Baby has days and nights mixed up Posted: 02-26-08 15:07pm
Had a really rough night with my baby,
Benjamin, who is just past 6 wks old last
night. Usually he goes to be between
midnight and one and doesn't wake up again
until 3 or 4 for his next feeding. That
has become the time when I try to get
things done or have a little time to
myself. But last night he was fussy and
wide awake until 5 in the morning. Every
time I put him down he started to cry but
when I picked him up, there was no right
way to hold him. He kept squirming around
to different positions and every time he
seemed to go to sleep and I was about to
put him down, his eyes popped open and he
was wide awake again.
I don't know how to stop this cycle
because when he is asleep, you can't
hardly wake him up or keep him awake and
when he is awake there is no getting him
to sleep even if the room is dark and I
just gave him a bath to settle him down,
etc. I am on maternity leave right now but
we are going to have serious problems once
I go back to work if he doesn't stop being
nocternal.
I just feel tired and frustrated and can't
help remembering back when I had a life
and could sleep all night and do the
things I wanted or needed to do with no
problems. Does it ever get easier?
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Ingi
Supporter
Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 8359 Location: Grinning like a Cheshire Cat,
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Posted: 02-26-08 16:33pm
Yes! It does get easier. Having their days
and nights mixed up is very very common!
One way to change their sleeping patterns
is to have them sleep somewhere else in
the daytime. For instance, if he sleeps in
his crib at night, have him sleep in his
bassinette for naps (or reverse that,
depending).
Also getting out in the day time and
having a schedule to stick to will help a
lot. Like going for a walk every day at
9am, getting him out in the fresh air and
HOPEFULLY sunlight. Or giving him a bath
every evening before bedtime. Creating
rituals is really comforting to children
since they know what to expect and when.
I hope things start turning around sleep
wise.
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sadpreg
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 10
Posted: 02-26-08 16:47pm
Thanks, Ingri. We already give him a bath
every night. I will try taking him outside
during the day at the same time to see if
it helps. And maybe I will transfer him to
the cradel for day time naps. Right now he
has been sleeping all day and there
doesn't seem to be anything I can do to
wake him up. He is a very determined baby
when it comes to being asleep or being
awake. I am just exausted!
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bbfeet9
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 05 Feb 2008 Posts: 62 Location: ,
Posted: 02-26-08 17:07pm
Ya know what? These little people will
sleep when and where they want. After
having five of the darlings, i learned
that when they are that small, it's pretty
much their way. My first baby, a boy,
slept thru the nite at a week old. No.2
was a girl, up all nite, slept all day.
No.3 was pretty good. A few naps during
the day and a few feedings in the nite.
She started sleeping thru at about 6
weeks. No.4 another girl, pretty normal.
No.5 a boy was pretty normal as well. All
pretty normal exept for no.2. Now she is
going thru the same thing with her little
boy. He is 4 months old and hasn't slept 3
hours straight since birth. It's all up to
them. She tried schedules, baby put her on
one. She is totally exhausted and has to
get up to be to work by 6 in the morn. I
have him during the day. He takes these
annoying little cat naps. 20 min. here and
there. No time for me to get anything
done. I feel bad for you. I remember the
days.
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sadpreg
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 10
Posted: 02-27-08 04:34am
Yes, that's what he does at night--cat
naps. I hold him and he goes to sleep. I
put him down and he wakes right up and
demands to be held again. I am so tired,
feel like I am going to have a nervous
breakdown. I am beginning to resent the
baby fiercely and wonder why I did this to
myself in the first place. I had a really
good life and a very happy marriage. Now
the hubby and I have no time together and
when we do, it's to talk about the baby. I
feel like this tiny person is controling
my whole life. Or that I have no life
anymore. But I have to deal with it
somehow because he is not a puppy I can
take back to the pound. So tired... : (
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Saragirl
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 24 Sep 2007 Posts: 41 Location: , Canada
Posted: 03-06-08 14:49pm
i know exactly what you are going
through.....my 3 month old daughter is
going through the same thing right now.
lots of luck to you.
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