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Newborn won't nap. Help!
This is a discussion on Newborn won't nap. Help! within the Sleep Training Methods/CIO Support forums, part of the Parenting Babies & Toddlers category; Hi Girls,
I'm desperate. I need input and advice. My son barely sleeps. Yes, I know everyone feels that ...
I'm desperate. I need input and advice. My son barely sleeps. Yes, I know everyone feels that way, but seriously, he just isn't sleeping much, if at all during the day. We've worked hard to get his nights and days in order, and he seems to do an ok job at night. Some nights are better than others because he's hard to put down and feedings can take a couple of hours, but that's another issue. My issue is how long he is awake during the day.
Today for example he woke up at 9:30 and was up until 3:00pm! That's 5 1/2 hours awake and he's only 2 weeks old! I tried nursing him to sleep, the swing, the bouncer, the bassinet with vibration, his crib...etc He wouldn't sleep. He finally fussed and fell asleep in the swing, something I don't want to become a habit. All day awake and his first nap was at 3:00pm! Not even my 3 year old does that.
I know he is young, but does this type of thing work itself out? Is it a stage? What should I be doing to get him to sleep during the day? At what point do I start trying to set a nap routine and how do I do it? Seriously girls, I'm so discouraged. I feel like he's never going to nap. I have a toddler to take care of also. I need to nap too. I just can't handle it. My daughter was so consistent. She'd stay up no longer than 2 hours at any given time. This kid is a newborn and stays awake for 6 hour stretches. It's just not normal. I'm feeling really lost and hopeless about this. What do I do? Books? Advice? Anything?!!
I'm sorry you are so discouraged. I'm curious as to why you are worried about the swing becoming a habit, though. If it's soothing to him and he's falling asleep (which is what you want/need), I would definitely use it.
When he's awake these stretches, is he unhappy and crying? Or is he just awake, leaving you to feel like you can't take a nap?
All my children were like your first - awake for only a few hours and then taking a nap - so I can understand you feeling like this isn't normal or something. Maybe co-sleeping with him during nap time will soothe him enough to sleep as well.
"Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" is a great book! I read it with my third child who was having some napping issues. I don't really have any advice on a two week old not sleeping well. I'm sure the book will offer some insight. Good luck! Hope your little guy starts sleeping soon. I would definately take the night sleeping over the day sleeping though. Especially since you have another child.
Lurking....I'm going to third that "Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child" book. I read the whole thing in just a couple of days I was so desperate with DS1, and when we finally implemented it, it was great! DS1 was exactly like you described your DS. Never slept, and when he did it was never longer than 2 hours, and only if we held him! It was awful.....but it was only when I recently had my second DS that I realized what we went through with DS1 wasn't normal. Something just wasn't right, be it colic, or reflux, or whatever it was.
The book helped me understand the biology of sleep. I believe, in the book, it explains that most babies don't start sleeping through the night until around 6 weeks at the earliest, because of the hormone 'melatonin' finally kicking in. Of course, this also helps in daytime sleep as well. The hormone helps us to fall, and stay asleep. So, there may be hope for you around the 6 weeks mark. But if not then, the book also describes the 3-4 month range as being a magical time for a baby to start sleeping better. That was the case for us with DS1. It was like a switch was flipped over night and he just started sleeping better. It wasn't perfect, but it was better. He'd sleep 3 hours out of our arms, instead of just 2 in our arms.....and it just got better from there. It was interesting too, b/c at the same time as this, he did a lot of things better....like taking a bottle without refusing, and riding in the car without screaming. So, I'm just convinced it was something biological that just needed time to work itself out.
We did start CIO when he was around 6 months, and he became the best sleeper ever! He would sleep from 6:30 PM to 8:30AM. Plus wonderful naps!
Anyway, I say all of this to say that there is hope, and if it is just a biological hormone thing, it should get better really soon for you!
Hello ladies. I will definitely be picking up that book for my 3 month old. He goes all day without napping and when I can finally get him to sleep it's only for 15 minutes! Does it mention colic in there? His older brother was very colicky and never slept....come to think of it...he's three and still won't sleep through the night!
jaimela- Yes, the book addresses strategies for babies with colic and extreme fussiness. It also discusses sleep problems for older children, such as your three year old. Have you tried an earlier bedtime for your 3 y/o? Sometimes that cures night waking. The book explains it more thoroughly than I...
Earlier bedtime means reaching a deep sleep and therefore a longer one. Most 3-year-olds should be in bed no later than 7 p.m. My son just gave up naps, and his normal day before that (last week) was up at 5:30, nap 1-3, bed at 6:30 and sleep by 6:45. Now he is going to bed in bed by 6 p.m. and asleep shortly thereafter.
My infant awakens at 6:30 a.m., first nap from 9-11 (if she is in her bed), second nap from 1-3 (if she is in her bed) and asleep between 5:30 and 5:45.
Dr. Wessbluth says that infants generally nap at 9 a.m., 12 p.m., and 3 p.m. around those hours (no more than 1 1/2-2 hours of awake time and in bed before the 2nd hour).
I will once again suggest that book - while he's too young to truely cio, my understanding of the SCIENCE of sleep was so much better after that.
First - I'd do WHATEVER you have to do to get him to sleep for 1 to 2 days. A baby that age should be up NO longer than 1.5 hours....mine never made it past 1 hour for a very long time. I am a big advocate of super tight swaddling - and positioning...like in a swing (even if you only turn it on WHILE he falls asleep, and then just turn it off later). The boppy is my friend as well.
The key here is cortisol. This is a stress hormone that is released into the blood stream very similar to adrenaline when a baby/child/adult becomes 'overtired'. This makes it nearly impossible to fall and stay asleep and makes a person appear wakeful. In addition, this is something that can BUILD UP in your system (and a child/infants) so it gets worse and worse over time. (AND it's one of the big reasons for obesity in children/people).
So - the first order of business is to 'baby' your baby to get him to sleep a LOT and get that cortisol out of his system, then work on figuring out his 'things' that will help him to go to sleep and stay to sleep...you'll find that over time it will get easier and easier - there will be bad days, but in all - he'll learn to LIKE sleep
I know it's frustrating and it seems endless, but you'll get there!
My son would stay awake for hours on end as well right around the 2 week mark. It lasted about 6 days. He would wake at6am and would not even attempt to take a nap until 5pm! It drove me crazy. Thankfully he got over it- May just be because of a growth spurt and/or heat
Newborn won't nap. Help!
Re: Newborn won't nap. Help!
