Baby Won't Sleep Alone During the Day

Oh honey, that wee babe will sleep on her own eventually. For now think about investing in a sling to let her sleep against you, or just give in, sit down, and take a nap when she does. You're still recovering (whether you realize it or not!). All the best, from a mom whose baby didn't like to sleep on his own, and now that he does I miss having him in my arms.

Hi A.!
Congratulations! I would suggest wrapping her tightly so her arms don't flail. I used that "hospital tight" wrap with my babies for several months. You already have her feeling comfortable in her crib at night, which is great, so good for you! So now, I suggest that you nap her anywhere: swing, bouncy, carseat, etc. You will get her used to noise early and other means, as well. I found this great so that I was not stuck at the house, having to put her/him in their crib, and me at their mercy. Good luck!

Try swaddling, tightly. It really worked with my daughter. The tighter the better. At first she tried to resist and wriggle out of it. But after a while, she got used to it and wanted it. She would calm down the minute I would lay her on the blanket and start to wrap her. My ped. suggested 'the happiest baby on the block'. I highly recommend!

My son was like that, but I found out he was more like that with me than with anyone else in the family, so they can tell when mommy is around. My advice, this time is only once in their lives and the nuturing that you provide with physical closeness is more important than anything else, and if those needs for closeness are met now, the less likely that she will be clingy later on. So, my advice, get a sling or body baby carrier so you can move around, don't worry about getting so much done during the day, and just enjoy the time. The heavy stuff can wait until daddy gets home for his bonding time. Congrats on your new baby!

My son did this sometimes. I guess it depends on how you want to handle it? I personally think that a baby this young is too young to cry it out. Could you lay down with your baby, then move her once she falls asleep? I did that a few times, also napped with my son. But I also did what many say not to do--I used to have him nap in his swing--a LOT! Until he was four months old! He was fine. It didn't ruin him, and he naps just fine now, and is a normal 17-month old. I'm a big believer in doing what works for you, especially at this young age, and when you yourself need a break/rest from caring for a newborn. Good luck to you--this stage and sleep issue will pass quickly.

Have you tried swaddling her tight so that her own movements don't wake her up?

Try putting her into a playpen with some toys in the main room of the house...talk and sing to her while you run around getting some chores done. The sound of your voice may be enough to keep her content enough to take a nap....

Well, here are a few suggestions that may work for you:

Try wearing your baby in a sling. Great for baby, and you still get work done!

Get a swaddler. Someone gave me a Kiddopotomus swaddler for my 3rd, and I wasn't really appreciative. I mean, my other 2 had slept fine w/o a swaddler...we'd just used blankets to swaddle them. But this child, OH MY! She would sleep around the clock the way you're describing your baby's daytime sleep. I finally used the swaddler and I swear, it was like magic! Naptime & nighttime were blissful. I'm sure she enjoyed actually sleeping, too. ;o)

Try a swing. Just get a battery-powered one, b/c the crank ones make noise that can startle (and awaken) a newborn. They always seem to need re-cranking just as the baby is getting drowsy, too. ;o)

Best wishes!

My son was also a fitful sleeper and would jerk himself awake. Swaddling made all the difference. It held him securely and allowed him to sleep peacefully. There are blankets with velcro flaps to make swadding easier, but if you have the right sized blanket and learn the folding technique (Google it!), a regular blanket works just as well. Hope this helps!

Wow..you're very lucky to have such a great night-time sleeper! Try one of those slings so you can wear her while you get things done around the house. She probably just wants to be close to you.

Put her in a baby carrier. It will give you unbelievable freedom.

My son was the same way until he was about 5 months old. He only slept on us during the day and night. Unfortunatly I don't have advice for you, we just held him until he grew out of it. Our pedetrician had no advice either. Just know you aren't alone and this too will pass...

Congrats on the new baby!!! Glad you are a SAHM b/c of what I am about to tell you...

My dgtr (now 23 mos and sleeps great for the most part) did not nap on her own until she was 7 MONTHS! I tried everything - rocking her and putting her down - letting her cry for a bit o go to sleep, sleeping in different spots. Pretty much no matter what I tried if I was not holding her (and staying still - barely breathing nevermind not talking) she would wake back up again and be so tired b/c she hadn't slept enough. I had to bounce her to sleep (to the point that my knees were aching all day) and hold her while she napped - yet - once she fell asleep in my arms at night - she would sleep through the night - a good 12-13 hours probably right around or after 8 weeks - she had been pretty good at nigh before that like your little one. And - no - I couldn't get ANYTHING done - my house had never been so dirty!!!

Now - she also never napped well - even when she would finally sleep in the crib at 7 mos - I still needed to bounce her to sleep during the day - she eventually started to fall asleep on her own all over. She then moved to 1.5 hrs in am and 1 hr in pm - then by13-14 mos - she switched to 1 nap a day and it was only 1.5 hours altogether - she was never a 3 hour sleeper like some, but wasn't tired throughout the day. I was just glad she slept so well at night so I didn't have to get up that much!

Good luck - she'll figure it out. Just - whatever works - go with her schedule - that's what worked for me anyway - once it started to work - I jsut kept with it and she ended up on a great schedule (that we can rarely vary from - but she's a happy kid!!!)

That happened to me (SAHM of 1 beautiful boy)...especially because everyone who visited for the first two months held him while he slept. He actually grew out of it around 9 weeks and he is 12 weeks now. I also found that putting him in the swing when he was tired helped to elicit a 1/2 to 1 hour nap. Sometimes using the vibration on the bassinet or pack and play helped, but he no longer needs this. I get a lot done when he is in his bouncer. I bring it to kitchen to do dishes, eat breakfast, cook, etc. I also lay him in his play gym while I am on the computer. Good luck! I can't believe how much he has already grown.

like to others said, swaddle swaddle swaddle. the best blanket you will ever have is the miracle blanket, followed by snug and tug swaddling blanket. if she isnt a wiggler, i would highly recommend aden and anias muslin swaddling blankets, the best blanket ever and perfect for summer.
also get a white noise machine or some cds of a vacuum cleaner. they help immensely. it reminds them of the womb but at the same time is a monotinous(sp?) sound to drown out everything else. pacifiers and bouncy seats also help. and be careful not to be trying to get her to sleep too soon or too late. you have to find that perfect window. and when she is asleep remember it takes a long while for a baby to be in deep sleep, so give her longer than you think before putting her down. remember the pattern eat, play, sleep. dont let her fall asleep while she is eating or she will never sleep as long as after being up(even if its only 20 mins).
best advice is to get a carrier. you will not know how you got along without it. go to thebabywearer.com to research what you like. you could buy used ones for reasonable prices before commited to one so you can figure out what style works best, and if you dont like it, sell it to someone else. for hands free where you can truly get things done, i would get a mei tai. an adjustable MEI TAI BABY worked best for my daughter as you can have her legs in or out at a young age, or a connecta baby carrier if you want buckles. my daughter like them out. they also make ones with buckles. before going out and buying one at the store, i really would suggest going to thebabywearer.com to see what is out there. i had no idea all my choices.
and please dont let your baby cry it out, as she is too young, you shouldnt do that till 6 months, although i disagree with it at any age. and just so you know, my daughter never took good naps but slept great at night. if she is not cranky, its not a concern. and also my new baby seemed to sleep much less starting at 2 months, less each month. good luck.

I noticed this with my daughter in one piece of equipment we had only. It was portable bassinet that was on top of our table. I don't know what it was about that item but it was just as you describe where she would start to fall asleep and move and wake herself up.
Have you tried a swing? My daughter slept the best in this. We had the Fisher Price cradle swing with papasan seat. If you don't have the space for it you can also get the portable swing.
My daughter is now almost 14 months old and a fabulous sleeper! Good luck.

swaddle her. She is startling and that could be waking her. Get a good size blanket and wrap her up. If you are afraid she will be hot, take off as much clothing as possible but swaddle her tightly. She will be able to sleep much better during the day (and at night too if you do it).

I would say to just be consistent. My daughter had her nights and days mixed and was not sleeping properly- until we gave her baths at night - then she went to bed at night finally, it's a trial and error type of thing, keep trying things out and see what works.

She's new to this world, you are doing a great job, keep it up sweetie, you'll find her comfort zone and nap times. Every child is different.. keep up the great work.

All my best,

L. A.

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Hi A.,
Is your little one sleeping on her back? Reason why I ask is because if I used to put my daughter to sleep on her back it was as if she startled herself and would wake up....I noticed that she slept horribly if she was on her back so I changed her sleeping position...I either put her to sleep on her side or on her tummy...I know they say not to put them to sleep on there stomach but it was the only thing that worked for her...to this day she is such a belly sleeper and rarely sleeps on her back....they have great positioners out there that allow them to sleep on there side which might help for your little one also!! Hope this helps!!
Meg :)

Hi A.! My daughter was around the same age as yours when she started doing this. She is now 4 months and unfortunately still wants to be held for naps. At first I was fixated on getting the housework done while she was sleeping and it just hasn't worked out that way. I have gotten alot of advise on techniques to try with her, but the best advise was to simply slow down and enjoy this time with her. She will soon want to be independent and you will wish you could hold her more! Also, my daughter is now to the point where she will play in her jumperoo or babypod when she is awake. I actually get more done during that time than when she's napping. Also, when sitting down with her to have her nap I bring stuff for me to do such as read magazines and check email. These are things that I regularly didn't have time to do before so it's a nice relaxing "me" time as well. Every now and then when I have alot to get done my mom comes over and holds her for her nap.Hope this helps. If I discover any secrets I'll let you know!

Hi A.,

Please do not listen to the poster who suggested sleeping your baby on her tummy. The guidelines and recommendations for this are very strict and have been for 15 years. The 50% reduction in SIDS is not worth the risk.

Your baby is still very young. Have you tried holding her for the first 20 minutes or so after she falls asleep, and then putting her down? That startle reflex is very strong in the first couple of months, and it takes about 20 minutes for them to pass from the light sleep to deeper sleep state. If that doesn't work, I'd suggest a sling, which will let her stay close to you, but still give you a free hand or two while she's napping. Good luck!

A.,

I know how tough this is. My son did not sleep through the night until he was 6 months and was an awful napper, he is a very light sleeper (my fault, so am I). Some of the things that helped somewhat were already mentioned...the swing, and bouncy seat were life (more like arm) savers. Also you may want to swaddle her during the naps, sometime that "falling" reflex action is actually what wakes them up. Also make sure the room is dark and there is little to nothing distracting her while she sleeps. White noise maybe helpful too to drown out any distracting sounds, plus it recreates a womb like noise (use a radio set to a statio that does not get reception, the static noise did help). Good luck and remember this is a phase and although it may seem like it is taking forever to pass, it will pass very soon and you will actually miss holding her while she sleeps.

A.~

Did you try the "swaddle me" swaddle? It helps them sleep quite a bit as they don't flail and wake up. Also, replicate your evening routine as much as possible. White noise / lullaby CD etc. But really, hold her as much as possible - it will change soon and you will miss it. Try to get chores done at night after she goes to sleep. My daughter is 5 months and I still struggle with naps...but lately doing the put her in the crib, turn on cd, walk out of room method. 7 weeks is still very young. It'll come.

Find a good sling. For that age I really liked the Ultimate Baby Wrap - but it's easier for around the house since it's more effort to take on and off. I'd just leave it on and pop my girls in and out of it throughout the day. My other favorites are the Ergo (padded shoulders and you can wear in the front when little and on your back like a backpack later) and Kangaroo Korner pouches (I liked the fleece and the Solarveil). www.kangarookorner.com
Also, you can try sleeping the baby on her side. Wedges are sold so that the baby can't roll over onto her stomach while on their sides. I find having them sleep on their side makes them feel more secure. The nurses in the hospital actually put my second daughter on her side with a receiving blanket used as a wedge and she has always been a good sleeper.
Good luck!