Scrappy Co-sleeper. Any One Got a Better Idea?

My 4 month old has been waking in the night frequently after sleeping through the night starting at 6 weeks. She mostly sleeps in her bassinet. When she wakes, she eats, but doesn't really seem all that hungry (I feed her in bed lying down). I prefer to put her back in the bassinet so I can sleep better. However, if its after 4:00 a.m. I leave her in bed with me. So now that she's been waking all hours of the night, and not all that content to go back her bassinet, I've been trying to sleep with her in bed next to me from her first waking on. However, she's so scrappy in bed. She moves, grunts, scratches, and squirms. It leaves me wondering how anybody co-sleeps. I'm functioning on almost no sleep and have a three-year-old so I don't get a change to nap in the day but maybe twice a month or so. Any better ideas?

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S.H. answers from Honolulu on December 08, 2010

Okay.... When she 'wakes'.... is she really waking/crying/actually awake????
If not, then let her be.
MANY babies... do toss and turn or make noises while sleeping... they stir.
That does NOT mean... you then have to 'wake' your baby, and then whatever.
Just try letting her be. Maybe she is just stirring... and will go back to sleep on her own.
My son was like that.
BUT if my son woke AND cried.... THEN I would nurse him and go to him. THEN he DID nurse.... fully. And then went back to sleep.

So maybe... that is why, your baby does not 'seem' hungry when she so called 'wakes.' Because she is just stirring/tossing and turning, in her sleep. NOT it being... a feeding thing.
So. OBSERVE your baby... and know her cues, and noises and when she is 'waking' for a feeding.

Your 'interrupting' her when she 'wakes'... and then she grunts/seems restless and 'scrappy' in bed with you... to me, may mean that you interrupted HER sleep... and woke her... and then now, her sleeping got interfered with... and now she cannot go back to sleep... again.

all the best,
Susan

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D.P. answers from Pittsburgh on December 08, 2010

Personally, I'd get her into that bassinet somehow. I never really co-slept with my son--my bed is my personal refuge! lol I cannot function on no sleep. And it's dangerous to have an infant in the bed with you.

Could you just "get up" for the day when it's after 4:00 a.m. and after she eats, put her down and you go back to bed as well....you can tweak the schedule after she gets used to that maybe?

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J.S. answers from San Francisco on December 08, 2010

Hmmm....I could advise you to check out the link below for some sleeping tips that may help you out...good luck!

http://www.theskinnyscoop.com/search/sleep?utm_campaign=t...

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S.L. answers from New York on December 08, 2010

some people let their babies sleep in another room because they are such light sleepers or because their children are such active sleepers! Maybe you would both sleep better in different rooms??

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C.W. answers from Washington DC on December 08, 2010

I had to stop co-sleeping at 4 months. My son would be all over the bed. We used to put him in the car seat on the floor next to the bed and one morning I found him under the bed. He began to hate the bassinet at that time because it was just too small for him and he couldn't get comfortable. Our ped told us to put him in his crib. It took about 3 nights but he slept in there comfortably from that time one. I would suggest putting her in his crib or if you want to stay in your room, use a pack and play so she has some room