Baby can't sleep well...

diymummy

diymummy

Moderator
Hmmm.. I'm not too sure abt that... But I would have thought that letting things get noisy in the day would help them know that it is day time and night time is supposed to be dark and quiet.

If your baby is wanting to nurse every time before he falls asleep it could be that he has already gotten used to falling asleep while nursing. If you're sure that he isn't hungry, try to let him fall asleep on his own. That's what I did.

My baby follows a routine and a feed/wake/sleep cycle. When he wakes up, I will feed him, after that let him have a bit of wake time, carry him, play with him, sing or talk to him.... Then after that let him calm down and put him to bed for a nap. For night time, he has a bed time routine, which is a body wipe and mummy and daddy kisses. So till now, 9mths, he recoginises that a body wipe and mummy and daddy kiss means bed time. When he's tired he looks very excited that I am finally giving him a body wipe.

Babies usually like routine as it helps their brains process what to expect. It gives them predictability and security.
 
meiteoh

meiteoh

Well-Known Member
I dont't draw the curtains but I keep the door to the apartment open only slight ajar because I tend to walk around in just shorts and my nursing bra. She naps just fine, even with noise - babies have the ability to tune out sounds when they are in deep sleep.

If he can't fall asleep at night because it's quiet and dark, make it a different kind of noise and light from daytime sleeping, eg nightlight and music or lullabies. I do that with Eva and of lately, I'm beginning to notice that she'll stare at her nightlight (it's blue) when she's drowsy and slowly her eyes will begin to close. The same goes with the lullabies - I'll turn them on and leave them planning until she dozes off, then I'll switch it off.

On the routine part, I'm with diymummy. Eva has a routine which I've started since birth with some adjustments here and there. And it also makes life easier for me. :)

As for feeding before sleeping, why not - that's if he's hungry? If it helps your baby sleep longer periods at night, I'd say go for it. Some babies love to tank up before knocking out for the night.
 
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esthergal

Member
Help needed desperately!!

My baby usually cries from the moment he wakes up until i offer him my breast to calm him down, then when he lets go, he will either fall asleep (but onli at most 2 hous each time), or he will look ard play play a bit but never fall asleep by himself, then i have to feed him again for him to sleep... i feel like all my energy has been drained out...

This is the cycle that i go thru again n again everyday... again, did you all go thru thisalso?

The onli person who can make him sleep by just carrying him is my hubby but he's working during the day... and my hubby has not been sleeping well too coz he's helping me at night, i feel real bad seeing him so tired when going to work...
 
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esthergal

Member
diymummy said:
Hmmm.. I'm not too sure about that... But I would have thought that letting things get noisy in the day would help them know that it is day time and night time is supposed to be dark and quiet.

If your baby is wanting to nurse every time before he falls asleep it could be that he has already gotten used to falling asleep while nursing. If you're sure that he isn't hungry, try to let him fall asleep on his own. That's what I did.

My baby follows a routine and a feed/wake/sleep cycle. When he wakes up, I will feed him, after that let him have a bit of wake time, carry him, play with him, sing or talk to him.... Then after that let him calm down and put him to bed for a nap. For night time, he has a bed time routine, which is a body wipe and mummy and daddy kisses. So till now, 9mths, he recoginises that a body wipe and mummy and daddy kiss means bed time. When he's tired he looks very excited that I am finally giving him a body wipe.

Babies usually like routine as it helps their brains process what to expect. It gives them predictability and security.
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Thanks diymummy for sharing...
Can i ask, for the cycle, the crying part shoudn't be in it, is it? What about when your baby is just born? my baby is now onli 23 days old...
 
diymummy

diymummy

Moderator
Hi esthergal, my boy can get quite fussy at times. If it's time for a nap and he cries, I will usually let him cry for abt 5 min before I go attend to him. Usually by 5 min, he would have fallen asleep. So, the crying part is in it, unfortunately.

Before I let him sleep, I would make sure that he's ok, like diaper changed and stuff like that.

I think you might have experienced a growth spurt when your baby was abt a week old? Like keep crying for milk, mayb like every hr? Your baby might be going through that again at 3wks/1mth. If you can remember what it's like during the growht spurt period at 1 week, you can try to see if your baby's fussing now is similar to that and if so, then yes, he would require to be nursed more frequently.

When my baby had a growth spurt, the whole cycle was messed up and he cried almost every hr for milk. But after a week, he stabilised and I could slip him back into the routine quite easily.
 
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esthergal

Member
Thanks again diymummy... so far i haven't tried letting him cry for even one minute... coz he'll cry until his voice changes and coughs also, couldn't bear to lusten to his cries... but most of the time when i pick him up, he'll stop crying and also no tears one...

Never knew tgat there's such thing called growth spurt... every newborn has to go thru this? hopefully this is really a transitional thing...
 
diymummy

diymummy

Moderator
Yeah growth spurts are transitional seasons which usually lasts for abt a week and I would assume most babies will go through it. You can read more abt growth spurts here: kellymom.com :: Growth spurts

Can understand how you feel when baby cries until cough... But don't know leh.. I also scared I give him too much attention then he always pull the same trick. So my fear of that actually stops me from giving him too much attention. I know not all mummies here agree with what I do and some believe that you can never spoil a baby. So you would really need to do your own assessment of the situation.

The routine I put my baby through is not easy at times and sometimes he does get fussy and throws a tantrum. But this time you fail, next time, you learn better. So it takes a few weeks of trying to stick to routine for the baby to go along with it. I think you're doing well so far though.
 
meiteoh

meiteoh

Well-Known Member
Yes, every newborn goes through this although their behaviour may vary. Essentially, they become fussier and want to feed more often.

How you tackle your baby depends largely on you - each baby is different. What may work for one mummy may not work for another so go with your gut instinct. *big hugs*
 
iceydragon81

iceydragon81

Member
meiteoh said:
I breastfeed until she lets go. Try not to breastfeed until they sleep - if they do, wake them up by tickling their chin or feet. Coz if they fall asleep constantly at the breast, what you're doing is turning your boobs into pacifiers. So she'd constantly want to suckle in order for her to sleep.

As for sleeping more during the day rather than at night, it's normal as they still are confused between day and night. To help make the transition smoother, make sure she naps in noisy surroundings during the day and in a different place other than her crib. This way, she can learn to associate day time with activity and such. At night, put her in her crib, dim the lights and make it as quiet as possible. Avoid playing or exciting her at night. Reserve that for the daytime and for those hours before her final "before bed" feed. That way, you're telling her that night time is sleep time. Setting a routine also helps.

Eva takes her naps outside on the sofa where she can see me, hear the TV (she doesn't watch it though) and well, outside noise like the kitchen and such. I play with her there, and take her out for an evening stroll every day. Then before her bedtime, I'll wipe her down, play with her for a bit, feed her and put her in her swing before bundling her off to bed in her own crib which is in her own room. No lights on - just the night light which is ultra dim, her lullabies and that's it.

Btw, they still need their naps and sleep - it's especially important for newborns because nap time and sleep time is when the body grows and develops.
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hi meiteoh, thanks for the good information. i am like u, i like my baby son of 2 mths to sleep in the living room coz its not so stuffy in the afternoon n his babycot at nite ... n i do nurse him till he sleep but i will wake him up to burp him then carry him n pat a while then sleep .. u seem very knowledgeable .. is this from experience or u read up from books?

can share with me where u get the knowledge? thanksss
 
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mummy0001

Member
It's really tired when our baby can't sleep, i feel same situation, i'm like a drunk no sleep mostly in evening. what a tired experience.
 
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Lea Lu

Member
I'm also worried for you, maybe there is something wrong form her inside for your baby, at this age of baby its always sleep mostly if that's fully breast
feeding , its always in sleep. I think you must go directly in pedia..
 
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Lea Lu

Member
I'm also worried for you, maybe there is something wrong form her inside for your baby, at this age of baby its always sleep mostly if that's fully breast
feeding , its always in sleep. I think you must go directly in pedia..
 
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