my new born wont sleep at night but sleeps well during the day?

Question

my baby is 4 weeks old and i struggle to put him down after nursing at night he seems to be hungry even after emtying both my breasts and having formula supplement it takes close to 2 hours to put him to bed then i have to wake to feed him an hour later and start all over again i am dying from a lack of sleep

Answer 1

this may not be practical for you, especially if you have other kids, but try sleeping at the same time he does (on his schedule) for a while and slowly ease him in to your schedule. I think it's really hard on the baby at his age to try and keep him awake when he's sleepy, but around 8-12 weeks, it starts getting easier (of course, this is just my humble opinion- it is different for everyone).

You will get back to sleep one of these days, it just doesn't feel like it when you are too tired to see straight.

GOOD LUCK!!!!

Answer 2

This is the new born baby syndrome for mothers. If it weren't for husbands and mothers and mother-in-laws we'd have been worn out , too. When my children were very young like yours both the husband (me) and the wife would take turns so each would get ample sleep. New born babies require a lot of attention and you have to be mentally and physically ready for this. Just ask your mate if he'll take over for just a little while so you can get a break. If you have a mother that loves children and is good with them to watch over your baby. That's a matter of trust and mothers find it hard to release their child to just anyone. If you don't get someone though, you'll get so tired you might collapse or worse pass out from exhaution. You need to confide in someone that's real close to you and is trustworthy. I know what your going through. Eventually your babies sleep cycle will coincide with yours. It takes a few weeks for the baby to adjust. Babies drink lot's of breast milk and formula, because it's their only nourishment and it doesn't take long to digest. In time your child will sleep at your time. The draw back. You'll have him wide awake during the day time and it'll be much easier. It's not the best answer, but it's all I can tell you from my experiences. Good luck.

Answer 3

It definitly has day and night mixed up. Had the same problem with my daughter.
First things first, never wake the baby up to eat, it seems to be eating fine.
Try to keep him up during the day by keeping him up a little longer when even when he's tired. Not talking hours here, just keep him up 15- 30 minutes longer then he wants. Eventually he'll get used to it.
Last part and this is a tough one. Unless it's been 3-4 hours since he ate last ( during the night) only check his diaper, if it's fine lay him back down, maybe give him his pacifier ( if you use one) and tell him it's night time/sleep time. If it's been 3-4 hours since he last ate, feed him, check his diaper and put him back in bed. If he cries, put in the pacifier or pat his back, tell him it's bed time and don't interact any further. I spent 4 weeks on the couch, her in the bassinett, but slowly she learned night was for sleeping.
And definitely get hubby or somebody else to spot for you to take a nap.

Answer 4

I think you might need to catch your sleep during the day for a little while. When you were pregnant was your baby awake during the day?

I can only tell you what I did... a very long time ago. Doctors change what "should be done" with newborns all the time. My daughter is now a mother, but I remember the drs saying with her I should indroduce cereral at a month. With my son, born 15 months later... they said only breast milk or fomula for the first year. A year? A month? In less than 15 months, such a change? I fed my son cereal at night......oh thank you precious sleep.
When my granddaughter was born, and stayed up at night, I suggested the same thing, though I left it up to them. Sweet little one sleeps.... and so does mom and dad

.... and grandma!

Answer 5

Try and change his shedule--neither of you will like it--i had to do the same thing--wake him up early from his naps in the day, try and stimulate him more often in the daytime, with shorter naps, so he will be good and tired come "bedtime". it will test you though--he might be a little more cranky than usual from getting less sleep, but as long as you stick to the new schedule and dont give into your guilt feelings it will be better for you both in the long run, and he will get used to it, and compensate his sleeping into night time when you let him stay asleep--at night, when you are ready for it to be all night, use very soft lights, or a nightlight to keep him from waking up fully--try to get to him immediatly so he doesnt fully wake up have everything ready so he doesnt have to wait--breast feed, then immediatly give him the formula after a burp, then put him back down and maybe try some soft music or classical--do not play with him during the nighttime hours--i had to do this with my son it took 2 weeks to flip the schedules, and it was tiring and tested my patience, but in the long run it worked. they say a child is like a blank computer--they only know what you teach them--so teach him what you want--and it will be best for both. he will get used to it, and forget that you woke him up and won't hold it against you later lol as far as the extra eating goes--both my babies were breastfed, and breastfed babies get bigger than others, therefore get hungrier more often--maybe try adding a couple "snack" times in the day where you give him only 3 or 4 ounces of formula, and allow your breast milk to build up more so when night time comes, you might be able to only breast feed and not worry about the formula through the night.....of course all babies are different, but this worked wonders for me

Answer 6

I am curious about one thing, why are you waking him up to feed him?

I fed my son on demand, meaning when he was hungry I fed him and if he was sleeping I let him sleep. I went by what he needed.

Your son is still young, still trying to figure out day from night and what's what. Give him time.

It took us a few months to get into some sort of routine, but he was never a good sleeper and nursed alot, probably every 2 hours.

I hear you about lack of sleep, but try to sleep when you son does, even if it's only a short power nap. Don't worry about washing the dishes or sweeping the floor, your sanity is far more important :)

Answer 7

Honestly, your baby is very young - and most likely is getting used to day/night patterns. If you're really concerned about him, talk to your doctor about it. And, try pumping and have your dignificant other feed him a bottle while you get some rest (if that's an option for you). It worked for me! It is hard, but I can guarantee it will get easier.
They also say to take naps when your son does during the day - I know this may seem impossible to do, but if you have the opportunity, do it! It will keep you sane. And don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it - especially if people offer it. Don't be a martyr - it's not worth the headache.

Answer 8

The baby has his nights and days mixed up. Go ahead and let his sleep more than the 1 hour. He needs his sleep too and he will wake up when he is hungry. I wouldn't let him go more than 5 hours between feedings but he will soon get his days and nights flipped around right. I would give him as much food as he needs, you may not be producing enough. Babies know when they are full and hungry. Good luck

Answer 9

Okay, I had the exact same problem. Try this: It is an old wives tale however, after I tried my daughter slept through the night there after. Take baby to the foot of your bed and hold them firmly, flip them 3x's head over heels(of course very slowly). They say this will help the baby tell day from night. You cannot try and accomplish by keeping baby awake longer during the day, they will sleep regardless. Sleep is VITAL to a child's growth you shouldn't disrupt this.

Answer 10

keep it dark and moderatly noisy during the day (don't go out of your way to be quiet when the baby is sleeping during the day) and keep it pitch black and silent at night. if it seems to keep your baby up then don't watch tv at night while you are nursing and keep the lights low. if you have to move the baby to its own room (if you can) he may sleep better that way. and don't wake him up at night to feed him. when he is hungry he will wake up. make sure you feed him regularly during the day though so he won't get up so often during the night to make up for missing calories. that's what i did with my son and he slept thorough the night by the time he was 3 months. don't worry he will soon be sleeping thorugh the night! before you know it he will be a toddler and you will miss the days that you could cradle him for hours and just set him somewhere during the day while you relaxed. i miss it already. good luck and enjoy this time. it goes fast. i was so exhuasted i hardly remember it!

Answer 11

Hi, I had experienced that with my youngest son too. You can keep him awake during the day so that he will be tired during bedtime. Or you can give him a warm bath before bedtime and then feed him with warm milk (if both of your breasts are already empty), but be sure to check the temprature of the milk. :-) Don't forget to burp your baby first before putting him to sleep, sometimes it's one of the reason why they can't sleep. :-) My last resort was I gave him a pacifier. Ask your pedia first regarding the right pacifier for your baby.