My little man is back to front!

[KirstyL]

and I'm exhausted! Jacob has decided that he prefers nighttime for being awake and daytime for sleeping.

Generally he's such a good baby, he never cries unless he's cold / dirty or hungry, he's putting on weight brilliantly, he's perfect, apart from the sleeping. I try and get up with him the same time each morning (7am), open all the blinds etc, make it light in the house, talk to him, play with him - anything to keep him awake, but he'll feed (he's BF n demand) and then go back to sleep!!

I take him out during the day to try and entertain him, but he sleeps in his pram and sleeps in the car. At home, when he isn't sleeping, he won't sit by himself, he's got very clingy and constantly wants to be cuddled (which i love cause he's so scrummy, but means I can't get anything done (inlcuding nip to loo sometimes!, and I also don't want him to turn into one of these children that know all they have to do is whinge and mummy will pick them up). When he does get picked up he'll grin (well he probably doesn't, but it looks like a grim, or a look that says "haha, I got you again")

I've tried to get a bedtime routine going (not sure what age is best for this?), so between 6 and 7pm, he has his bath, pyjamas, feed, quiet time etc, but if I then try and put him down awake, he'll scream blue murder. The HV said to try and keep it noisy and bright during the day and dark and quiet at night, so he learns, but he doesn't like it quiet - we took him to silverstone a couple of weeks ago, and he slept through a whole race, so noise really doesn't bother him at all .

I've got the moses basket next to our bed atm, so when he cries and fusses I just put him in bed with us and feed him, then thats where he stays until morning - again, not sure if this is a good idea, or if he'll get wise to it, and present me with problems when I try and do the transition to cot - which will be soon as he's getting very long. Just don't know what to do anymore, I'm shattered with no sleep at night, and have no idea how to keep a 6 week old baby awake, when all he wants to do is sleep!

xx

 

[xxbeckyxx]

Lizzie was exactly the same at that age - she would sleep all day and be awake from 11pm till 4am some nights!! Keep persevering with the bedtime routine, it DOES eventually work, and enjoy the clinginess while it lasts!
When Lizzie turned 6 weeks we started doing a bit of controlled crying to get her to learn how to drift off by herself - it was really hard but only took a couple of nights and she was able to sleep by herself from then on
We did it with her downstairs in the moses basket though so we'd sit on the sofa away from her for 5 minutes while she cried, then go over and comfort her and let her know we were still there (but without picking up), then sit away for another 5 mins etc etc.

 

[Minchin]

Hi For some reason I've posted a massive reply by pasting your post and answering it. Hope it helps a little! Maybe just aload of waffle

I take him out during the day to try and entertain him, but he sleeps in his pram and sleeps in the car. At home, when he isn't sleeping, he won't sit by himself, he's got very clingy and constantly wants to be cuddled (which i love cause he's so scrummy, but means I can't get anything done (inlcuding nip to loo sometimes!, and I also don't want him to turn into one of these children that know all they have to do is whinge and mummy will pick them up). Nah I don;t think so, used to worry about this with my LO but they are so young they just want your comfort, they learn this much later imo.
When he does get picked up he'll grin (well he probably doesn't, but it looks like a grim, or a look that says "haha, I got you again") love it

I've tried to get a bedtime routine going (not sure what age is best for this?), we started at 4 weeks, as said above keep going with it - it really does help and they cue into it. so between 6 and 7pm, he has his bath, pyjamas, feed, quiet time etc, but if I then try and put him down awake, he'll scream blue murder. The HV said to try and keep it noisy and bright during the day and dark and quiet at night, so he learns, but he doesn't like it quiet - we took him to silverstone a couple of weeks ago, and he slept through a whole race, so noise really doesn't bother him at all . Owen sometimes went down awake, soemtimes not. more often than not I'd rock him and shh and pat his back a lot too (he was a tummy sleeper) Now recently we had to do controlled crying as only option (he's nearly one now) and worked very well. Don't worry too much about how they are getting to sleep at this stage. Maybe as above you need to do 5 mins of crying?

I've got the moses basket next to our bed atm, so when he cries and fusses I just put him in bed with us and feed him, then thats where he stays until morning - again, not sure if this is a good idea, or if he'll get wise to it, and present me with problems when I try and do the transition to cot - which will be soon as he's getting very long. Just don't know what to do anymore, I'm shattered with no sleep at night, and have no idea how to keep a 6 week old baby awake, when all he wants to do is sleep!
Not sure about that one, will cot be in your room still? not sure if he is aware you are there? He might smell you? Maybe start putting an item of clothing in with him that you've worn or rubbed on you for your smell?

Keep trying with the keeping him awake during day and quiet dark at night, dont speak to him or give him eye contact when he wakes at night. Thats all I can say really. Owen could only just about manage to stay awake for an hour during the days for months and fed a lot at niight for a long time. Good luck hon, you are doing a fantastic job I'm sure.

Have you got a sling for daytime naps? is handy to allow you to cuddle him when he sleeps and have a trip to the loo and make yourself lunch and a drink
xx

 

[KirstyL]

Hi For some reason I've posted a massive reply by pasting your post and answering it. Hope it helps a little! Maybe just aload of waffle

Hi hun, it's not a load of waffle, I appreciate your reply!

Owen sometimes went down awake, soemtimes not. more often than not I'd rock him and shh and pat his back a lot too (he was a tummy sleeper) Now recently we had to do controlled crying as only option (he's nearly one now) and worked very well. Don't worry too much about how they are getting to sleep at this stage. Maybe as above you need to do 5 mins of crying?

Jacob won't let me put him in his moses basket if he's awake, he'll lay there for a couple of seconds, then look at me as if to say "oi, what do you think you're doing!". I find that when I feed him, he dozes off, so as long as I hold him and rock him for a bit, he'll generally go down, albiet not for long. I don't like the idea of controlled crying at this age, I feel rotten when I leave the room for a minute (like this morning to empty the washing machine) and he starts screaming and getting really upset, I wouldn't be able to go through the controlled crying!

Not sure about that one, will cot be in your room still? not sure if he is aware you are there? He might smell you? Maybe start putting an item of clothing in with him that you've worn or rubbed on you for your smell?

Keep trying with the keeping him awake during day and quiet dark at night, dont speak to him or give him eye contact when he wakes at night. Thats all I can say really. Owen could only just about manage to stay awake for an hour during the days for months and fed a lot at niight for a long time. Good luck hon, you are doing a fantastic job I'm sure.

Have you got a sling for daytime naps? is handy to allow you to cuddle him when he sleeps and have a trip to the loo and make yourself lunch and a drink
xx

Yeah, his cot is in our room, and will be for a good while yet (we only have 2 bedrooms, and my daughter is in the other one). I hold his hand atm cause he's next to the bed, but not sure what I'll do when I move him to his cot - have been looking at those fisher price sea horse things, that are meant to glow and play lullabies, but I don't know anybody with one, so not sure if it does like it says on the box, so to speak! I put the tshirt I had on yesterday in with him yesterday, and also brought one of those baby sleeping bags, but neither did the job, he still woke up constantly

I don't have a sling, I have one of those baby carrier things, would a sling be better? I tend to put him in his bouncy chair for day time naps - although I'm sure I should be putting him up in his cot or something, so he associates it with sleeping? I need to do something, I'm shattered! I'm sure it wasn't this hard with my DD, but she's 11 on Sunday, so I've probably forgotten!
xx

 

[Minchin]

Happy birthday for your dd on sunday! Owen is one on saturday to she is ten years and a day older!

I think you should just keep going with trying all the different things like you are. I had a moby sling which is a soft sling and more supportive ina lot of ways, they can sleep on you in a few diff positions, maybe try a second hand one from ebay? They really are fab.

I could never let O cry either, not til he was 11 months and there was NO otehr way to help him sleep other than pram walks and I decided I couldn;t do that for ever!

Does he take a dummy? (and do u want to offer one?) cos that really helped us here

xxx