How in the world do you put your baby down, and keep them asleep??? It never fails, he falls asleep on my chest, seemingly a deep sleep, so I lay him down in his bassinet to go eat or use the bathroom, fold laundry (anything) and within 5 minutes, he's awake again! And he screams, so I pick him up, he falls back asleep. I know he's tired, why does he wake up? I've tried putting my shirt in there with him, but that doesn't work. I hold him close to me for as long as possible so he doesn't feel like he's falling as I lay him in there and startle him awake... I'm out of ideas!
How do you keep them asleep??
Sorry, he's 4 weeks tomorrow. No crib yet.
Thanks.
You need to let him go to sleep inn his crib and not on you. He's learned that he sleeps on you and now he needs to learn to sleep in the crib. It won't take long at all - I promise.
I haven't read any previous post but my son did the same thing. He is now 11 weeks old. When I saw him getting sleepy I swaddled him in a blanket and put him in the bed while he was nearly sleep but still awake, he eventually would drift off to sleep.
Hope this helps!!
Newborns love the warmth of mommy and hearing her heartbeat. :)
Do you have a Boppy Pillow? If so swaddle and use that! I learned the hard way. The boppy pillow was a life saver.
you are suppose to put them down before they fall asleep so they get used to falling asleep on their own........are you swaddling him?
Don't pick him up, seriously. When he wakes up go in, don't turn on the light, (you can have a nightlight on) and pat his tummy and talk in soft whispers to soothe him back to sleep. Soothing him back to sleep right where he is rather than picking him up will help him learn eventually to self-sooth and put himself back to sleep.
I have no idea either. That's why I am sandwiched in between them right now. :D
How old is he?
Here's one thing I did with my older one...i know its not exactly "kosher" per most guidelines but hey if you have 3 kids you know you gotta do what works! I decided that he was sensitive to temperature (he still is at 3 1/2) so what I did was put a heating pad under the sheet in his bassinet. I'd turn it on low while I was rocking him or whatever and then when I put him down I'd turn it off. This way the transition from me to the bed was still warm, and the heating pad very slowly cooled down once it was unplugged. It really helped us a lot of the time - not 100% but big improvement.
There's also the issue of his position - on you he's probably more upright. Maybe he has a touch of reflux, nothing serious enough but maybe just enough that going from upright to flat is causing some minor discomfort? You could try shoving a pillow or a wedge under the top end of his mattress so he's on a bit of an incline and see if he prefers that.
I also have used a weighted blanket with both my boys as babies...I know, I know, no blankets. But, again...do what you gotta do. I have one that has squares sewn in that are filled with beans so the blanket is weighted against him and also retains some heat. I also feel that eases the transition from my arms from a warmth standpoint and also because it mimics the feeling of being hugged.
In general, although there is NOTHING as frustrating as a baby that won't sleep when everyone, most of all he, needs it, I tried to remind myself that our expectation for babies to rest easily separated from us is not totally natural. And as newborns, or close to it, they are still very driven by biology, genetics, etc, not habits or being spoiled. If you think about the "cave man days," babies were pretty much strapped to their mothers 24/7 with constant access to breast, constant movement, constant warmth. From a biological/physiological standpoint we have not changed that much, only our culture and our expectations have changed. So, just food for thought. It did help ease my mind some in those frustrating moments to realize it is a natural need they have and it also guided me in trying to figure out how to ease him away from me to sleep so I could have some sanity!
Good luck!
How old is this baby? Newborns needs 20-30 minutes to fall into a deep sleep. At this point,you literally need to hold them for 20 minutes, and then you can put them down. (a baby carrier is great during this stage.) At 12 weeks,their sleep patterns change, become more like ours. When that occurs, they need to start learning how to self-sooth, i.e. No cio, but you don't let them fall asleep on you. At 6 months, they should be able to put themselves to sleep by themselves.
Go check out Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Baby.
Um... if he sleeps vertical (or angled), but not horizontal... that screams sinus infection or ear infection or reflux. As in pain is waking him up.
Aside from that... mine hated his bassinet. Wouldn't sleep for more than 15 minutes in it, little bugger. But in his crib, no worries. Hours! ((SAME TOKEN; mine couldn't be swaddled. Period. Despised. It. Nothing but nothing woke him faster than being constrained by swaddling or reaching out and "touching" something; like the side of the bassinet))
My nephew needed a blanket. He was fine held because he was *warm*. Couldn't add a whole nother layer while being held (too hot!), and couldn't change him into something without waking, but voila, blanket. ZzzzzZZZZ
All kids have their quirks. If it's not medical (sinus, ears, teeth, reflux... the 4 horsemen of the nosleepicus), then it's probably just figuring out his quirk. Swaddle, no swaddle, cold, hot, soft, firm, belly, back, music, no music, etc.
Sorry!
Papasan swing. Was my lifesaver. I'd sleep on the couch some nights with the swing next to me and she'd rock to sleep in the wee hours. I think at that age, they just want YOU. Can you really blame him? You're soft and warm and he can hear your familiar heartbeat...
Try swaddling, too, and a "sleep sheep" or something similar.
Make sure you're putting him onto a warm blanket or sheet (O. of the blankets you hold him with...and definitely try swaddling him!
PLEASE do NOT place a heating pad under the sheet!
Very, very dangerous! Not wise. Just because someone else did it and escaped the tragedy, doesn't mean you will!
For my first two the swing was my saving grace....My third was the angel baby. Took great naps and only woke once during the night to eat. Try the swing to get that break you need. Congrats!
Put him in a wrap carrier and get your stuff done while he is snug as a bug in a rug listening to your heart beat :)
swaddling. best.thing.ever.
Good Luck!
I put mine down in the cradle swing.
Not sure how old he is.. He may be jerking awake with the baby reflexes. Have you tried swaddling him? Google how to swaddle a baby.. It really does help.
I used to place our daughter with her head up against the corner of the crib.. They love the pressure up against their heads, or you can roll up a towel and place it up against their heads..
Also when he cries, give him a few minutes.. Or go in and pat his bottom.. The rocking of the pat will lull him to sleep. He really needs to learn to go to sleep to his own. You may want to try at least once a day..
Yup. That sounds like mine.
She was SUCH a sound sleeper so long as she could feel me.
The trick to get her to sleep was to be close to her (and in my comfy soft bed and down blanket). Essentially, everything they your not supposed to do ;-)
We ended up co-sleeping to make my life easier (without sleep I am a TROLL).
The funny thing about it is she's a really independent and confident little thing. She's the kid who will comfort sad toddlers or babies, will give her toy to someone who wants it, and will put aside her differences. But, that kid is as STUBBORN as her mother in other ways. She will not budge about her taste in music, she won't share the toy she got from her papa, or about SLEEP.
Frankly, I'm the same way.
Anyway, for *me* it was easiest to, in this area, be the one to budge. Happy mama, happy baby. And this mama needs her dang sleep.
I hope you find the right way your family (and soon)! Good luck!
I agree with all the posters that recommend swaddling if you aren't. I also put my youngest daughter to sleep in the baby swing that went very slowly from side to side. It was magic.
If you are going to hold him until he falls asleep, I would recommend holding him in your arms instead of on your chest. When he is on your chest, he is laying on his stomach, but you lay him down on his back, which could be what is waking him up. If you hold him in your arms, he will be laying on his back and it might be an easier transition. And if he isn't swaddled, I would try that too! Good luck!
I let him nap in his sling or swing or bouncy seat or (after weighing the risks and benefits) on his tummy in the pack and play or bassinette
That happened with my babies when they were that small because they had reflux. They slept much better in the carseat or swing. :)
How old is he? I swaddled till my dd was 9 months, she wouldnt sleep outside my arms without it.
That only thing you have not learned is that Newborns DON'T sleep in cribs...they sleep on people. I learned very quick that until about 4 months of age...to give up...and just hold. That is why the moby wrap and the hotsling were my best friends! You are doing nothing wrong expect realizing that it is hopless to try....
I had three kids in three years too! I used wrapping and pacifiers. After a while if I wrapped them with their arms up they would wriggle free and wake up. I ended up swaddling with their arms by their sides. This worked really well. Good luck!
I would roll up two towels and push them against them on either side under their arms as if someone was still holding them. Also, I know people don't agree, but neither one of my boys slept on their back. My first son slept on his stomach and my second on his side. I also had a motion detector under their matress that helped with that issue. Good luck! He will sleep eventually!
My DD hated sleeping in anything but her bouncy seat (hers vibrated and had toys she could kick...) until she was about 3 months old. She had minor reflux, so sleeping at that angle helped her a lot.
try using a baby bopping chair, those ones that vibrate. Lay baby down on their back in the chair, so baby is in "sitting" position. Best to get baby to go to sleep in the chair, maybe put the vibrate on, or gently rock baby, not too much as you don't want baby to get too used to the rocking.. when baby falls asleep, sit for a few min to see if he/she will stay asleep.. then sneak out, close the door (surely you use a monitor to listen for baby)
a nice tight swaddle might keep baby from jerking or the feeling of falling..
Good luck.
I just did whatever I could do with the baby in the carrier on my chest. If he would tolerate it, I would put him in the stroller in the house and rock him until he fell asleep. This is an incredibly important time in this little ones life. He needs to be close to you. Get help if you can until the baby can sleep better/be entertained without being on you. Your hands will be free soon enough.
When he is not attached to you swaddle him. Otherwise wear him.
We would even swaddle our oldest's arms into the blankets, he looked like a cocoon, but he was much more comfortable.
I would lay down next to the baby and cuddle so that when he's asleep you can slip away without moving him at all.
All 3 of my kids were like that. With my first 2 I ended up letting them sleep, swaddled, and in a vibrating bouncy chair for the first few months. With my 3rd (he's now 6 mos old), I had him sleep in a cradle swing (again, swaddled) in our room (ours plugs in, no batteries needed.) He is, by far, my best sleeper. I also use white noise (a humidifier fan on high) in my kids' rooms.
My 6 month old has been sleeping in his crib for about a month now, without any problems. Sometimes I will put him in his swing while I get stuff done for the older kids, and I'll come back in the room and he'll be peacefully asleep in the swing.
Normal four week old! How about a swing, bouncy seat? It will get better.
Dr Sears has some expert advice;
http://askdrsears.com/topics/parenting/sleep-problems
Read the book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. 4 weeks is a little young for sleep training, but this book is a lifesaver. If you haven't done it yet, put him in a tight swaddle and use white noise in the background. That should help.
Good luck!
Wear him if you can. Also try swaddling. My first would wake up the 2nd you put her down, unless we had swaddled her. The miracle blanket works really well and you can use it when they get bigger. We swaddled for a ridiculously long time with our first. Our second wanted nothing to do with swaddling. Good luck!
We SWEAR by swaddling! Couldn't do sleep without our swaddle blankets! Here's how we did sleep with our two: Our first, we rocked to sleep for 5.5 months, then did a Ferber-ish sleep training (crying/checking at intervals), but we swaddled before we rocked her to sleep, and that helped the transition. Our second wouldn't rock to sleep, so we swaddled, then laid her on her side with rolled up blankets to keep her in place and then patted her until she fell asleep, would leave a hand on her for a little bit and then remove it S L O W L Y! At about 8 weeks or so we started laying her down, and then let her fuss for 3-5 minutes before we'd go and "pat her down"...she seemed to need to get some of that out! Now, at 5 months (today!), we can usually lay her down on her side, swaddled tightly, and she goes right to sleep. She sometimes fusses about 45 minutes into a nap (used to do it ALWAYS, now it's becoming much less frequent)...probably switching between sleep cycles...but if we flip her to her other side, she'll often go right back to sleep. We also use a white noise machine - ALWAYS.
The swaddle blankets we like are by aden-anais and these ones from Nordstrom:
http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/swaddle-designs-ultimate-rece...
Good luck!! Oh - we also used a bouncy seat for early morning hours when she wouldn't sleep in the bassinet anymore...swaddled and strapped in. :) She outgrew that need at about 10-12 weeks.
We swaddled our son with his arms down by his sides. We rocked and sang for a few minutes and put him down awake in his sleep positioner in his crib. Worked splendidly for us!
I have heard the way ur doing it is equivalent to u waking up in the middle of the night to find that someone has taken ur pillow. U didn't state how old ur baby is...... I put all three of mine down the same way. I lay them down on their own bodies and lay next to them until they fall asleep.
In addition to your scent and feeling the warmth of your body he's also listening to your heartbeat. There isn't a bassinet in the world that can duplicate all of that. He's not too little for you to learn to wear him in a sling.
why do you not wear him? I wore my son almost all day long for quite a while and he slept, I got a bit of a nap in here and there and all my chores were done! I would look into it were I you, and I did not have any other children at the time, unless you count the two four legged 1yr olds as children! Below are the types that I am suggesting
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=baby+wearing&...
My trick was to swaddle in the blanket while holding them. They fall asleep with you holding them AND being swaddled, then they don't notice a difference in being held or not since the blanket is still "holding" them. I'm sure it doesn't work for everyone or every time, but it worked most of the time for me.
