Newborn baby sleeping advice..

1982DurhamSAFC said:
Finally got a little girl after 5 years of trying for a baby. She's doing great apart from sleeping at night which is and isn't a shock.

Basically she's 2 weeks old. Currently she sleeps most of the day but won't settle between 11-3am .

Now do we just try to get her to settle into our routine or do we go with hers?

Would it be best to stay up until 3am then take her to settle in our room with us?

Don't know what to do for the best...

Trying to make sure we all get plenty of sleep..
Click to expand...
Have just asked Mrs MB (an antenatal teacher) and she sent me this link with some things to try: The Fourth Trimester – AKA Why Your Newborn Baby is Only Happy in Your Arms

Also, it’s only two weeks in so, try not to worry too much about it.

Good luck.
 


Kevj said:
Look into ‘Swaddling’.

Basically, wrap the baby so his/her arms are close to their body and they feel enclosed. It is representative of being in the womb.

If he/ she wakes up during the night, re swaddle and emphasise getting them back to sleep, not attention or feeding.

I had my kids sleeping for eight hours plus within a few months by being a strong parent, not a concerned one.
Click to expand...
Swaddling is tops and you can get the stuff from Amazon.

I know a woman who worked really hard at setting a routine with a dream feed and no eye contact or touch after a certain time and it was a hard slog but after a couple of months the routine was set.
I know other parents who have failed in this set up and it does seem but is not scientifically proven that girls take it on easier.

The big success was breastfeeding too so that is not a bar if in play.

If you want the book my friend used I can ask?
 
Said this before on here make sure they get used to stopping at nanas, sisters, brothers so youse can still get out on a night. They get used to going there so there will be no problems when you leave them.
Dont pick them up let the cry
1st one never slept
2nd one slept all the time
Pleased it was that way round tbh
 
Joe Public said:
My boy didn’t sleep until he was 4 1/2, ruined me like, my sleep is still a mess now.
Click to expand...
Seems that way with boys.


After raising 7 children I don't think my mother ever really slept. Whatever time I rocked up after a night out of go in and have a chat with her. She was always half awake :lol:
 
PhilSAFC said:
Cheers but you have no idea of the circumstances so kindly fuck off. Also swaddling is horrible advice.
Click to expand...

Swaddled both mine for first few months and they both slept through the night.

Mind you little miss mcq10 number 2 has started to wake at 4 every morning since she turned 7 months
 
I’m 19 years on but I remember just letting the noise crack on while she napped through the day. Washing machines hoovering and whatnot.

At night I used to have a routine where I just waffled on about life, softly of course, when I put her to bed. She had no idea what I was on about as she hadn’t learned the language or owt but it was routine. It was quiet and dark then so different.

When she did start to understand I made up stuff like stories about Charlie the crocodile. He got toothache and stuff which was canny bad in crocodileland. And he swam anti clockwise because he was left handed. Stupid shite.

And once she discovered Shrek I had an extra 94 minutes of sleep in the morning. I know this is wrong but hey ho.

Anyhoo congratulations and all the best. Cherish every moment even when your eyes bleed for sleep.
 
1982DurhamSAFC said:
Finally got a little girl after 5 years of trying for a baby. She's doing great apart from sleeping at night which is and isn't a shock.

Basically she's 2 weeks old. Currently she sleeps most of the day but won't settle between 11-3am .

Now do we just try to get her to settle into our routine or do we go with hers?

Would it be best to stay up until 3am then take her to settle in our room with us?

Don't know what to do for the best...

Trying to make sure we all get plenty of sleep..
Click to expand...
Congratulations mate!
Don’t worry you’ll get the hang of it, it’s human nature.
 
Boring them at night is key in the early days - feed, changed, back to bed - no eye contact, no talking, no colours or sounds just 'snow' on the telly for light. My lad slept through after 25 days, my lass after 19. In the end we had to put them in their own rooms because they were noisy sleepers and kept waking us up. Canny few years ago now mind :lol:
 
All different advice - none will be particularly right or wrong only what is / was good for them
We’ve had 3 - generally found the first few weeks the worst until they settled into a routine & the sleepless nights gradually got less & less
It is hard during that period however it won’t last forever
Congrats
 
After about a week of the midwife saying let them find their own routine and basically my boy slept all day and was awake all night I did the controlled crying and put him into a routine for my sanity's sake.

Bedtime routine, bath, change and bottle. Into bed at 7.30, woke for nappy change and dream feed at 11. And apart from one feed during the night he slept till 7am from 8 weeks. I know a lot of people frown on them but I'm also an advocate of having a dummy as a soother, much easier to take away than a thumb! Or the milk bar!

Make sure night time is kept quiet and dark , don't give them attention or talk to them apart from what is necessary. It does sound tough but it's honestly worth it.

When he was 2 we moved house so he had his own bedroom and it was a big mistake not settling him straight into a routine and letting him in my bed, or sitting in his room till he slept, Purely for the peace. I had a chew to get him to sleep in his bed for years afterwards so don't go making that mistake.
 
f***ing hell, reading this thread makes me realise we got lucky. By half six he is shouting for his bed :lol: Although I still think setting a routine is key.
 
Last edited:
Goat Eyes said:
Is she on the tit? If so she’ll take less food, bottling will give you more time between feeds.

2 weeks old is too early for controlled crying, the kid has barely opened their eyes.

I’d advise going with their routine until about 3 months then gradually enforce yours i.e. cut out night feeds by timing daytime ones better. Cut out daytime naps by about 6 months, no need then their knackered come bedtime. Give them a dark, quiet, temperate room etc.

Swaddling, never did this. Never had to.

I say this with a 3 and half year old who has slept 12 hours a night since 12 weeks and a second on the way.
Click to expand...

Afternoon naps are the best thing about being a parent. Sleeping during the day is jeremy kyle stuff unless you have a toddler then it is parenting
 
Don’t ask me. We had such a bad time with our daughter we had no more. People said it’s easier with the 2nd but my luck ( I use Ladbrokes as a benchmark) it’s likely to be worse so we stopped at one.

Only advice, sleep when you can. Armed forces use sleep deprivation as torture, so does your child...... grab it while you can
 

Back
Top