairs with you) so you can hear him when he wakes.
Look into a co-sleeper. It is like a pack n play that attaches to your bed. Then he is right next to you, but safely. I would lay my arm across him or pat him to help him fall asleep, all in the comfort of my own bed. Plus I think they can sense you are near-by which is reassuring. I also thought it made nursing in the middle of the night way more do able.
Totally normal. At 6 weeks, he is way to old to form any real patterns. Do what works right now. When his sleep changes again, make another adjustment. Don't worry about forming habits (good or bad). Babies really can't form habits until 6 months or older, and even then they aren't too hard to change.
One of the best pieces of advise I ever received was "The best place for baby to sleep is wherever baby will (safely) sleep." If the swing works, great! Use it until it no longer works or until he's too big for it to be safe.
Personally, as a nursing mom I loved co-sleeping. When my son woke in the middle of the night I rolled towards him, latched him on and went right back to sleep. Then next time I woke up I checked to make sure he was safe and went back to sleep. Wow did I get more sleep once I let him sleep in my bed!!! Not trying to push an agenda, just wanted to let you know that it really helped me get a much better sleep.
Good luck! He will sleep better one day ... it could be a couple of months or a couple of years ... but it really will happen!
My son would never go to sleep at night but yours WAS sleeping and now has stopped. Could he be sick? Gassy? Are there any other symptoms? Regarding the fact that he WILL sleep in the swing downstairs, don't feel bad if that is your only alternative now. Sometimes, it's about survival until you figure out another way. I wish I could help you more....
I know you are tired and I feel the frustration in your post. I've been where you are--3 times. This change in sleep patterns is likely related to the growth spurt that happens at 6 weeks in most babies which makes you feel like they are on the breast constantly and never sleep. This will pass in a week or so likely. Do whatever it takes to get some sleep. I'm not a co-sleeping Mom either (my kids move too much for me to get a good night sleep with them in the bed), but I did occasionally have to hold or sleep with them so I could catch enough zzz's to take care of the baby and my older kids the next day. Just know that babies are incapable of developing habits until after about 4 months old due to immature brain development not allowing for long term memory and recall. So, if you sleep with them or hold them during the night just to make it through, you don't have to worry about them sleeping with you until they are 7 yrs old. I also breastfed my kids till after a year so my husband was of little help at night during those infant days. Parenting little ones has many challenges and is a wonderful difficult 24 hr job. By attending to your child's needs day and night you are teaching them trust and security. I'm so glad your child has such an attentive mom as you who will get up with him and take care of him at night when he has needs that he can't express any other way than crying and wakefulness. I promise that soon this challenge will be a distant memory as a new challenge comes along. You sound like a caring Mom. Just do whatever works and don't feel guilty about it. Oh, and I did have a child that refused to sleep on his back. I turned him on his side at night in a nice snug swaddle and he's a healthy almost 2 yr old now who still prefers to sleep on his tummy. I worried about SIDS, but he learned to turn over both directions by 3 or 4 months so my pediatrician said the risk was low at that point. Nurse Midwife Mom of 3
My daughter did this. She HATED sleeping on her back. We ended up putting her to sleep on her side. Roll up two baby blankets and wedge them on either side (one front and one back). She slept alot better after that.
He might have reflux and lying him flat might give him reason to wake up, with sore tummy or heartburn.
If he likes to be swaddled, swaddle him tightly. Put him in a vibrating boppy chair so that he almost in a almost sitting position, but lying on his back (make sense?) put this in his crib and have the camera pointed at him so you can keep an eye on him (crib railings up of course). Don't put the vibrate on, just swaddle and let him ly in it, if you have to softly bounce it for 10 min or so, and if he will sleep do that again next time but shorten your time, doing that every night until he is happy to just sleep in there. See if this helps.
My son was a tummy sleeper.. and slept much better when I decided to go against everyone's advice and let him sleep on his tummy... just make sure there is nothing in the crib that could suffocate him. (Teddy bears, blankets strings, and take out your crib bumper and replace it with a mesh bumper, they fasten with valcro and have no strings to tie, plus it allows better air flow). The camera monitors are so good.. Just LOVE them... Keep an eye on him as he lays on his tummy, you can get an idea if he likes it or not.
A tight swaddle is always good, and make sure he gets enough to drink so he does not wake hungry.
Wet diaper might also wake him, thinking about giving him milk as stated above... so a good night time diaper.
usually it is 5 things that wake babies up
1. Hungry
2. Wet
3. Gas (Burping, walk around the house with him in a bouncy step)
4. Needs to be swaddled
5. Feeling sicky (Cold or tummy bug)
so remind yourself of these 5 things when he wakes.. and soon he will go back to being himself. And hopefully you can get some rest.
hugs
