Getting Her Off To Sleep?!?!?!

Caleb&SevensMum

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Getting Her Off To Sleep?!?!?!

#1

10-13-2008, 01:18 AM

Hello All!

I have a question in regards to our 8wk old daughter, Seven.

Since birth, she has slept in bed with us. It started out with her in her bassinett next to the bed, but she feeds so often at night, its so much easier to keep her next to me and feed her during the night.

Up until about 5 weeks, we didn't have any issues getting her off to sleep, and I would go to bed when she fell asleep for the night - usually around midnight!
Recently though, Seven has started screaming and carrying on whenever I have decided it's bedtime. She will settle in arms, or in her sling, but the SECOND you lay her down, whether I am in bed or not, she wakes up, even if I have had her asleep for ages beforehand.

A couple of times she has nodded off at about 10pm and that has been great, but I can't keep staying up until 12, 1, 2 until she decides she's ready to sleep!

DF is telling me nightly to put her back into her bassinett because it is causing too much hassle having her in bed, but thats not going to stop her crying if she doesn't want to go to sleep is it? I sleep better and Seven sleeps longer if she is in bed with us.

So, I guess I'm just looking for some more tips on how to get Seven to sleep without her stressing and screaming.

Seven has reflux, but she is on medication for that now and it works wonders, she is much more settled, but still we have this teeny issue with getting off to sleep.

Any ideas?

Thanks!
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naomifrederickmd

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#2

10-13-2008, 05:54 AM

Is it the laying down that you think is aggravating her, or being separated in the bassinet? Does her father think he wants her in the bassinet most or to relax at bedtime?
You had a lot going on in your post so I am trying to get down to the essentials
Is she sleeping before midnight? If so where, on your lap? How well does she sleep the rest of the night?
Thanks!
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Caleb&SevensMum

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#3

10-13-2008, 08:10 AM

Hi Naomi
Yes I did have a lot going on in my post but I like to get as much info out as possible!
Seven sleeps wonderfully overnight when she finally goes to sleep. She only wakes up for feeds.
I have noticed that she does sleep more during the day, but I have tried to keep her awake and it just makes her so upset.
She isn't currently sleeping in her bassinet at all, she is still in bed with me overnight. She will sleep in her pram or bouncer during the day. Most of the time she will fall asleep while feeding or in arms. I have tried all of these things late at night but to no avail.
Speaking of which, it is 11.39pm and she is awake and in my arms right now!
She isn't particularly happy when she is awake at this time of night, she gets rather agitated and cranky, so I know she doesn't want to 'play'.
Does that help?
Sorry for all the info again!!
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PaxMamma

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#4

10-13-2008, 11:30 AM

could it be possible that you're missing an earlier window of getting her down? what happens if you try to get her to sleep earlier, like around 7 or 8? if she's struggling w/reflux, have you tried having her sleep on an incline?
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Caleb&SevensMum

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#5

10-13-2008, 07:39 PM

Hi,
Yep, she sleeps raised a slight bit and that helps.
If she goes off to sleep earlier in the evening, she wakes up around 11 and thats it. Its on for young and old!
We were up until 2.15am this morning and I am totally exhausted.
Could it just be that this is her 'awake time'?
I don't know how to make her stay awake more during the day though, there is only so much stimulation you can give an 8 week old baby before they get crabby!
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naomifrederickmd

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#6

10-14-2008, 07:28 AM

Hello, It looks like you are really stressing over this right now, understandably!
I think you are right about the day night switcheroo.
I looked at Dr. Sears site for help and THIS is not really helpful because as you said its hard to keep a baby awake if it is tired! I do think that is the key to your nighttime issues. So today she is tired from being awake at night, so will nap accordingly today and prolong the cycle!
Try to think of a gradual adjustment. What keeps her awake longer but not too fussy? Music, people watching at the park or store....a show?
Try to think of things that she is lulled to sleep by, a walk, a rock etc...
Don't try to 'fix' it in one night. Try to improve day wakefulness even 5 or 10 minutes a day, and even just that little for sleeping at night.
Be persistent, but loving. Be more interactive during the day and more relaxed in darkness at night.
Keep us updated.
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Peppadew

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#7

10-14-2008, 02:17 PM

My dd (now 8mnths) had very bad reflux when she was tiny. We tried putting her on an incline but it did not seem to help at all. My dh read somewhere that the physiology of the stomach is such that laying the baby on its LEFT side would reduce the chance of the stomach contents escaping. I am afraid I can't find the original doc, but this may help.Click here. We tried it and it was like magic. We rolled up towels to prop her on her side (one front, one back) and she slept beautifully. Also, carrying her laid over my arm so that she was on her left side would shush any fussing instantly.
With the night wakefulness, how is the environment? I mean, do you put the light on, talk to your husband etc when she wakes at night or do you keep the environment subdued? We found that if we were active, so was she, and if we kept the lights off, sound and chat to a mimimum, she slowly got the idea that night is different from day, ie, not much happening and a calm time.
These are very hard weeks, hang in there, they pass, I promise.
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Caleb&SevensMum

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#8

10-14-2008, 05:12 PM

Good Morning!
Well, I managed to keep Seven happily entertained for quite the majority of the day. She had her naps of course, but she didn't sleep for hours at a time. This wasn't any of my doing, she just woke up on her own accord.
So, 10.30pm, we turn the lights off, reduce the noise, settle in for a feed and off she goes to sleep. Wonderful!
11.30pm, she wakes up. And stays that way until 1.15am. Not screaming, only had 1 more feed in that time. Just awake. But tired all the same, because she didn't want to be put down. I had her in her bouncer for a bit, and that kept her happy for a bit, but then in the end I had to rock her to 'almost' asleep then lay down and give her a comfort feed and she fell asleep.
I tried her in her bassinett last night for the first time since she was 5 days old, and she slept on her stomach (I know, bad SIDS risk but she is most comfortable that way) for 3 hrs then woke for another feed. Back to sleep for another 2 hrs the another feed. She is now asleep in my bed, waiting for me to get her up for the day.
So, as much as I am tired, emotional, stressed and whatever, I know there will be a light at the end of the tunnel.
I can't thank all of you enough, even just coming in here and seeing that others have the same problems is comforting.
I will definitely keep you posted on Sevens sleep habits! The cheeky little monkey!
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Caleb&SevensMum

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#9

10-15-2008, 08:12 PM

Well, a bit of an update.
I thought that last night was going to be a shocker, as my Mum and I were out shopping all day for my Wedding Jewellery and Seven slept for most of it.
But, she fell asleep at 10.30pm and only woke up for feeds from that point on. So, no crying, no screaming and no 'awake time'. I don't know what I did differently but hopefully it continues tonight!
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naomifrederickmd

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#10

10-15-2008, 09:12 PM

Well that sounds like the path in the right direction!
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Peppadew

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#11

10-16-2008, 02:05 PM

I have been told that "sleep promotes sleep", so maybe the long naps in the day helped.
Good luck!!
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Caleb&SevensMum

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#12

10-16-2008, 07:54 PM

I never thought of that, but it sure didn't work for me yesterday! She had nice sleeps during the day and was up until 1.15am again! ARGH.
Back to the drawing board! LOL
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naomifrederickmd

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#13

10-16-2008, 09:22 PM

Keep your chin-up!
She will 'reorganize' her clock at some point... and then there will be another growth spurt or developmental stage and need to reorganize herself again. Growth is amazing!
You can ride the waves mama!
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Caleb&SevensMum

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#14

10-17-2008, 01:18 AM

I think I'm going to need a surfboard! LOL

Yeah, we will get through. Its just so nice to be able to tell others and not have them think im whinging.
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