Sleeping Help - Urgent
Printed From: OHbaby!
Category: Have A Baby?
Forum Name: First baby? Second or more?
Forum Description: Want help? Need support? Want tips? Men and women share advice and tips in this supportive community
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=17519
Printed Date: 13 September 2025 at 12:07pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.10 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Sleeping Help - Urgent
Posted By: mandz
Subject: Sleeping Help - Urgent
Date Posted: 23 May 2008 at 9:43am
|
Hi all
I put my son down for a sleep at 8am (we are having trouble with daytime sleeps), he cried for 15 minutes, then went to sleep. But only slept until 9.15am. I think he still needs more sleep, so have left him in bed, only visiting once to try and get him to take his dummy in the hopes he will go back to sleep. But no such luck! He is still crying, now going on 10 to 15 minutes. What do I do? Do I get him up or will that just tell him that if he cries he gets what he wants, or do I leave him? And if I leave him, for how long if he keeps crying? All help appreciated... ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
Zack Robert Henton - 29th December 2009 |
Replies:
Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 23 May 2008 at 9:47am
|
He's so little I wouldn't leave him crying, they don't learn that they need to go to sleep they just end up thinking that when they cry no one comes. He needs to feel safe and secure before he will self settle and you establish that by responding to him when he is upset.
When did he last feed? it may just be that he is hungry already. ------------- 
 
|
Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 23 May 2008 at 9:58am
| yeah I'd go and cuddle him. He might justbe lonely. He is too little to work out how to get what he wants...he still doesnt even know his body is his. I would get him up, feed him if necessary (thinking growth spurt), change him, little play then try sleep again. |
Posted By: mandz
Date Posted: 23 May 2008 at 9:58am
|
Due a feed, but have tried him and he won't take the bottle. Was really upset when I went and got him from his room though. Has quietened down now he is in my arms... so what do I do? Put him back to bed??? ------------- http://lilypie.com">
Zack Robert Henton - 29th December 2009 |
Posted By: Febgirl
Date Posted: 23 May 2008 at 9:59am
|
Is it hysterical crying or more of a whingy type cry? if hysterical would get him up for a cuddle and try and put him back down again once he's calm. If it's just whingy and he's been recently fed, has a clean nappy then I would leave for as long as you can handle it then get him up.
How did you go? |
Posted By: MrsMojo
Date Posted: 23 May 2008 at 9:59am
I agree with cuppatea. He's too young to form bad habits. Infact for the first 8 weeks at least I believe it's really important that you respond to him whenever he needs comfort. I know it's exhausting and there's probably a thousand other things you want to get done too but he's this young for such a short time and soon enough he'll be refusing cuddles because he's too busy playing - make the most of it now. -------------  
|
cuppatea wrote:Posted By: Febgirl
Date Posted: 23 May 2008 at 10:00am
| Yep try and put him back down |
Posted By: mandz
Date Posted: 23 May 2008 at 10:02am
|
He started off whingey then worked up to full cry... have now changed him, checked to see if he wanted food again - still no - so have given him his dummy and now that he is calm again am going to try putting him back into bed - wish me luck! ------------- http://lilypie.com">
Zack Robert Henton - 29th December 2009 |
Posted By: nikkitheknitter
Date Posted: 23 May 2008 at 10:04am
|
I think 1hr 15mns for a sleep is pretty good!
Are you using a routine? At that age Hannah was on a 3 hour cycle thing, feed, play, sleep. Each babe is different but the routine was more for me! Many people are more into demand feeding etc though. |
Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 23 May 2008 at 10:06am
|
Good luck.
Do you have a sling? I found them great to help get Spencer off to sleep, I also use to let him just sleep on me when he was little as well. I think its only natural that they want to be close and contrary to what some people believe it doesn't make them clingy. Spencer was having all his sleeps in his own room from 4 months cos he felt safe and secure in his environment. Sorry to sound a bit ranty i'm just totally against letting babies cry. JMO though -------------
|
Posted By: mandz
Date Posted: 23 May 2008 at 10:06am
|
So far so good, he is quiet not even making any noise - although the dummy helps with that.
It is not that I want to do other things, although the house certainly could use some attention, but I really want to get his sleeping during the day sorted. As at the moment he only sleeps for 30 to 60 minutes and by the end of the day - 5pmish he is pretty awful - non stop grizzling and crying - until around 7pmish. I think because he is overtired.... ------------- http://lilypie.com">
Zack Robert Henton - 29th December 2009 |
Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 23 May 2008 at 10:09am
|
Thats the arsenic hour and totally normal. He would probably do that even if he had longer sleeps. Also it could be colic, is he good at bringing his wind up? -------------
|
Posted By: mandz
Date Posted: 23 May 2008 at 10:10am
|
I hate the crying as well, but sometimes really do think he is trying me on... but maybe I am imagining it. I do let him sleep in my arms and sometimes the bassinette as well. Plunket nurse did say that he needed to sleep more than he was though, hence why he is now in his own room and no longer in the lounge where he started off. She thought there were too many distractions which was not helping him sleep longer.
We are trying to use a routine. He is formula fed, so we were feeding every 3 hours. Although he seemed to want to play first, then feed, then sleep. So trying to turn that one around. But at the moment he is refusing the bottle fairly regularly. So am trying him 3 hourly if he is awake and grizzly but then if he doesn't want it, try to put him back to bed or play before trying again later with the food. I figure if he is refusing the bottle he is not hungry! Thanks for all your help, any other suggestions well and truely welcome! ------------- http://lilypie.com">
Zack Robert Henton - 29th December 2009 |
Posted By: mandz
Date Posted: 23 May 2008 at 10:13am
|
No terrible at bringing up wind. We give him gripe water (after and for hiccups) and colic powder before feeds (only started this one yesterday) in the hope that his wind will get better. It does seem to build up and get much worse in the evening...although he sleeps really well at night. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
Zack Robert Henton - 29th December 2009 |
Posted By: MrsMojo
Date Posted: 23 May 2008 at 10:15am
I'm the same. Michaela often slept in the front pack while I was doing things or I'd lie down and have a nap with her on the couch or in bed. She did sleep in her own moses basket and basinette too but I always responded when she wanted me. By 3 weeks old she'd just let out a little cry then wait patiently (for a min or two) for DH or I to turn up - it was very cute. By 5 mo when she started crawling she was quite the independant little lady. I actually know someone that did CC from very early on and although her routine was envious her baby grew up to be a huge sook. If Michaela hurts herself she gets up brushes herself off (maybe comes over for a cuddle) then gets about the business of playing, she hardly ever cries and if she does I know it's serious. This other child screams blue bl00dy murder if he gets the slightest bump or scratch and IMO it's because he needed to cry so hard to get attention. -------------
|
Posted By: MrsMojo
Date Posted: 23 May 2008 at 10:21am
You can add infacol to his bottle too (or give it straight to him in a dropper). Can't remember if this is a before or afterfeed thing but it helped. I suspect in hindsight that Michaela has undiagnosed silent reflux and wind was a huge issue for us too for the first few months. Have you raised one end of his basinette? The slope helps kids with wind/reflux. We simply put a cushion under the basinette mattress at the head end. I found the best position for burping Michaela was with her sitting on my knee with one of my hand in front against the top of her chest and supporting her chin and the other against her back keeping it straight, she wriggled something chronic as the wind came up but it really works. The other one was putting her over my shoulder and walking up and down the stairs. -------------
|
Posted By: mandz
Date Posted: 23 May 2008 at 10:24am
|
I certainly don't want to turn him into a sook! And I don't want him thinking that I won't come if he is upset, but I don't want him not getting enough sleep either - such a fine line to walk apparently! ------------- http://lilypie.com">
Zack Robert Henton - 29th December 2009 |
Posted By: MrsMojo
Date Posted: 23 May 2008 at 10:29am
|
I find that plunket nurses and other well meaning people can be very good at scaring us mums (oh gosh I hope I'm not one of those scary 'well meaning people' too).
I really think that newborns have an amazing capacity to sleep whenever, wherever as long as their comfortable. I hope the rest of your day goes well and that you wee man is more settled during jungle hour tonight. -------------
|
Posted By: mandz
Date Posted: 23 May 2008 at 10:29am
|
Can you tell me where I get Infacol from? The Plunket Nurse mentioned that as well but I don't know where to get it....
His basinette is slightly raised actually - glad to hear I am doing something right already. Thanks for the ideas for burping, we already do the first one - which works sometimes and not others. But will try the second one as well. One that I find which works quite well - which is similar - is that I hold him up to my should and gently pat him on the bottom whilst bouncing him a little, can usually get some more wind out of him that way. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
Zack Robert Henton - 29th December 2009 |
Posted By: MrsMojo
Date Posted: 23 May 2008 at 10:38am
|
You can definitely buy infacol from the chemist, not sure if it's in supermarkets. It's in a little yellow box (or was last time I bought some anyway).
The other burping thing that worked well when my nephew was a baby was lying him face down across one arm and stroking his back with the other. The bouncing worked ok for us but for some reason the steps always worked better - although as you say it's basically the same thing. -------------
|
Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 23 May 2008 at 10:39am
|
The position that we found good which one of the mw showed us at the birthing centre was to lay him face down across my knees and then rub his back. (just make sure you have a burp cloth on the floor). For months and months if he was upset, even if not with wind, then putting him in this position helped to calm him down.
I think you can get infacol from the pharmacy. If he wakes up too early and he isn't hungry etc perhaps you could take him for a walk in the pram? or a ride in the car to help him go back to sleep. Once he is having longer sleeps this way then hopefully he will do it in his bassinet. Mrs mojo, I so miss those naps on the couch, he so wouldn't do that now he likes his own space  -------------
|
Posted By: MrsMojo
Date Posted: 23 May 2008 at 10:45am
Me too. Michaela's grown so much we don't both comfortably fit on the couch anymore and if I try and lie down with her in my bed she thinks it's great fun and wants to play unless she's ultra tired (and even then sometimes). I miss having a wee baby, love having a terrific 2 yr old though.-------------
|
Posted By: Peanut
Date Posted: 23 May 2008 at 12:58pm
|
Also are you doing the 1 hour turn around? i found once I got that sorted he tended to sleep alot better. Its heaps easier to do the 1 hour turn around when you are bottle feeding.
I agree that when they are that little they are waking for a reason - not just to annoy us, althoughm have to agree at times it really appears that way. -------------  
|
Posted By: MrsMojo
Date Posted: 23 May 2008 at 1:03pm
 Can you enlighten me? What is the 1 hour turnaround?-------------
|
Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 23 May 2008 at 1:11pm
|
It means that including feeding playing and bum change they are only up for an hour max. So basically back to bed 1 hour after they get up.
I found sometimes though that even an hour was too much and that he would need to go back to bed after 45 mins. -------------
|
Posted By: peachy
Date Posted: 23 May 2008 at 1:54pm
|
The one hour turn around made my life so much easier when Lauren was a newborn. Once I started using that routine everything else seemed to fall into place. I totally recommend you try it as cuppatea detailed above!
Infacol is available at the supermarket too! ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
|
Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 23 May 2008 at 4:32pm
45 min was our limit too. without wanting to be a "well meaning person" I would say dont stress, enjoy the cuddles and times when they fall asleep in your arms, forget housework (thats what DH is for) and try to rest. How about curling up in bed with bubs? I think everything sounds very normal and it does get better!.....then they change ALL the rules on you and come up with other issues
|
Posted By: SuperDaddy
Date Posted: 23 May 2008 at 4:48pm
|
We still do the one hour turnaround.
We also never did cc or cio .. whenever she cried, I went to her .. now she does what michaela does and lets out a little "cry" and waits. I also used to let her sleep on me .. near me .. or wherever she wanted to for the first 12 weeks. Now she sleeps happily in her bassinette or cot (I actually miss her sleeping on/with me now!) Oh and a sling is fantastic! I wish I had got one when she was a newborn, would have made my life a breeze. -------------  
 
|
Posted By: mandz
Date Posted: 23 May 2008 at 4:53pm
|
Hi guys
Thanks for all the suggestions. Will try the one hour turnaround although think we are close to that usually. I do have a front pack so might try and use that more too! Bought the infacol - so here's hoping it works! ------------- http://lilypie.com">
Zack Robert Henton - 29th December 2009 |
Posted By: mcilrs
Date Posted: 23 May 2008 at 6:45pm
|
I had the same problem with my dd who is now 3 months. The infacol worked absolute wonders (can be bought at chemist or supermarket). I gave this to her before a feed as she would feed, play, feed & sleep so I found that the last feed she would wake very quickly and be uncomfortable. You only need very small amounts and it is amazing stuff!
|
Posted By: caitlynsmygirl
Date Posted: 24 May 2008 at 11:26am
|
Hope it helps too Mandz!
I never had any probs with Caitlyn sleeping,must have been pure luck cos i cant think of anything special i did-i did have a routine though ,perhaps that helped I know a girl though, whos daughter is 2 and still wakes up all the time, and has her day naps on her mothers lap....mind you her mother gives her iceblocks in bed so what would you expect? |