Help... my 5 week old won't sleep!?

Question

I have a 5 week old who has hardly ever slept since birth! She fights sleep like crazy and as soon as I put her down her eyes open wide and her limbs start flailing! We cannot get her to sleep for more than 30 minutes to an hour at a time. We have tried everything... soothing music, white noise, humidifier, (she hates to be swaddled), putting her down awake and letting her cry, rocking her, singing to her, sleeping in the same bed, lying her on my chest to sleep (her basic needs are all met of course). I don't know what to do... I know she's tired because she yawns all of the time. She doesn't have colic because she is consolable, but only for a short time. Has anyone else ever encountered this problem? I'm losing it! Please any suggestions would be appreciated!!!

Answer 1

My son was the same way and it turned out that he had acid reflux. I would check with your doc to rule that out. Even if your baby hates swaddling, I would enforce it. My son hated it but it was the only way he would stay asleep once we were able to get him there. Otherwise, flailing limbs will wake them up. We swaddled until he was 61/2 months old and better able to control his limbs. Your daughter will begin to view the swaddling as a good thing and know that it means sleep time. A good rule of thumb for a baby this age is that they should be awake no more than 2 hours at a time. You may have more luck by trying to get a routine going where you try to get her to sleep after she's been awake for 1 1/2 hours. Even if she only takes a short nap, this will prevent her from becoming overtired. So, this would mean at least 4-5 naps a day - usually 2 long ones and 2-3 mini-catnaps. Overtired babies don't sleep well so getting her better rested may help the situation. At this age, it doesn't matter where they sleep - as long as they do. You can try swings, carseats, bouncy seats, laying with you, pacifiers - my son did them all and in the end it didn't matter - it just saved our sanity.

Answer 2

My son had very bad colic so didn't sleep very well at all. The best thing that we found was a swinging chair as the constant motion seemed to be a comfort. You should really speak to your health visitor or doctor though to get some advice from them. The only other thing is to sleep in shifts so that you are both getting a few hours at a time which is what my husband and myself had to do. Have you tried controlled crying? Leave her for 2-3 mins and if she has a dummy go back to give it to her but do not speak. It can take hours the 1st night but it should gradually reduce and usually after 3-4 nights they have got the msg. It is hard to listen to but you have to try and remain detatched.
I do totally understand what you're going thru, sleep deprivation is truly awful so make the most of friends and family. When they come to visit let them look after her so you can have a little time to yourself, be it sleeping, a relaxing bath or just getting some fresh air.
Hope things improve for you. Good luck:-)

Answer 3

I am a nanny and I have encountered this problem many times. I also am a certified expert when it comes to getting a baby to sleep. First of all you do need to check on the acid reflux. I had a boy I was working with totally stop breathing because of acid refux. Not a fun situation. If it is not acid reflux then swaddle her to you (whether she likes it or not) and swing side to side fairly quickly. Or you can swaddle her and bounce on an exercise ball. Hope these help!

Answer 4

Oh, I know you're having a tough time. Around 3 months of age is when things should be starting to settle into a regular pattern. Some babies make it easy for us at a much earlier time (like at 6 weeks) and some others take a little longer. These times are so brief in her long life to come and no one will ask on her college application when she began sleeping through the night. lol! Until then, keep doing what you're doing - you're doing a GREAT job! Just make sure you are taking care of yourself, too.

Answer 5

Do you have a baby sling? I think NoJo is the company that makes the "official" one, but there's probably some generics out there too. "Wearing" your baby in a baby sling can make her feel just like being back in the womb. When you walk around she'll be rocked, she can hear your heartbeat, feel your warmth, plus you'll have your hands free again to get things done. If she can fall asleep in the sling, wait until she reaches deep sleep (you'll be able to pick her hands up and drop them and she won't react), and you can bend over, setting the sling down in her crib or on your bed, lift the sling over your head and she'll still be asleep and you'll be free. It was the only way to get my baby to sleep the first few days.

He's five weeks old now too, but he sleeps better. He'll sleep flat on his back if he's in the bed with me, but in his bassinett he only sleeps for half an hour at a time. Haven't figured out why this is, but he sleeps well in his swing and his bouncy seat (no vibrations), maybe these methods will work for you?

It might be time to talk to your pediatrician about this though, babies need their sleep for brain development!

I'm sorry for your troubles, but congratulations on your bundle of joy!

Answer 6

You have a 'wakeful baby'. Aren't they great? Mine still sleeps about like that at 8 years of age. I put mine in the swing in front of kids' television (I know, I am a horrible mom but he loved Blues Clues, etc) and slept when he slept...20 minutes at a time for the first 6 months or so. I only slept longer than that when mom, sis, grandma, aunt would sit with him while I slept. I don't think you can fix them, you just have to work around it. Sounds like you have tried everything I tried and more.

Answer 7

Hardly ever slept? Normal babies may,can be percived as ...
"Hardly ever sleeping" Thats what newborn babies do..."
I reccomend a psychiatrist not for baby but for you.....A good
psychiatrist may help you.Or either a baby "take care of"class.
You definately sound like someone who needs help,and intervention,I suggest you use all the freebies that you encountered while having baby or after,Just type in huggies .com ,Pampers ,ect and you will get" freee " magazines with advice,You are not including more facts ,
Like were you on any drugs while pregnant etc?
Your baby sounds normal..Thats what newborns do
I'm sorry but your question sounds like you answered it already and is not a question but something else?
My baby never slept either darn it."HE woke up all hours
of the night,and the nerve of him ! "Geesh" he wanted to eat too.Of all the nerve ? You think he may have an eating disorder? Wow ,....like I said I'm not being not nice ,seek an \
psychiatrist....

Answer 8

If she only does it lying down, maybe it's reflux - stomach acid coming up whenever she's on her back. Try holding her in your arms or in a sling, or putting a wedge under her mattress to lift her a bit. Also, your pediatrician can give you medicine for it if that's the problem.

Answer 9

it could be she has gas, I would try mylicon drops.

also-despite popular belief-babies dont yawn because they are tired--they yawn to fill their lungs with air.

I know it sounds silly--but maybe she wants to play? about 3 weeks old my baby stopped going right to sleep after she ate- I play silly games with her for about 10 minutes to tire her out & she'd fall right asleep wherever she was laying

the only other thing I can thnk is to try her in a swing that plays music--or her carseat

Answer 10

babies want to be with their mothers all the time. She was in you for nine months and she still wants to hear you talk and breath. Let her stay close to you and she'll sleep. If you try to make her stay in her own room now she'll be very unhappy. When she's 15 she'll nearly never want you to be there.