Won't settle at night...

[Rachel1509]

This is really becoming a problem now with Noah. Been happening every night basically since we got home from hospital. He just will not settle at night-time when we go to bed. Me and OH are getting exhausted trying to settle him to sleep. He goes in a moses basket next to the bed (next to me). He's absolutely fine until we put him down into the moses basket. He will just cry within seconds of being laid down. He doesn't stop crying until he's picked up, then he stops. I don't leave him crying for long otherwise I feel bad and don't believe in the 'crying it out' theory. I leave him a maximum few minutes. I've tried putting something in with him that I've worn, I've rocked him, gave him his dummy, touched him, spoke to him.. nothing works

At first I assumed he didn't like his moses basket, but yesterday during the day I brought it downstairs to see if he'd settle in it and he did! So it can't be that. We've also tried keeping the light on in case he didnt like the darkness but it made no difference.

It goes on and on for hours, and a few times we've laid him in between us in our bed and he's quietened down so we've let him sleep there for a couple of hours! Obviously don't want this to happen a lot and become a habit though.

Anybody got any suggestions PLEASE?! We're exhausted and really don't know what's wrong with him

 

[pringle88]

Have you tried playing music to him? Maybe try putting something under his mattress to prop it up, if he doesn't like laying flat? Ella falls to sleep during her last bottle usually but when she doesn't she likes to have her blanky snuggled up next to he face and then usually helps her fall to sleep

Hope he settled for you soon hun xx

 

[cosmicgirl]

My babies have always liked a lightshow, I got a tomy one and it was fab x

 

[star fish]

Hi hun, I have exactly the same problem, see my similar thread for lots of good advice from the others

hotwaterbottle to warm it beforehand, I do a wind down routine of music box with stars projection during last feed to try to build up associatiojn etc, none of it works as yet but hopefully we will sleep one day! x

 

[Hunnie]

I found that Sophie always stayed asleep longer when near the tumble dryer so I bought an app with tumble dryer noises and it works miracles when she's really unsettled. Also I found the best result to get her sleeping is putting her down after her bottle and she now pretty much self settles herself

 

[Maybe_mummy]

Do you swaddle?? We swaddle Alylissa and also put a hot water bottle in her bed to warm it. Generally during the night i half rock her to sleep and then put her in XX

 

[Lulabell]

Joshua did the same. First two weeks he would only sleep next to me in bed. I then bought a swaddle pod (made by summer and got it on kiddicare for under a tenner) and its made a complete difference. It settles him instantly and we can even put him down semi asleep and he will drift off by himself! Defo recommend one of these. The one i got can be used from birth to 12lbs.xx

 

[Olive]

There is a swaddle pod on amazon in blue for £8. Bought one this morning xxx

 

[Olive]

Sorry it was a swaddleme not swaddle pod x

 

[Rachaellius]

I had the same problem with Phoebe at first. But I've found consistency is key. Every night I take her upstairs at around 10.30, change her nappy, take her in the bedroom to put her sleepsuit on I always play her lullabies while doing this because she hates being dressed, put her in her sleeping bag, then I turn off the light, play some white noise and give her a feed in the dark, she's normally asleep after about 3-4oz and then I cuddle her for a few minutes then put her down.
I found a few nights of doing this did the trick. You could try putting a hot water bottle in the basket while your feeding him too and then take it out before putting him down.
I hope you get some rest soon xx

 

[beanster]

It will get better hun, hang in there. We used a prince lionheart slumber bear. Hung the sound box in the moses basket. It plays different sounds but the womb noise is brill. It is reactivated by movement or noise from lo so you don't have to keep turning it on.

 

[Hemera]

We got a Amby Nature Nest hammock which we have found really good. he still wakes up as much through the night but just has his feed and then pop him back in and he settles most of the time. its on a spring so when hes stirring it just bounces him back to sleep and doesn't really notice going down into it. Before he would wake up as soon as he was put down into his crib and ended up spending most of the night sleeping on me.
This hammock has saved my sainity as the constant fight to sleep was really wearing me down! it is expensive but there are loads on ebay etc and its worth every penny imo to get something resembling a good night sleep.

 

[pringle88]

The hot water bottle worked a treat for me. X

 

[mikejones1]

Get your husband or partner to sing to him while rocking him back and forth. The baby will find the deep male's voice soothing.

 

[JensBump]

My saving grace has been this track on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfTUuZ1QY1w

 

[Rachel1509]

Thanks for the suggestions. I've tried some of them out with no luck I've attempted swaddling him but he gets really frustrated that his hands are trapped (he likes flinging his arms and legs allover the place!).

It's weird because he's been settling in his moses basket loads over the past few days - but only during the day! He's just woken up from a 2hr sleep in it, had his feed and is now crying and not settling. It seems to begin around this time (half past midnight). I just don't know what it could be.

I've tried making the evening more calm for him. I've been dimming the lights and feeding him in the dark. Me and OH whisper to each other so he isn't alerted by loud noises. We've tried playing classical music to him too.. kept him quiet for about 10 minutes then he kept whinging again.

We lay him in the middle of us in bed and he cries, but settles quite quickly afterwards. We end up getting so tired after hours of trying to put him in his moses basket, that we just let him sleep with us in bed. We spoke to midwife today about this problem and she said some babies are very fussy and she did the same with her 3rd child (let them sleep in bed). I just worry that if this becomes a regular thing, it might be hard to get Noah to settle into a cot when we put him in one at 6 months?

 

[Olive]

Hi hun,

Brody settles really quickly and easily in our bed too. It's weird. Suppose a king size with mum and dad is more appealing.

I always bring him in, on top of sheets in sleeping bag, on the morning as I instantly almost get another hour. But don't do it at night in case of habit plus it scares me a bit.

I just left him there flailing about and he self settles between 5 and 15 minutes usually.

Sorry that's not much help. Just know what you mean about them settling in bed. He is same in my arms as well.

Xx

 

[redbear]

Hi hun i got one of these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Baby-Snug...897?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2ebc015a61

Its a snuggle nest, it protects LO while in bed with me, i only use it while OH is at work on a morning so i can get a bit of sleep... gives me peace of mind and she will sleep really eaily in this but hates her moses basket. Also with alice she hated been swaddled like your LO and what i did is made sure the house was warm enough and then didnt use any sheets on her at all... worked wonders because with covers as soon as she felt them on her she would wake up and cry.

Maybe that would be worth trying?? xx

 

[star fish]

HI, am I right in thinking that Noah is only 4 weeks old?

If so then i really wouldnt worry about getting him in bad habits yet. He's so little I would do what ever you need to to get him to have some good sleep and worry about 'training' later xx