Not sleeping during the day?
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Category: Have A Baby?
Forum Name: First baby? Second or more?
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Printed Date: 14 September 2025 at 10:07am
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Topic: Not sleeping during the day?
Posted By: emz
Subject: Not sleeping during the day?
Date Posted: 04 February 2008 at 6:55pm
Jack's only a month old, but for some reason has fallen into this pattern of not sleeping during the day. He usually 'power-naps' every couple of hours for maybe 30-45 mins, but he's nowhere near the 1 hour up, 2 hours down that he should be. And then he gets overtired and grizzly and mummy wants to pull her hair out!  The good thing is, he sleeps well at night.
He keeps on wanting a feed so he's having half a feed every 1 1/2 hours instead of a full feed every 3. The only way I can think of to get him out of this habit is to starve him for 3 hours and that just doesn't sit right with me. We've tried the pram, the capsule, the bassinet, our bed (during the day when I watch him), the bouncer, and he just wakes up so quickly. No deep sleep like usual. Has anyone been through this and can give me some advice on what to do? Surely he wouldn't be going through another growth spurt already as he's not due for one until 6 weeks? And he's not taking more food, just smaller amounts more often. |
Replies:
Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 04 February 2008 at 7:07pm
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Does he wake after 45mins? Each sleep cycle is 45 mins for a baby and then they stir and resettle (or are suppose to if you have a text book baby).
What might be happening, which is what happened with Spencer, is that he feeds then goes down for sleep wakes after 45 mins and screams the house down so you feed him (cos nothing else works) but because he is still tired he falls asleep feeding and then wakes up early again cos he's still hungry and this horrible cycle continues for the whole day until the evening when he goes to bed properly. I tried everything I had read and suggestions from on here but in the end at 3 months we went to the plunket family centre and with there help and then another week or so at home I finally broke it and managed to teach him to resettle (why he could do it at night but not during the day I don't know). I actually tried the forcing him to go 3 hours as well and that lasted one whole day and involved me walking the streets with a screaming baby and driving around aimlessly with a screaming baby in the vague hope that he would sleep and wait the 3 hours and that didn't happen ever, even when his sleeps were sorted he still only went 2.5hours between feeds, he only started going 3 hours when he went onto solids so part of it may be that you have a baby that needs to feed more often. What they got me to do at the plunket centre was to hover over his bassinet whilst he slept then as soon as he started to stir to pat and rub him to assist him over the "bump" between cycles, he woke up and stared at us, smiled and laughed but after 15mins went back to sleep, once home I repeated this with it sometimes taking 45mins and me sometimes failing and feeding him but after a week and a bit he was getting over the "bumps" without my help. Hope some of that helps, and huge hugs I totally know what you are through and it is wretched. ------------- 
 
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Posted By: aimeejoy
Date Posted: 04 February 2008 at 7:50pm
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That was the first thing I thought of too - waking after a sleep cycle. I didnt read all of cuppateas post, but do you go into him as soon as he stirs, or do you leave him to see if he will go back to sleep? ------------- Aimee Hannah 22/10/05 Greer 11/02/08 |
Posted By: pekemoemum
Date Posted: 04 February 2008 at 8:37pm
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I agre with cuppatea, sounds like he's waking early from the sleep cycle. I did the 'shhhh pat the bum thing' and would do it for as long as necessary till baby went back to sleep' you will need to be consistent with it..
another thing to keep an eye on is waking and crying and small feeds can be a sign of reflux.... (NOT ALWAYS... so don't want to start another 'worry' for you), but worth keeping an eye on it, lots of info on www.cryingoverspiltmilk.co.nz (I think that's the website) or google it it is the NZ reflux support board. hugs!!! ------------- Gina, Reef 15/6/03, Tyde 12/2/07 http://www.pekemoe.co.nz - Peke Moe - Unique NZ Made Baby Sleeping bags for babies who get out of swaddle/wrap |
Posted By: susieq
Date Posted: 04 February 2008 at 9:54pm
| They really do need the old karitane hospitals back |
Posted By: kabe
Date Posted: 05 February 2008 at 9:56am
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I had a similiar problem with my baby. She was grazing throughout the day, rather than taking full feeds and thwerefore wasn't sleeping well. Got advice from Plunket and things improved remarkably! They suggested that I stop feeding her so often as she needed a full tummy to get a decent sleep. I reduced feeds to 2 hourly and eventually got to 3 hourly, and made sure I put Eva to sleep after being wake for no more than one hour. Things definately improved over a few days.
Good luck! ------------- http://alterna-tickers.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: DJ
Date Posted: 05 February 2008 at 11:09am
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I had major daytime sleeping issues, and also got great advice from plunket (plunketline esp). My problems mostly realated to me feeding my babe for too long and not realising she was falling asleep during feeding, and then would not sleep when I put her down for a nap. The solution was to be vigilant about makingn sure she was feeding rather than snoozing when on the boob, and then like magic she actually slept when put to bed. Hope that helps, and you find a solution v.soon. I went on for weeks of despair, so totally understand your hair tearing! Good luck ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Bel
Date Posted: 05 February 2008 at 11:37am
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Hey emz, I went through the same thing with Luke, he would sleep 1/2 hour, or not at all and then start all over again! There are several threads about 3 weeks ago that cover this and have peoples ideas...
The other thing I did was make sure that I was putting him back to bed an hour after he got up - though it sounds like you are already doing this. That and a full tummy worked with us. (though not right now, as he is crying in his cot as I write this) ------------- Mum to two beautiful kids 
Luke (09.11.2007) Amy (01.04.2009) |
Posted By: emz
Date Posted: 05 February 2008 at 11:45am
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Thanks ladies, I'm trying to tire him out as much as possible before putting him to bed, has worked so far for 2 feeds this morning although he is awake at the moment but not crying. He's had 2 big feeds too and feeds well during the night so I'm not really worried about reflux. Although he did this massive powerchuck all over DH last night! Hehe but that was after taking 130mls and he usually only takes 100-120 so I'm pretty sure that's why.
I do leave him when he stirs and have hovered over his bed as well. He's such a little monkey - so inquisitive, but he really needs to sleep! |
Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 05 February 2008 at 12:08pm
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Oh emz! I can sympathise as I sit here with my boy in my arms as that's the only way he will sleep today. I am still in PJs and missed an appointment this morning as time got away on us.
I have no answers for you. |
Posted By: Bel
Date Posted: 05 February 2008 at 1:49pm
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Oh NZpiper, sounds like you are having a rough day... thoughts are with you too.
Glad to hear that today is going a bit better emz... Luke is having an awake day today, has had a few hour long sleeps and then is hungry again - but I have hardly any milk to give him, so a bit of a struggle... (Sorry bit of a TJ) ------------- Mum to two beautiful kids
Luke (09.11.2007) Amy (01.04.2009) |