Baby Won't Sleep - Idaho Falls,ID

Yes. On more than one day my now 3 mo old, would be awake for the whole day, getting more and more disoriented and less and less inclined to sleep or nap. I came up with phrases -- allergic to the back of her eyelids, and yawning so big she could eat her own head -- but still no sleep. I had a friend in town to witness it, and she couldn't believe it either. On one day at 7 weeks, I took my sister's advice and put her in the crib like she should be going to sleep. I was amazed that she just talked to herself for a bit and then was out. 2 minutes before it might not have worked, but at that moment it did! Good luck!

Try music. My son loved Micheal W Smith, Gary Chapman and Nicole Nordaman. Classical is great when they are young too

Peace, T.

My DS1 was a terrible sleeper. I used to look with envy at my friends' sleeping babies when we'd get together. Honestly, we still struggle sometimes and he's nearly 4.

You've probably tried lots of things, but motion worked really well for us. I got a yoga ball and I'd bounce him to sleep. Big bounces activate a reaction reflex in babies...it also helps when they're crying. See if your library has any of the ItsyBitsy Yoga videos (www.itsybitsyyoga.com)... that helped us a lot, too. Also swaddling. Sometimes a swaddle & bounce would work within minutes. Maybe try baby massage, too.

And once he falls asleep, lay him down quickly. Like within 5-10 minutes. If you wait too long you miss a window and then you'll probably have to hold him for like 45 minutes (IIRC) 'til he reaches the next phase in his sleep cycle.

It might be worth checking into food allergies as well. High activity level can be an indicator of food allergy. If you don't follow that up now, keep it in mind in case he starts moving early. My first son did a military crawl at 5 1/2 months and walked at 9 1/2 months. Those both would be possible warning signs.

Good luck... I hope you can get him sleeping some!

It seems that my baby (now 5) had similar issues around this age.
He's probably very tired and wants to sleep but something is preventing it. He may be used to the sense of movement from the womb, or the comfort. Have you tried swaddling him? Baby slings that allow you to 'wear him' hands free are good too. That might help. We also used a baby swing and a bassinet that had an automatic rocker (very gentle) to create some movement.
He may have cholic - does he arch or cry a lot? You can cary him on his tummy (put his head near the crook of your elbow so your hand is on his tummy) to help relieve some pressure. If you're breastfeeding, make sure he completely drains one side before switching to the other so he gets the fatty 'hind-milk' that helps decrease gas and tummy pain. If you're formula feeding, you may want to talk to the doctor about what formula would be best for him.
Try to walk him as much as you can - it sounds like it's soothing to him. Have help to trade off, and make sure you get some breaks for you. If you're tense it may make it harder for him to relax.
If you're still concerned, call your doctor. He should be going in soon for a 2 month check-up anyway, and you can get assurance that there's nothing wrong.

Looking back - with my youngest now 5 - I can assure you that it will get better!

Hello N.,

All I can say is Routine Baby, it is a very inexpensive e-handbook that I used for both of my daughter and it really works. It helps you set routines and schedules that fit for your own lifestyle for both you and your child. It had both my girls sleeping 8 to 9 hours by 3 and 5 weeks old and then the night time sleep became longer as they got older. Now my 15 month old is sleeping from 7:00p.m. to 8:00 a.m and is taking a 4 to 41/2 hour nap during the day. I could not imagine my life without it. You can find it at www.routinebaby.com...good luck!!!!

HA I laughed out loud when I read your post!
YES many of us have!!!
My little one didn't sleep at all the first few months of her life (still won't nap during the day) and I have friends that have 9 month olds that still don't sleep more than a few hours at a time! So you are not alone :)

There are things you can do to help him along such as a very dark room, white noise, ect so look into some books out there on good techniques.
Also I suggest looking into "baby wearing" during the day. Helped save my life so I could still get things done around the house.

Good luck sweetie!

The baby whisperer tries to replicate the womb. They say to shush in their ear very loud (the womb is noisy!), swaddle and move, put baby tipped slightly forward laying on his side, or hold him belly down while you move a lot.

Also his sleep schedule is not the same as yours yet. Be patient.

Oh my gosh I feel your pain. My daughter is 8 weeks old also. I thought it was bad her having her days and nights mixed up. Now we have that straightened out but she is up all day and wants to be held also. Have you tried a swing? That seems to help me out for about half hour to 45 minutes. enough time to take a shower and eat something. I did some research also and they say that at about week 7 or 8 is when you will start noticing your baby staying away for 10-12 hours per day. Its nice to see them awake but its hard when they wan to be held all the time. Good luck, if you get any good advice that works let me know please.

Hey N.,

My daughter is 8 weeks old and doesn't sleep for 12 hours either. She often gets upset if we stop walking around when holding her, so we bought a baby bjorn and wear that around the house. At night we put her in her crib to go to sleep then when she wakes up my husband and I bring her in our bed to go back to sleep and we are now sleeping to 7:00 sometimes even 9:00. Also we live by the 5 S's and we learned that from a great DVD called happiest Baby on the Block.

Welcome to motherhood. for the first year of life babies are crazy with their sleeping habits. It's the worst when they are this young too. Just when you think you have it all figured out something will happen and your baby who did sleep all night starts waking up all the time or not wanting to go down or wakes up too early ect. I was lucky and by 8 weeks my daughter was sleeping 7 hours at night but that only lasted for a month or 2 and then she want back to waking up a couple times a night to nurse. That lasted until she was a year and I weened her. So I know it's hard but it will get better. I would try a swing or one of the vibrating bouncy seats. It sounds like your baby likes the movement. You might also want to try a sleep positioner. It keeps the baby snug and tight while in his crib like he is being held. My little girl loved hers. good luck

I have never heard of a baby that young sleeping that long. My son is and has always been a fantastic sleeper, and he was only just starting to sleep 7-8 hours a stretch at 8 weeks. My coworkers baby is 7 weeks and only sleeps about 3 hours at a stretch. Your son is a newborn. He is a normal newborn and needs lots of cuddling and affection and, yes, carrying. I recommend getting a Moby Wrap so you can carry/wear him and still get things done; this was a lifesaver for me when my son was that age. Good luck, and hang in there.

Been there, done that. We did Babywise by Gary Ezzo with all our kids, which was great. DS #2 was colicky. The video "The Happiest Baby on the Block" cured it in 10 minutes. He slept for 5 hours and it was his fussy time. I highly recommend the video. I would think you could get it at the library. I know the book is there, but my cousin hated the book. GL! It looks like you got a lot of advice. I hope you find something that works soon!

My son is almost 1 and still doesn't sleep that long. He goes to sleep about 8:30 and wakes at about 6 am for AM snack and then will go back to sleep until about 9, but when he was 8 weeks, I was lucky to get more than 2 hours of sleep at a time! I learned the beauty of sleeping on the couch while he ate and if he refused to go back to sleep, the beauty of a muted, caption-on TV! Be patient.

I also had to finally learn (when my son was about 6 months old) that it was okay for him to cry a little going to sleep. I am so thankful I did. It was a couple of weeks of HARD WORK...okay, just trying to not go into the room to rescue my son as he screamed from his crib...but now I can feed him and lay him in his crib for both naps and nighttime and he will AT THE MOST cry for 15 minutes (most times, he just falls asleep right away) and put himself to sleep! It is great! It was worth the stress of letting him cry it out, but for now, just enjoy to the time with him while he is small because before you know it, he will be walking and not wanting to snuggle anymore! Good luck!

S., 25, mom of Tyrrone 11-months

My baby, and most babies, will never sleep 12 hours straight for the first year or two of life. This is a myth perpetuated by the outsiders who don't have kids and those few who were lucky and got one of the few babies that do sleep for a long stretch. Usually the few that sleep 12 hours in the beginning stop doing so by 3 to 4 months and their moms are on here asking how to get them to sleep better again.

The best thing you can do is educate yourself on normal sleep habits - read Dr. Sear's Baby Sleep Book and the sleep studies by Dr. James McKenna. Other good books are by Dr. Jay Gordon and another one whose name I forget at the moment. It is actually a survival mechanism for baby to not sleep deeply.

The other part of your letter - about movement - makes me wonder if your baby needs to be upright due to reflux or some other medical issue. Try the bouncer swing or increasing the head of his (or your, if you're cosleeping) bed 30 degrees and see is those make a difference.

My son never slept well due to reflux, food allergies, and I now realize an intense need to be with people (he is an outgoing people person now at age 2 just last week). I finally brought him into bed with us around 3 1/2 months, and it was the best decision we've ever made for our family. I finally got the sleep I needed, and my husband and I realized the joy we get out of being able to be close to our son at night.

Could it be gas? Have you tried mylicon? Our son was very gassy and that would sometimes keep him up. A drop of mylicon and he was instantly soothed.

We also read The Happiest Baby on the Block.....a book about sleeping. Although at 8 weeks it should just be natural and the baby should be on his own schedule.

If nothing works, I would probably talk to your peds. Could be your little guy is uncomfortable for some reason...

Good luck!

I second the sling (or baby carrier of your choice)... just your movements will help him sleep. (try vacuuming too... the white noise helps).

do you have a swing or vibrating bouncy chair? I'd recommend borrowing the various items before you buy... because depending on what he likes best, it could be worth every penny... or be a total waste of money if he doesn't dig it.

also, at night keep it dark and boring! don't talk or interact too much, just keep it quiet and dull. I realize this is hard as you are sitting in the dark by yourself praying your baby will sleep, but truly don't turn on the t.v, etc. you don't want to give them the idea there is anything exciting going on. he'll eventually figure out the good stuff goes on in the day time.

My son was a lot like this. You obviously cannot carry him constantly nor is it doing him any good to constantly have someone hold him. Try putting him down in intervals like 10 minutes at a time in a bassinett, swing or where he can hear and see you. RARELY do 8 week old babies sleep 12 hours straight!!!! Laying him down in his own crib at night and walking away and letting him fuss for a few minutes is fine, even at this age rocking him for a few minutes. He needs lots of cuddling and rocking and soothing at this age.
Teaching him to sleep by himself will come and to fall asleep while awake will save you a ton in the long run and great thing to do for him. He is so new though, don't expet it to happen now. Nobody likes to hear their baby cry, he is very young still but at the same time do not expect him to sleep that long. Neither of my kids slept more then 5 hours straight until they were 9 and 10 mos old! ONLY now do they sleep that long and they are 4 and 7 years old!
Try a fan for white noise, music box that is voice activated.
Make sure he is dry, full and comfy. Seriously, it will be a while before you get 12 hours a night of sleep!

Have you tried swaddling him?

I read that babies have a 90 mminute sleep schedule naturally.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-04-09-baby-sleep... Try this link. Or look at the book by Polly Moore PHd. I think it is true as they could go to sleep every 90 minutes burt if kept up, they start another 90 minutes of alert and awakeness, but fussy if they are lacking any sleep. All 5 of my kids have gone almost the entire day without sleeping at all and if they do, they only do for 10 minutes or so and it is maddening, and tiring. Try this program and see if it helps but you are not alone. My new babies don't ever seem to sleep as much as others newborns do but by 6 weeks, they all seem to go at least 8 hours straight at night and that is a great tradeoff!!
Good luck. let me know if you have any other questions.

N., a 8 week old will never sleep 12 hours straight. You can consider yourself lucky if he will sleep for 6 hours straight.
My 14 week old sleeps 4 hours, wakes up to feed, 2 hours, wakes up to feed, 2 hours, wakes up to feed. Then we get up.

My daughter had colic until she was 2 1/2 months old and it stopped all of a sudden. Gripe water worked for us sometimes. They also have "Colic Tablets" at Whole Foods. The worked great. If you are breastfeedin, try to stay away from dairy as it makes colic worst in some babies.

I can also recommend to get "Happiest Baby on the Block" by Dr Karp.

My daughter has never slept more than 9 hours at a time and she is 22 months old. She rarely does that. She still doesn't sleep consistently through the night. Good Luck, I know sleep deprivation is very hard, but you will get used to it or hopefully it will pass.

Hey N.-

We had the same problem with our little boy. We found out he had colick. Anytime we sat down, he would start screaming. Our pediatrician prescribed him some medicine that helped a lot. It didn't stop til he was 4 months, but through that 4 months, all of us were able to sleep a little more. You can also buy some gas relief I think the brand name that we used was Mylicon? Thant also helped.

My baby did the same thing, it is crazy, I know. My Pediatrican wasn't concerned but it concerned me! He slept less than 8 hours every 24 hours...
Two things helped me help him to sleep....
1. the Miracle Blanket..approp named!
2. The book The Happiest Baby on the Block.

My first son wouldn't sleep longer than 40 minutes at a time for his whole first month. He started throwing up at two weeks of age and generally acting miserable, and we were admitted to thehospital to learn his intestines were swelling shut because of a dairy allergy. I worked with a dietician to eliminate dairy from my diet so I could continue to breastfeed him and he was a new baby within a couple of days.
If your baby is mostly happy and does sleep for at least one three or four hour stretch in a 24-hour cycle, you're probably OK. If there are other symptoms, it's time to ask a lot of questions at the doctor's office. It's important to rule out allergies or other medical problems, which are rare but could be the trouble.
Perhaps a swing or a baby sling would help a bit? I love my Maya Wrap sling--it's like my third arm!
I, too, recommend "The Happiest Baby on the Block" by Dr. Harvey Karp, but I thought the DVD is better than the book because you get better deonstrations of the soothing techniques. "The Baby Book" by Dr. William Sears and Martha Sears also helped save my sanity and know when to freak out and when things were normal. Your local La Leche League group will have these resources and tons of others in their free lending library--you can find your group at www.llli.org.
Good luck--I'm wishing for a nap for you!

I would try a baby swing. Both of my girls love the baby swing. You want one that has a papason type chair. Babies R Us has them for about $150. YOu can set it to swing more or less. Also, talk to your pediatrician as well.
Good luck!

My 10-month-old has never slept 12 hours straight. It's not until 6 months that they could even go that long without eating. But it sounds like your real issue is that it's hard to lay him down to sleep. One solution is to get a cloth baby carrier (mei tei, sling, wrap, etc) that the baby can sleep in while you get things done. And at nighttime, maybe you could have him sleep in your bed. It's safe as long as you follow certain guidelines - a firm mattress, neither of you under the influence of drugs or alcohol, etc. The baby could be between your pillows so he won't get smothered by your blankets.

Your baby is totally normal. :) I suggest you get The Baby Book by Dr. William Sears. It was recommended to us when we had our first baby, and it was a sanity-saver! It is full of excellent information to help you through the first two years of parenthood. Other than that, try to relax and enjoy your little one because he will be a big kid before you know it!