Daytime Sleeps [Archive] - Bub Hub Pregnancy & Parenting Forum

07-11-2006, 15:12

Hi DS is 4 months old, he sleeps very well at night but his Daytime sleeps are a shocker ..

He sleeps well for 1 hour but then wakes up crying and still tired.

I leave him a few min to see if he will re-settle (which he has once), I then go in and re-settle him by patting his chest - he falls asleep almost instantly. When I stop and try to walk away he cries again - this can go on for ages. I know he is still tired because If I get him up he is cranky and shows all the tired signs or falls asleep in my arms. (but cries when I put him back to bed)

The second hour of both his daysleeps are always like this .. please - does anyone have any tips - he is wrapped, his room is dark, clean nappy, has a comforter etc and I honestly am out of ideas and it is getting so tiring just sitting there with my hand on his chest for 2 hours every day ... :eek: :eek: :eek:

alanasmum

08-11-2006, 18:26

:hugs: to you. My DD is 4.5 months and does the same thing as your bub. She always wakes after 40 minutes during her day time naps. The only thing that works for me is a dummy. Do you use one? If I pop it in just as she starts to wake she will go back to sleep. I know this is a terrible habbit to get into as it's not teaching her to self-settle but it's the only thing working for me at the moment.

Music is the other thing that might work. If you play the same music when it's time to nap perhaps when bub wakes up and still hears the music he heard going to sleep, it might be of some comfort? Just an idea. :hugs: again.

Seekrit

08-11-2006, 18:50

Hi Mon!
My son (same age) does the same thing! I made a thread about it the other day... how weird the little poppets can be...

I have no idea how to 'fix' it either, I just resettle *sigh*

At the moment his afternoon naps are taken on my bed so I can resettle him by lying beside him, when he falls asleep I sneak away.

EskimoMumma

08-11-2006, 18:54

Ladies have covered it all really. I can say, there is a light at teh end of the tunnel. DD will now sleep 2 hours. Yay. (shes 1 now..):o

09-11-2006, 10:57

Thanks, Alanasmum - No don't use a dummy .. he never took one early on so haven't used one.

Thanks to everyone for their replies .. guess it's just another phase and I have to ride it out. Hopefully is passes soon .. if anyone comes up with a solution please let me know!

Thanks !

mere male

11-11-2006, 18:41

Hi There,

My Little Man is 2 months old and doesn't sleep at all well during the day. He doesn't take the dumy very well, but will suck my finger until he falls asleep. I don't want to become a human pacifier but everytime I leave him to sleep in his cot he won't settle at all. I'm not at home during the day as I work, but what this means is my darling wife get nothing done as she has to rock him to sleep, sometimes for up to an hour.

I guess the question really is, at two months are we asking too much?

He goes to bed at 9ish and doesn't wake up till 2am, then again at 6, so we're thankful that the nights are not bad at all really.

alanasmum

12-11-2006, 20:31

Hi There,

My Little Man is 2 months old and doesn't sleep at all well during the day. He doesn't take the dumy very well, but will suck my finger until he falls asleep.

It sounds like perhaps you need to try some other settling techniques. Perhaps try different brands of dummies. They are all quite different.

You can also try:
- settling him in his cot - back rubs on his side then turn him over to sleep
- saying shhhhh and patting him gently
- playing soft music
- rocking him until he is calm but not yet quite asleep and then putting him down.

It sounds like he is very good at night but good day time sleeps are important too.

But also remember that babies go through different stages. At about 10 weeks my DD refused to sleep during the day and it ended up being just a phase.

Another handy trick is to learn to recognise bub's tired signs. So, if he is playing and is starting to get tired, pick him up as soon as you see the signs (rubbing eyes, grizzling etc) and let him know it's now time to sleep by settling him and then putting him to bed.

Good luck :)

Seekrit

12-11-2006, 20:33

Hi There,

My Little Man is 2 months old and doesn't sleep at all well during the day. He doesn't take the dumy very well, but will suck my finger until he falls asleep. I don't want to become a human pacifier but everytime I leave him to sleep in his cot he won't settle at all. I'm not at home during the day as I work, but what this means is my darling wife get nothing done as she has to rock him to sleep, sometimes for up to an hour.

Cobey sucked my finger until 4 weeks, I gave him the dummy and he wouldn't take it - I soon realised it was because he liked holding my hand as he sucked my finger, so I'd put the dummy in and held my hand there, slowly (over a few days) I weened him off my hand. He now (4 months) takes his puppy-blankie to bed and holds onto that.

mere male

13-11-2006, 09:41

Thanks for advice - I've tried two types of dummy, but neither seem effective. I am deliberately working away from him using my finger. Just once once in the last few days, because I was out with friends and he was blown out by the attention.

As for the alternative techniques, one that worked for me yesterday was cradling him and walking up and down my staircase. He was asleep within minutes. However after two knee reconstructions, dad's not so sure he can keep that up for too long! Got a bit of a workout though!

We are already able to pick up on his cues, but it's the settling that has been the issue. We'l perservere with different approaches until we find one that works!

Thanks guys! This looks like a great community...

sueliz

13-11-2006, 09:50

Hey MM!

What worked for us was wrapping our DS in a muslim wrap and holding him either upright with his head on our shoulder or cradling him in our arms and very gently rubbing his back. It took a few days for this to really work every time, but we tried not to rock him or 'jiggle' him each time so he would get out of the 'need' for this movement to go to sleep. We did this for a couple of months at leats i think so he would usually go to sleep in our arms first.
Then we put him in his cot wrapped up and still awake and wouold put our hand on his chest and rock him that way or gently stroke across his eyebrows and now he usually self settles.
As I said, it took some time but we got there!!!
Good luck to you and your wife with finding the best technique for you!!

MumMon - How is it going for you?? Are daytime sleeps getting any easier for you??

alanasmum

13-11-2006, 10:07

As for the alternative techniques, one that worked for me yesterday was cradling him and walking up and down my staircase.

If bubs liked you walking up and down the stairs, sounds like he relaxes with lots of movement. Some vigorous rocking in your arms might work just as well, or a quick trip around the block in the pram if you are desperate!

I think you will find this is just a phase. It's great to develop your settling techniques and find what works best but bub should also settle down a bit as he gets older.

Always have to be on your toes though I say, as just when you think you understand them they go and change things on you ! :yes:

BTW, so nice to have a dad on-line!

aimz

13-11-2006, 10:56

how true is that - just when everything is figured out it all changes! That is the story of my life with my little one :) luckily she's cute....

a quick question - how many sleeps a day do your babies have? Mine is 15 weeks old and i can get her to have 2 2 hour sleeps around 8 and 12 but can't get her down in the afternoon, just wondering if this is normal?

13-11-2006, 13:00

Sueliz,
Thanks for asking - things are much better in our house!

He now self settles and goes to sleep ... took 2 days - just waited till he showed tired signs - then wrapped him and popped him in his cot, and walked out - he cried for about 5min the 1st nap, 5 min the second, then the next day about 2 min and the arvo sleep - no crying and ever since he just goes to sleep!!! (he wakes after an hour and resettles himself and sleeps for another hour, he is soo much happier!)

PLUS for the 1s time he SLEPT THROUGH :wizard: 7pm-6am on Saturday night! We were so stoked - but I lay awake at 3.00am for about half an hour waiting for him to wake up! DOH!

alanasmum

13-11-2006, 16:56

a quick question - how many sleeps a day do your babies have? Mine is 15 weeks old and i can get her to have 2 2 hour sleeps around 8 and 12 but can't get her down in the afternoon, just wondering if this is normal?

My bub tends to have 3 naps (after her 3 day-time feeds) but their lengths vary. They can be anywhere from 40 minutes to 2 hours. I find she's pretty cranky by the end of the day if we are out and she skips a nap. :yes:

sueliz

13-11-2006, 18:59

15-11-2006, 09:46

Yup ... we were so excited! His done it twice now so hopefully it becomes the norm!

mere male

15-11-2006, 17:19

Hi MumMon,

that's awesome! Sorry to hijack your topic.

Little Man slept from 10pm to 5am this morning. DW was ecstatic. I didn't sleep from about 3:30 in expectation.

This made my day until DW ran to say he's sick. Not surprising since I'm also coming down with something the DW got over two days ago. It might be because he's lethargic that he's slept so 'well'.

We'll see.

Those who say that parenting is instinctual are crazy! :p

15-11-2006, 17:26

Those who say that parenting is instinctual are crazy! :p

Ha I TOTALLY agree!

Hope that DS sleeps well for you tonight!

Seekrit

15-11-2006, 20:43

OH!! Cobey slept for 2 hours STRAIGHT today!!

I put him down on his side, rather than his back! :D Wooo!

cheekypossum

16-11-2006, 15:57

Hello all

My bub is 14.5weeks and I too am having the same promlems with sleep during the day..

I have started in the last week...putting her down awake but after the initail 40mins or so she is up and still tired......but I am going to persevere with it...thanks for the great tips