His sleep is getting worse instead of better...advice please

I'm really starting to get worried about my DS' sleep. He is 7 weeks old and was born 3 weeks early (induced).

He is still not sleeping for long stretches. He averages about 3.5-4 hours in between feedings (formula) and wakes up to eat. Not only that, but he has also started waking up in between feedings. So, he'll sleep about 4 hours after his "last" bottle but will then wake up about 2 hours after the next feeding just to fuss. Its bad enough that we have to hold him up for 30 minutes after a feeding because of spitting up so once he begins randomly waking, I feel like I am up for a couple of hours.

Also, he is not napping well. I will see that his sleepy, he will fall asleep in my arms, and then will wake up 5 minutes after I put him down in the PNP or cradle. It is so frustrating! He used to nap beautifully for hours.

What am I doing wrong? How can I get him to sleep longer at night? How can I get him to nap well also?

I've upped his bottle to 5 ounces and now he's eating every 4-4.5 hours but still not sleeping much longer.

To make matters worse, he's a horrible burper. Most times he won't burp after a bottle (and i try) so he'll wake up because of a burp. He'll cry, i'll pick him up and he'll burp.

And, he hates being swaddled but when in a sleep sack, he waves his arms and legs.

I go back to work next Monday and i feel like i'm failing my son since good sleep is so important for his cognitive development.

Re: His sleep is getting worse instead of better...advice please

Ok first of all DO NOT blame yourself! You guys are still getting to know each other

My DS hated swaddling too but the solution for us was him sleeping with one arm out..that seemed to help. With the Swaddle Me blanket. He started sleep 5 + hours around 6 weeks and then was up to 10 around 8-9 weeks, so I am sure it is around the corner for you.

Do you think maybe he has reflux if he is fussing?

Also, my DS when he was a teeny newborn WOULD nap in the PNP but eventually hated it and will now only nap in a swing...at night he sleeps in the crib but for whatever reason I can only get him to nap during the day in the swing - can you try that?

Re: His sleep is getting worse instead of better...advice please

i know it is so hard! please keep in mind he is still really really young so there isn't a ton of stuff you can do to make him sleep a lot longer etc...
for the first few weeks sleep is kind of up and down with infants.
you aren't doing anything wrong either! my only suggestion to maybe help with the sleep is:
-white noise machine
-darkened room
-and definitely swaddling if you haven't already-particularly with the MIRACLE BLANKET.

those 3 things definitely helped my DC! my DS is 4 months and still wakes up in the night to eat-sometimes twice!
also, have you tried having him sleep in the bouncy seat or swing since you have to keep him upright after feedings? for some people on here that has helped.
hang in there! i think that the beginning weeks are the hardest and most frustrating time (aside from toddlerhood!)
p.s. you might want to check out the book Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child-LOTS of good info.
helped me a lot too!!

i just re-read about the swaddling. don't be so sure he hates it. i thought my DC hated it too but once i wrapped them nice and tight they totally relaxed. it was literally like a miracle! their startle reflexes kept them up and the swaddling helped so much. it is not uncommon for a baby to "protest" as you beging to swaddle them. give it chance and see!

Message edited 11/23/2009 12:54:24 PM.

Re: His sleep is getting worse instead of better...advice please

DS is 7wks too, at night he usually sleeps from 10 - 2 then 2:30 to 6 or if we are really lucky 10-4.
He hasn't doesn't like to be swaddled so I use a sleep sack and I put a cap on him. I swear the cap really helps. Last night he didn't want to go back to sleep so I put him in his pram (he always passes out) with the hood up and I stuck him in the swing. He didn't wake up til 8am.

OH! Everytime I put him down to go to sleep (he sleeps on his own) I turn this musical sea horse on and he's out within a-few minutes. HTH!
ETA: We do use a white noise machine as well - I've been hooked on it for years.

Message edited 11/23/2009 1:04:26 PM.

Re: His sleep is getting worse instead of better...advice please

DD (9 weeks) is STTN in her FP rocker, bouncy, or swing. I would try one of those over the PNP. Anytime I put DD in her PNP, I rarely get a long stretch of sleep out of her. I also keep her upright when she sleeps because of minor spitting up/reflux issues. I don't know what I would do without her rocker or bouncy!

Re: His sleep is getting worse instead of better...advice please

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this is my girls exactly and to be honest I think its normal .

My girls go 4 hours between feedings but they dont go to sleep for the next 4 hours...not at 7 weeks old. they sleep for about 2 of the next 4 hours. That time is gonna get less too as they get older.

I know what your going through ( times 2)...so hang in there.....It does get easier and better

Re: His sleep is getting worse instead of better...advice please

Your DS's sleep patterns sound completely normal for a 7 week old. Many babies don't sleep for long stretches at that age. He may have slept better when e was younger b/c he was still in that sleepy newborn stage.

Will he nap in the swing or bouncy seat? Can you wear him in a sling or carrier during the day?

Re: His sleep is getting worse instead of better...advice please

I would try swaddling, I know you said he hates it, but pretty much all babies look like they hate it. He will put up a fight for a minute or two, but will then settle down.
I'd definitely give it another try. Use either the swaddle me or the miracle blanket, not a regular recieving blanket.

Re: His sleep is getting worse instead of better...advice please

Posted by dita


DS is 7wks too, at night he usually sleeps from 10 - 2 then 2:30 to 6 or if we are really lucky 10-4.
He hasn't doesn't like to be swaddled so I use a sleep sack and I put a cap on him. I swear the cap really helps. Last night he didn't want to go back to sleep so I put him in his pram (he always passes out) with the hood up and I stuck him in the swing. He didn't wake up til 8am.

OH! Everytime I put him down to go to sleep (he sleeps on his own) I turn this musical sea horse on and he's out within a-few minutes. HTH!
ETA: We do use a white noise machine as well - I've been hooked on it for years.
IMAGE

Re: His sleep is getting worse instead of better...advice please

I think he's still very young. It doestn' sound like he's doing anything so abnormal, although I know it's hard on you!

DS was similary - it was almost impossible sometimes to put him down. He'd sleep in my arms, but wake up as soon as I put him in the bassinet. He would also be woken up by burps.

He hated teh swaddle initially, but we kind of forced him after a while and he ended up liking it and sleeping a million times better. I think in the beginning we left one arm out so he wasn't so mad.... but then when he got used to it we could swaddle both arms.

He never really got into binkies.... but when he was tiny, I would lay him in the bassinet and then stand there and let him suck on a binky until he settled down... and then I'd gently slip it out without wakign him up. I kept it near him and would stick it back in his mouth for a few minutes if he woke up.

We also used a white noise machine.

That's all I can think of for now.....

HTH!!!!!!! Don't worry, it will get better. Just remember that he's still very little.

Re: His sleep is getting worse instead of better...advice please

DS was still a very poor sleeper at that stage too. Things started improving when I got better at napping him. It turns out that once you see the sleepy signals and they fall asleep, you've probably missed the ideal time to get him down. I found that the book Happy Child, Healthy Sleep Habits was a big help for me.

Re: His sleep is getting worse instead of better...advice please

DD went through this around 6 weeks, she wouldn't nap longer then 30 minutes during the day and was waking up often at night. My ped. told me to feed her every 2.5 - 3 hours during the day so she would get all her caloires then and not to feed her every time she woke up at night if it was often to get her use to going longer stretches at night. I did that for about a week and now at 9 weeks she is napping well during the day (eating still every 3 hours unless she is napping) and either STTN (9:30ish - 7ish) or wakes up around 4am for a bottle and then sleeps till 9am.

Try feeding more often during the day and see if it helps. . . hang in there!!

Re: His sleep is getting worse instead of better...advice please

I don't think there is anything to worry about and you are not doing anything wrong. What you are describing seems completely normal.