My 6 Week Old Daughter Only Sleeps 9/10 Hours a Day

Congratulations on your new baby girl!
That amazes me that she will lay in bed for an hour without crying. Up until I had to go back to work (at around 3 months) most of my daughter’s naps during the day were in my arms, the swing or the car or she was screaming. She did not like taking naps in the crib. I wouldn't worry about where she sleeps just that she sleeps. Looking back now, I tried so hard to get her nap in the crib, I wish I would have kicked back, enjoyed the snuggle time and sleep with her!
Have fun!
C.

1 mom found this helpful

hi A.,
congratulations on your 1st baby! i have to tell you i know exactly what you're going through. i also am a 1st time mom to a baby girl who is now 11 weeks. i think right around that time my daughter too also refused to sleep during the day, unless she was held. do you swaddle your daughter? i've always found my girl felt more at ease swaddled. she would sleep fine in her bassinet or on the couch in the beginning but then around her 6-7 week, she decided she didn't like those spots anymore. so my savior as been the swing. i pump and feed her through the bootle. once burped, we enjoy being together for about 30 minutes then i put her in her swing and she'll sleep for about 2 hours. that's still our pattern now, unless i can't resist so i'll nap with her in my arms. i figure she'll only be so small for so long, so i can't spoil her. before we know it, they won't want to be held so tight or close anymore so we might as well cheerish them now. try the swing or even baby bjorn. some kids like sleeping in their carseat. maybe try giving her a paci to see if that helps sooth her. i hope that helps!

1 mom found this helpful

Hi A.,
I HIGHLY recommend reading "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Dr. Marc Weissbluth to understand biological sleep rhythms and how to sync with your child's. At your daughter's age I would try putting her back down for sleep within 2 hours of wakefulness. It may be that she is becoming overtired and unable to fall asleep. Some babies this age can't even make it 2 hours. Establish a routine for bedtime and a shorter one for naps. Make it calm, quiet, simple and consistent. You didn't say what time you put her to bed or what time she is up for the day. At this age, my daughter was going to bed at about 7pm. When she would wake at night to eat, I would keep it dark and quiet, putting her back into bed when she finished eating. Every baby's sleep rhythms evolve/mature at different rates and Dr. Weissbluth gives averages. Email me if you want and we can come up with things to try.
Sincerely,
L.

1 mom found this helpful

Hi A.,

How do you put her her down for naps and bedtime? Although, I know at 6 weeks old there isn't really a bedtime routine/schedule. In a book called "the Baby Whisperer" that I used with my son, she recommended something called "E.A.S.Y." this stands for EAT, ACTIVITY, SLEEP, YOU. So the baby would nurse/eat for 30-45 min max, then play (activity) for an hour or so, sleep, and then time for you. At this age, she recommended preparing them for sleep before they are tired. For a newborn, swaddling might help before you put her in the crib. Put her in the crib before she is tired (if you can figure that out-it is hard since you are just getting to know each other), and give her a pacifer if she seems to want to still suckle after her feeding. Close the drapes/blinds if the room is too light. My son didn't want miss anything so we would always make his room dark to let him know it was time to nap or sleep.I hope this helps! Let me know what happens!

Laraine

i love all the advice. my son is six weeks now..and is the same way.. i am able to put him down for naps sometimes after breastfeeding when he's sleeping and itt has to be on his side..or something soft..like a pillow. i know..against back to sleep..but it helps..other than that my baby is the same right now..

Congratulations on your baby!
Very easy piece of advice: If she only knows how to fall asleep while held, rocked or fed, than hold, rock or feed her!
:o)
She is a new born! They are all meant to be held at this stage! And enjoy it, it will not last long!

Hi A.,
I am going through the exact same thing as you with my 7wk old baby girl. It's comforting to know I'm not the only one. My daughter loves to take 5-10 min cat naps during the day...and that's if I rock her and hold her while she sleeps. She'll sleep at night in 3-4 hr blocks as well and sometimes take day time naps. She doesn't know how to put herself to sleep though and I've asked everyone for advice. She's still a newborn and I've decided that until she's 3-4 months, I'm just going to keep on rocking her, bouncing her on the ball and hold her until she falls into a deep sleep (or else she'll wake after 2 mins)and hope that in the next 2 months things will work itself out. What I can tell you is, I can't believe my daughter is almost 2 months old and the time is going by so fast. Enjoy every minute and know that she's probably getting the rest she needs. If she was exhausted, she would sleep. Good luck!

It always amazes me how the seemingly most simple things are so difficult for babies to figure out (sleep, pottying, eating ;-) I don't know if you are still swaddling her, but that can be of great help. Also, my three boys have all fallen asleep pretty much instantly if they are carried in the sling. I don't know if you have one, but it can be a life saver. (A Baby Bjorn style carrier is not the same and will not work for this!) You could swaddle her and place her in it and go for a short walk until she falls asleep (usually took my boys about 2-3 min) then could continue to "wear her" so she feels secure, or put her down when she is in a deep enough sleep. Best of luck to you! I know how frustrating it can be when your baby won't sleep.

My 4 month old daughter was the same at that age. If I didn't hold her she wouldn't sleep. So some days I would just have to decide that I wasn't getting anything done and hold her through a few naps. I would also put in her a sling which she loved and she would sleep well in that. You could also try swaddling her for her daytime naps and/or putting her down to sleep on her side with a support behind her so she doesn't turn over.
I saw that another mom recommended music. We actually use a white noise maker (homedics brand I think) with both of our girls. The toddler still sleeps with the white noise which helps her not 'hear' the baby in the middle of the night. The white noise maker can remind them of the womb sounds and be comforting.

My infant started getting a lot better with the having to be held all the time thing at about 12 or 13 weeks old. That probably seems like a long time away now but will happen very quickly.
Good luck.

My daughter wasn't much of a sleeper, either, and at 10 months still doesn't sleep much. The only way she has ever fallen asleep is by someone holding her or cuddling with her in our bed or on the couch. After she has fallen asleep I put her in her crib or, when she was smaller, I would put her in her swing for naps. It was so hard at first since I wasn't getting anything done, but as she's gotten older and learned to crawl, and now walk, she plays well by herself and I'm able to get more done. When she's ready for her long afternoon nap, I've learned to just lay down with her on my bed after she wakes in her crib, and we both get much needed rest. I've learned to listen to my baby's needs and we're both very happy.

Like some of the other moms suggested...I always have breastfed my baby to sleep at night and in the day. I know my pediatrician would not approve, but it is the only way he falls asleep! He is like your daughter, just staying up for hours on end or crying. So I breast feed him laying down on the bed (my bed) and once he falls asleep, I just get up and make sure he can't fall out of the bed by putting pillows around him.

wear your baby to sleep in a sling, then lay her down without waking her. babies this young are meant to be worn all day long, not to be layed down on their own to get to sleep. but our lives dont always work with wearing a baby a lot. if you get in the habit of it, though, you will find you have so much freedom not to worry about stroller, car carrier, etc. shes tiny and wants to feel you. i would say that you shouldnt be super worried about her getting enough sleep because she will probably take care of herself, but that you might need a rest during the day, especially as she gets older. also, as you get her napping more in the day, you might find she sleeps a little better at night. 45 minutes is an awfully long time for you to be nursing her, but nothing out of the usual. good luck, and dont worry about spoiling your little girl. she needs to know youre there for her.

A.,

At six weeks, my son often slept during the day in the sling or carrier or while being held. At about 2 months we started putting him in his swing for naps. He'd sleep 1-2 hours or so each nap. He napped in his swing until about 5 1/2 months old. I don't think you can really "teach" a baby to fall asleep on their own until 4 or 5 (or more!) months of age. If you have a swing, I'd give it a try. Good luck! :)

Jen

Not sleeping without being rocked or fed seems pretty normal to me for that age. I've found that my daughter (now 3 months old) slept (and sleeps) really well in a sling. There are lots of slings out there, but I use the Moby sling and had her in the "hug" position. She liked the feeling of being close to me and all my movement of walking around put her to sleep. Plus, I could could get some stuff done while she slept. Also, putting her in the car seat and either taking her for a walk around the block in the stroller or driving around also does the trick.

Good luck!
M.

That doesn't seem like enough sleep. It seems like my daughter slept all the time at the age (probably 18+ hours). Does she use a pacifier or some way to soothe herself to sleep? Will she sleep in a swing or on a stroller ride? Is she breastfed or bottle fed?

Unfortunately, some babies don't need as much sleep as other babies. I have three grown children, two sons and a daughter. Both of my boys were heavy sleepers, needing at least 10 to 12 hours at night and then two good 3-hour naps during the day in infancy. When they reached toddler age thru age 5 or 6, they both still needed that afternoon nap. My daughter on the other hand, slept only at night, and never took a morning nap. Ever since she was about 3-years old, when it was nap time I simply put her in her room and she was allowed to play quietly if she couldn't sleep. Since her brother was a year older than she was, I had to at least go through the motions of putting her down for a nap with him!

A trick many people try with babies is to put them in the car and drive them around the block and for many babies, that's all it takes to put them asleep. Have you tried that? Another thing is a warm bath to relax them.

Hope this helps; good luck!

R.

Dear A.,
I have written on this subject before. I have two children born 10 years apart. Neither of them were day sleepers, but the trade off is that they both slept all night, even during early infancy. It is a bit of a challenge....I of course had these ideas of my children napping during the day so I could get things done. That immediately went out the window. But the nice thing is that my babies slept all night. No sleep deprivation. No being up every two hours for feedings. There were a lot of things that I could get done at night while they were sleeping and during the day, I just got creative and brought them room to room with me in their carry cradle, etc.
You can't force a baby to sleep. Some kids just need more than others, and I think you'll find that your daughter's patterns will vary from time to time as she grows. As long as she is otherwise healthy, I wouldn't worry too much and just be thankful for the rest you get at night. SO many parents struggle to get their kids to sleep less during the day and more at night.

Just enjoy your little baby girl!

My friend just had a baby and he wanted to be held all the time so she got one of those wraps from I think Mamma's milk. There are several different versions out there. They look like they would slip but they are actually very secure. My friend loved it, he could sleep and she could get things done. I know there is also a movement to wear your baby for bonding so this would be an added benefit.

Get the thing that makes womb sounds to put in her crib or bassinet to lull her to sleep or the vibrating bouncer.

Hi A.,

You are right that your daughter doesn't know how to get to sleep without being held, etc. At 6 weeks old it's probably best to feed her and snuggle with her until she falls asleep. Good luck!

My son slept, but he had always fought sleep. From day one he fought sleep (the hospital nursery staff sent him back to me for waking up the other babies in the nursery :-). We had to learn to force him a little. As soon as he ate, we would rock him, or as he got older and we saaw cues we would go whenever he got tired. And we did have to fight with him, he did not like to forced to sleep, but once he fell asleep, he slept great. We did our sleep training very early, as you will probably have too, but for now you might just have to rock and jiggle and love on her until she falls asleep. Good Luck!

Newborns have their own agendas. She will sleep when she is tired. My 8 week sleeps at night and wakes up once at 4am to eat, but sleeps in blocks during the day also. Just like she knows when she is hungry, if she is tired she will sleep. At 6 weeks she is not going to know how to put herself to sleep, they do not know how to self soothe and it is ridiculous to expect them too. That doesn't happen until they are older. She should be sleeping and eating when she wants, whether it is a lot or a little until she is old enough to self soothe and go on a schedule. My daughter doesn't fall asleep unless I hold her and I am not worried about it. My 2 1/2 year old son did the same and he is happy sleeping in his own bed and falling asleep on his own now. They all eventually do. You can't make a baby sleep if they don't want too. I'm surprised your pediatrician is concerned about her not sleeping enough, usually most pediatrician say too follow the newborns lead, letting them sleep and eat when they want until they get older. If everything else is okay I wouldn't worry about it unless it is leading or is affecting her health. Good luck

I know every doctor says to put babies on their backs to sleep, but my daughter who is 4 months is a stomach sleeper. She has been from day one. I used to get freaked out putting her on her stomach to sleep but she prefers it, she can lift her head and turn it from side to side so I am not worried about her not being able to breathe. She sleeps 10-12 hours a night and 2 long naps during the day!! Its great! If you feel comfortable doing it, try her on her stomach. It worked for me!

Hi A.-
A 7 week old baby doesn't know how to put herself to sleep. That's normal, they still kinda pass out when they are exhausted. Your doc is right, she's probably not sleeping enough. What worked for us was The Baby Whisperer books. I saw another post about the method (good 20 min. wind-down & pat & shush to sleep). I definitely recommend reading up. The method changed our son- who we thought was a fussy baby- but when we implimented the EASY routine, we dicovered he was just over- tired! Now at almost 7 months, his naps are quite good, and he's sleeping great at night too!
Good luck!

"Happiest Baby on the Block" has great advice for this age and often refers to the first 3 mths as the 4th trimester. They still need lots of contact. It's great that she is sleeping well at night but she should need more sleep at that age. Check out the video/or book mentioned above. Swaddling (lots of moms like the miracle blanket) and swings can be lifesavers. My daughter unfortunately loved being held or laying on us. An important thing to know about sleep. Good sleep begets more sleep. Sleep deprivation has odd side effects namely the inability to fall asleep and the the inability to stay asleep. Kids in particular will also seem "hyped up" when the are overdue for sleep. maybe try holding her for a few days and/or using the swing with the idea of determining if she will sleep...then you know if she can sleep and you just need to find a system that works for her. 6 weeks old is pretty young to expect to much "independence."

Oh and breast feeding is not the issue and formula will not necessary "fix" the problem. Many of the breastfed babies in my moms group sleep fine, mine just didn't.