How long is your newborn awake for?

[sahm]

My 4 wk old son is doing my head in.

I know that newborn babies aren't supposed to be awake for more than an hour or so at a time, but he regularly has awake periods of up to four hours. I try to get him to go to sleep after one or one and a half, but he just fights it.

he isn't always screaming, he's sometimes quite content to lie in his bassinette, but ultimately, he ends up very overtired and difficult to get to sleep.

I also have a two year old, so I don't have an hour to sit in the rocking chair with him until he is in a deep sleep.

This morning we went out shopping around the time he was supposed to go to sleep, but he wouldn't go to sleep in either the car or the pram and we had to cut our trip short because he was screaming and overtired.

It's now gone past four hours and he's still lying awake in his basinette, even though he was asleep when I put him down.

So how long are your babies awake for? What are your strategies for getting them to go to sleep when they've been awake too long?

Please someone reply, I'm already at my wits end...

[muminshock]

I have absolutely no words of wisdom but I am pulling my hair out with you.

I'm sorry I have no advice to help you but I will keep my eye on this thread to see what people suggest.

I'll meet you at wits end :hugs: :hugs: :hugs:

[Candi apple]

:hugs::hugs::hugs:to you both

I cant really give much advice but my girl is 8 weeks old and i try to only let her stay awake for a max of 2 hours at a time, i put her to sleep as soon as she gets grizzly or yawns (any indication she is tired) otherwise she starts to turn evil and impossible to put to sleep. before i started making her sleep more she would just scream for hours of a night and drive me nuts!!

Not sure if your bub takes a dummy, mines not too keen on it but i cheat and put abit of honey on it and she will often fall asleep sucking it in her cot

:ecomcity:

Best of luck

[Sheer Bliss]

:hugs: The longest my bubs are awake for is 2hrs (and that;s not often) its usually 1-1.5hrs max.

DS has a hernia ATM that is causing him some pain, as well as a cold, so he spends LOTS of time in the hug-a-bub or sling, he is much more settled whilst being cuddled. I used to worry (with DD1)about 'spoiling' them by doing this, now I don't worry. They are newborns needing this close contact for such a short time, and although it makes things a bit harder, i can still go outside with the older 2 kids (I am lucky that DD2 is a settled bubba and sleeps well for most the day in the cot) and read/play doh/do dishes etc with him in the hug-a-bub. So it works for us. Late afternoon DD2 gets a bit unsettled, so DS2 is int he hug-a-bub, DD2 in the rocker with my foot on it, while DH and the older 2 cook dinner!

I would never but anything on my babies dummies. Their stomachs are too immature to handle food and honey can actually cause poisoning, and not a food that any baby under 1 should have anyway.

[trin_007]

Are you sure he's fully fed/satisfied at the end of his feed?

Does he need/like swaddling?

Are you leaving it too long to put him down -is he too tired?

Does he not like sleeping on his back?

If you are putting him in his bassinette to play/relax, does he not know the difference between when it is time to go to sleep?

With my boys, I have ony ever put them in their cot when it is time to sleep.

DS2 did not like being swaddled from about 2 weeks, he started to fuss and get cranky if he couldn't get his arms out.

After a couple of weeks, he also would not sleep on his back and cried horribly whenever he was laid down - I started to think he had reflux. The only way to settle him was laying face down over my arm , or over my knees while I was working (or on BH :o ). I started putting him down for a nap here and there on his tummy and ever since he has slept so much better. I 'know' this is not recommended under SIDS, but it works for us - plus I have an Angelcare monitor for peace of mind.

I also found in the first few weeks that a little top up before he went to sleep helped, but sometimes he would wake up screaming shortly after he went down. As much as I tried not to pick him up, when I did, I often found that he had a bit of a burp and a quick cuddle later he would go back down.

If all else fails, see if you can get in touch with your Child Health Clinic and see if they have a Short Day Stay facility where you can go in (with your 2yo too!) and get some advice and support.

Good luck!

[Lilahh]

I find if my 4.5 week old DS stays awake longer then 2 hours he gets feral. During the night he puts himself back to sleep immediately after a feed, but during the day he finds it harder to sleep, I think because of all the stimulation during the day light hours. When DS is overstimulated and too tired to fall asleep on his own, I swaddle him tightly and cover his eyes and also rub his forehead downwards which forces him to close his eyes. He usually falls asleep quickly without visual stimulation and some forehead stroking. :thumbsup:

[lozie2]

ok so i know this is the opposite but can a baby sleep too much??

Cassie is putting lots of weight on, but she falls asleep straight after a feed, i have started waking her during the day after her feeds, so she has some awake time! normally only lasts 15- 30 mins. thats after a feed which is about 30mins sometimes more sometimes less

[Ushas]

Kian is 9 weeks now, but even so he's awake for a max 1.5 hours. He gets completely feral as well if he's overtired. Sometimes he may only have a cat nap 15 mins- half an hour and then he is awake again, and will nap on and off till his next feed.
I find that when he's overtired he starts refusing to sleep and will 'hit himself' with his hands thrashing about, so I wrap him and/or cuddle him very close and tightly so his arms can't fling around. I also find the stroking across the brow and downwards relaxes him and helps him drop off. Kian also loves having his bum tapped. So I snuggle, stroke and tap all at once...lol.

Lozie - Lately Kian has been sleeping a lot more. He'll sleep for 4-6 hours at a time. He's still sleeping through the night though. He's a good, healthy chubba bubba and feeds well. I figured that so long as he's alert and bright during his awake times it's nothing to worry about.

[Lea78]

Im glad im not the only one with this problem on here. The first time wasnt to stressful, but the times after that have been. Especially when you hit the 3 hour mark, and know it could go on for another hour or more.

my little one can be awake for 3-4 hours and might sleep for 5 hours at night.
She is okay in my arms sleeping, but lay her down in the bassinette and she wakes up again.

Apparently it can be quiet common. My cousin used to do the same thing and my cousins daughter does the same thing.

Fingers crossed they both grow out of it soon.

[arty1]

WOW. I had a real issue today with getting my 4 week old to sleep. Woke properly for 'wake' time at 8.30am. Had numerous feeds throughout the day, but only had about 1.5hrs sleep in total. She finally feel asleep at 9.30pm tonight. (She had mini dozes while on the breast, but tried to take her off to fall asleep not on the boob but wakes and the process is started all over again). So we had like a 12 hour day of holding, putting down, trying to fall asleep in pram, feeding, holding, feeding, holding and so on!

I was soo frazzled why she stayed awake so long. Yes she had a good night sleep the night before.

I have noticed just in the last week she has been staying awake for longer periods during the day. Sometimes anywhere from 4-6hours and she usually sleeps well. I remember saying to people in the first1-3 weeks "oh she is a really good sleeper. sleeps alot and for long periods of time" now its reverse. She is still a 'good' baby. Happy. Has her grizzles, mainly because she is hungry or overtired. She doesn't take to the dummy (we dont really want her to have it anyway).

Part of the issue is, after a feed, if she falls asleep in your arms, as soon as you transfer her to couch/pram/cot to sleep, she wakes up. Than within minutes with no luck of resettling she is fully awake. Stays awake for an hour before wanting a feed again, than the process starts all over again.

I feel like I am constantly feeding her when she is awake. I just hope I dont get a repeat of today and that she has naps during the day.

[SuperTrooperVagiDuper]

my ds is 6 weeks and for 5 weeks has been awake for hours at a time.... the other day he was awake for 6 hours. no crying tho just looking around... very alert bub :) i have put colourful toys hanging off bassinette and bouncer to amuse him or i put in front of tv so he can see the changing picture which trips him out lol

i gave my kids dummies. i threw them out at 3 months tho and NEVER had any attachment issues.

i also sleep bub on his tummy as if he lies on his back he grunts and wakes himself up. maybe u could try this and just check in on bub every so often.???

ds sleeps soooo much better and longer on his tummy