5 week old baby's sleeping routine??

Question

I have started a bedtime routine wiv my new baby girl. Bath at 8pm then a good feed then lay her down in her mose's basket to sleep. This has been going great and she has been sleeping soundly until 5/6am. She wakes for feeds but has been going straight back to sleep until a few nights ago when she first woke at 4am!!! Bright as a button and didnt settle back to sleep again until 7am! Then last night she woke routinely at 2am for a feed but wouldnt settle back to sleep again at all! She would sleep for an hour on and off throughtout today. She has now gone to bed and again is sleeping soundly but im wondering why she feels that 2am/5am is waking time? Am i puttin her to bed too early?? PS: i have been keeping her awake since 6pm every night before bed at 9pm (THIS IS DRIVING ME CRAZY) any suggestions??

I have been putting her down to sleep in our bedroom with no noise or lights and if she stirs i place pacifier in her mouth without speaking and leave the room again. Like i say above this works great until the small hours of the morning kick in :-( :-(

Answer 1

There's nothing wrong with your baby. In fact if you can get her to sleep from about 9 till 2 or later thats good. Babies will change their sleeping schedules for no apparent reason, especially this young. There's no help for it. best advice, if you aren't getting enough sleep at night, take a nap with the baby during the day if you can. Sleep when the baby sleeps. and welcome to parenthood, you're not getting a decent nights sleep for the next 18 years.

Answer 2

It's not possible to have a routine with a baby that small - their physiology just doesn't work that way. They are 100 percent driven by the need to eat, which can strike at any time. Keep in mind, doctors define "sleeping through the night" at this age as sleeping for five consecutive hours - which isn't much! It sounds like you are establishing good habits, but you can't expect that she is going to have any regular habits any time soon.

I think it's better to think in terms of rituals and rhythms. It's an absolutely fantastic idea to start a settled bedtime ritual now, although the actual time for bedtime would vary depending on when she's sleepy. (FYI: it's a terrible idea to keep a baby this age awake if they are sleepy so you can aim for some specific time to fall asleep - once they get overtired it can be really hard to get them to sleep). It's also a good idea to get in a nighttime rhythm, where when she wakes up in the night, the lights stay dim and there's not a lot of activity, compared with a daytime rhythm, when wakings are treated more like waking up from a nap, with a special greeting, and activity. This will help your baby learn the difference between night and day.

It's also a good idea to get in the habit (if you can) of nursing and then laying your baby down to sleep before she actually falls asleep at the breast.

Answer 3

This is the exact thing that happened with my daughter who is 15 weeks now. Our pediatrician recommended a book called The Happiest Baby on the Block by Harvey Karp. His name has been popping up in all the magazines. He talks about the first 3 months as the fourth trimester. For baby to feel safe and secure in this world that they're not used to we have to simulate the womb. If you can't get around to reading the whole book, just read the 2nd part about his 5 S's technique. It saved our sanity. She immediately began to sleep for about 7.5 hours straight.

We're in a group with 3 other families with babies around the same age (a week or two older or younger) and this happened with everyone. Our pediatrician said she's never seen this in a group before, and was glad that we all read the book. If you don't end up getting the book, the only thing I suggest is the get a Halo Sleepsack Swaddle. Wrap her up really tight. She will probably try to fight it, but in the end she will hopefully sleep longer with it. Don't leave her side right away, but keep your hand lightly on her chest or legs, and then move it away slowly.

And no, you are not putting her to bed too early. Don't keep your daughter awake if she is sleepy during the day. The more she sleeps, the more she will sleep. She should be getting about 15-15.5 hours of sleep at that age.

Good luck!

(There is a DVD too.
http://baby.search.ebay.com/happiest-baby_Baby_W0QQ_trksidZm37QQfromZR40QQsacatZ2984

There is The Happiest Toddler on the Block as well.)

Answer 4

My grandson was born April 15 so he is just around your daughter's age. He has absolutely no sleeping routine other than he sleeps when he wants and eats when he wants. Your daughter's and my grandson's tummies are so tiny that expecting a long sleep through the night is pretty unrealistic. Night time routines are excellent for toddlers and older children, but infants are generally not able to be on any type of long-lasting routine since their growth is so rapid and their nutritional and sleep needs change frequently. Every baby is ready to sleep through the night at different ages. It is pretty rare to find a 5 week old who will sleep consistently through the night. It has nothing to do with routine, but is related to his immature system that gets hungry frequently and hasn't learned to self-soothe yet. Don't try too hard to get her on a sleeping schedule as you will be continually frustrated.

Answer 5

Babies change their routines, maybe she is sleeping more time in the day. Don't take out from bed at 2 am, leave her in her bed without light so she comes to sleep again even though she cries, at least for a few minutes; music is a great helper (soft music)

Answer 6

baby's schedules change so much during the first months of life...just try to stick with a bedtime routine and a bedtime. you can't help if she's staying up and she is WAY too young to try to do anything about it. you can barely wake up a child at that age, so you can't really help them sleep. just keep it dim, quiet and not stimulating. the pacifier and not talking much is good, but if she's bright eyed, you have to interact a little bit. good luck!

Answer 7

she is still too young to be placed on a strict bedtime. she still doesn't know the difference between night time and day-time. dont stress out about this give her time to adjust eventually she will get on a schedule. i have a 3.5 week baby girl and she is up every 2-3 hours for feedings, you just need to be patient with her

Answer 8

i understand you're unlikely to love my answer yet it truly is only what it truly is. he's a new child, no longer to show a premie so he needs a solid form of sleep. you reside in his international now, no longer any opposite direction around. whilst he sleeps,you sleep and that's the only way you're able to have the skill to maintain sane from the sleep deprivation. i did no longer get my son right into a appropriate finished ordinary till' 2 weeks in the past and he's 3 months previous. What we had to do whilst he became your sons age became enable him sleep approximately 3 naps that have been 2-3 hours each and every and then save him wide awake after 6pm till ultimately' 9 feeding him each and every 2 to 3 hours in the process the day and at nighttime feeding him each and every 2 to3 hours as nicely. appears like your toddler additionally has their days and nights blended up so whilst he gets somewhat older like 7 weeks previous attempt to stimulate him plenty by way of perhaps waking him up somewhat in the previous like 30 minutes on his final nap and putting him on his play gymnasium or you study him a e book, decide for a walk, bypass to the save ( conceal him up however through fact he would not have his photos yet) rattlers and toys continually save my son happy and alert in the process the day. precise now our son is wide awake from 3 till ultimately' 7:30ish We enable him have approximately 2 naps an afternoon and a short third one if we are fortunate and around 5 he alert and wide awake and in a position to play...we placed him on tummy time or his bouncy or play gymnasium( countless stimulation to make him sleepy later) around 6:30 we feed him banana or rice cereal( your son is only too youthful for this so attempt giving him an oz.. or so of breast milk to suited him off for the 2d) my son is mostly a happy camper whilst he has some thing in his tummy formerly a bath, around 7 we supply him a bath...dry him off, new out extra healthful, some kisses and hugs and then a 5 oz..bottle then approximately 7:30-8 he's large and finished and arranged for mattress. attempt this out with your toddler and only fill in the blanks with what you do like: a million ounce of milk, tub, hugs and kisses,e book or some thing to calm him then milk returned( a brilliant quantity of it, that's many times 2-3 oz. at his age)

Answer 9

5 wks is too young to establish a routin...i mean its good to try, but you must know it will be thrown off....she will stir and wake up for feedings and sometimes just not be able to fall right back to sleep...so you should just nap when she does, it will be easier for you when she wakes up at night and stays awake...

Answer 10

Welcome to motherhood!!! Instead of complaining, enjoy the blessing God gave you and be glad she's little!