Help My Child Will Not Sleep When I Put Him Down!

Try and swaddle him tightly. He's still pretty young to be used to having to be held...YET. If you keep it up holding him to sleep, he will get in the habit of that and you will never get a break! He may just need to be swaddled so he feels secure. Also, buy a book called Babywise. It teaches you how to set feeding schedules that in turn help with sleeping schedules. IT WORKS! I have a 6 year old and a 2 year old that I used with this method and they both slept thru the night at 8 and 10 weeks and are now great sleepers who go to bed and sleep with ease. Good sleeping and eating habits are taught. They just don't happen. Good luck.

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I haven't read all of the other responses, but my third daughter is now 5 months old. All of my girls were like your son. It's totally normal, but difficult to adjust to life with a baby always in your arms, etc. A great solution is a baby carrier. I've had several and my absolute favorite is the Kangaroo Korner adjustable pouch. It rocks! Your baby gets the comfort of being close to you, and you can still accomplish things with your hands free. Highly reccomend it!!! Also, a book that has a theory as to why babies need to be swaddled/ carried is the Happiest Baby on the Block by Karp. It comes in DVD for parents who need the info quick and don't have time to read it! Good luck!

Ah yes....my son did the same thing. In the very, very beginning (as in a few days old) he would sleep anywhere and all the time. Then, all of a sudden, he wouldn't sleep for more than 20 minutes unless he was being held. This lasted for a couple of months. I was so scared he'd never get over it! He's still not a great napper...but he'll sleep in his crib just fine!

Just be patient...it'll get easier. If he's not hurt, hungry, or wet then he probably likes your warmth and heartbeat. Try holding him until his arm is like a wet noodle and then put him in his bed. Are you swaddling? My son hated being wrapped up tight, but we found he liked to be tucked in. I know you're not supposed to let them sleep with blankets or on the boppy, but we used both. Sometimes he would sleep in his crib on his boppy because it hugged him and sometimes we would snuggle him into a big blanket...not swaddled, just kind of nestled in it. We checked on him frequently whenever we did this...but it helped him gradually be able to sleep on his own! Our Dr suggested buying one of those things that has rice in it that you can heat up (I don't know what they're called, it's like a sock with uncooked rice in it that you can microwave) and putting it next to him so he feels the warmth...we never did that because he started sleeping on his own.

Some people will tell you to let him fuss it out...but I did some research and according to what I found and according to my Dr you shouldn't let them do that until they're 6 months old....but I do know several people who did it before that age and it worked for them.

Good luck!!

I would suggest getting a sling so you can wear him. That way he is close to you and feels secure, yet you are giving your arms a break from holding him and you can do other things. He is really small and this doesn't last for too long. Putting him in the sling also makes it so the habit of having to be held to nap doesn't form. I used a sling from the very beginning with both my boys. It did wonders and I was able to get other things done while they napped. But at 2 weeks, you should actually probably be taking naps at the same time and letting the housework go for a bit. It makes it so that you are not as tired and irritable and babies grow up so fast.

D.

Don't worry about spoiling him or anything.. do whatever you can to get through the first 6 wks-3months. My 4 month old also just takes 30 minute naps, but I think thats unusual. When she was smaller she'd sleep up to 4 hours in the swing. She didn't like it at first, but then changed her mind:) Are the nights the same thing? Usually they go down easier at night with a huge improvement once you move them to there own room (as far as night wakings go) I don't know if this is your first, but I just loved those times when my first would just sleep on me... so peaceful, something I can't get now that I've got a demanding 3 year old! Cherish those times, things will get better later.... there is no way to hold your baby too much (in fact if you held him all day long thats a 50% cut from just 2 weeks ago!). A good book I recently checked out at the library which focuses on sleep for the under 3 month crowd is "The Happiest Baby on the Block" Good luck.

He may just be going through a of wanting to be held.sometimes babies can be a mystery. I have 2 boys myself and sometimes they just wanted to be held. I have a 10 month old nephew and I have noticed he does that also,usually sleeps fine as long as you lay by him until falls asleep but then there are times he wants to be held the entire time he sleep. Yea there could be possibility he may be getting sick but that isn't always the case. Well I hope you get it worked out,Good Luck

He is so tiny and some babies really just need to be near someone to feel safe and comfortable. If you are restless, get a sling and learn to wear him while you do other things, including nurse. But also remember that he is tiny and this passes very quickly. You just delivered him and it's also time for YOU to rest and take it easy and get some quiet bonding with him. With my subsequent kids, I missed the quiet days of just holding my baby! Try to enjoy it the best you can.

Do you have a rocker swing. My second child liked the feeling of being a little curled up and the motion of it. He would sleep for 2 hrs at a stretch if I put him in there. Also try to remember that at this young age that there is nothing "usual" when it comes to their development. They can sleep good for a week or two and then have a little growth spurt or change in their little bodies and they have a different habit for a few weeks. There will be lots of transition.

Both of my kiddos were the same way. I just went with it. My son started napping on his own at about 2 months and has always been a good napper (4 hours when he was a toddler and still 11-12 hours at night). My daughter took a little longer but she was ok by 3 months.

It may not be easy to sit around with your baby while he naps and you will probably think that you could be getting SO much done if you could put him down. I did that with my first. My husband told me once that the housework will ALWAYS be there and our son will only be a newborn once. So I eased up and went with my son's schedule.

You could try wrapping him in a light blanket to make him feel secure when you lay him down.

Invest in a wrap baby carrier. A Sleepy Wrap saved my life (sanity) when my daughter was tiny. She started sleeping when I put her down around 15 weeks.

While she would nap, I would grocery shop, or go on a long slow walk.

http://www.sleepywrap.com/

or

http://www.mobywrap.com/

Don't panic. My son wouldn't sleep lying down either. I thought I was doing something wrong. I found that he would sleep well as long as he was sitting up and there was movement. I would put him either in his swing or in his bouncer seat that had vibration setting. Around 2 months he grew out of it. Good luck.

My daughter did the same thing when she was two weeks. I have other friends that have had the same problem so I think it is somewhat common. Although it is frustrating I am not sure there is much you can do about. My daughter slowly started to transition to sleeping more in her bassinet. Just try to be patient it should only last a really short time.

I am having the same problem with my 3 week old son. It got to the point where we have been putting him in his bouncer in the pack n play to sleep so we can get a little sleep. I'm hoping that he will just grow out of this phase......but in the meantime, do what you need to do to get some sleep ie. putting him in a bouncer or swing. Especially if you have other kids you need to take care of during the day, you need your sleep! I have a 2 1/2 year old daughter, so I need at least a few hours every night to be functional! Good luck!

Your son just may be needing to be close to you right now. You can try getting a carrier to make it easier for both of you. There are a lot of different kinds (pouches, slings, wraps, asian inspired carriers, ect). My daughter wouldn't sleep by herself for the longest time when she was a newborn, a carrier saved us both. Now that she's 21 months, she can still nap in them if we are out and about, but she is very independent.
If you are interested in finding a good carrier, contact me and I can help you figure out what might work best for you. I have a small collection of at least one of each kind that you can try if you want to see might work for you. For more information on BW (babywearing), check out
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/5/t051100.asp
for benefits of BW: http://www.askdrsears.com/html/5/t051100.asp#T051103

Basically, what babies want and what they need are the same thing for the first year. If your baby is telling you he needs to be close to you right now, then that's what he needs. Babywearing just makes that a lot easier, and can breed independence sooner.
Cheers,
E. :)

Hi D.,
I had the same problem with my second. What I did was hold her until she fell asleep in a cozy blanket, then I would put her in the car seat or bouncer so she was still in that holding position. She almost never woke up from that for a while. I think she just liked being in that cuddle position. Anyways,I hope that helps you! :.)
D. Miller

Sounds like a typical little babe! Don't worry, you are not spoiling him. Do you rock him to sleep first? That might help as it mimics the movement of the womb. You can also try playing soft music or turning on a fan for white noise.

I also highly, highly recommend getting a good sling so you can gave him close and get work done. It worked wonders with my son! I got a gypsymama bali breeze (http://www.gypsymama.com/shop/breeze.htm). They are comfortable and last forever! Good luck!

Dear D.,

My son is 1 month and he does the same thing but all the time. He will not fall asleep on his own unless he is rocked or often while he is nursing. I do think it is getting better with time though, at least now he will fall asleep in my arms and I can lay him down once he falls asleep, but he often only sleeps for small stretches at a time. I have just gotten used to walking around him around the house and often he just falls asleep on his own. I also have a sling, but the one I have I don't like because I always feel like I am going to end up running into something with him. It doesn't keep him close to me when I bend over, etc. It's the Infantino sling. Hopefully it will get better for you soon.

Hi D.-
it is normal for babies this age to feel secure only with constant contact with their mothers. It is funny how it works when we are raising children- you think you've got a routine down, and that it will last forever, then baby arrives at another developmental milestone, and things chage again. Give in and hold him- at his age, you should probably be napping at the same time he is, anyway. Enjoy the peace and quiet. You will look back on these times with nostalgia. Enjoy your baby :-) S.