newborn fights sleep - Infant Care (up to 18 months old) Message Board

skitz600 · 04-27-2009, 09:17 AM

My 1 month old seems to be fighting sleep. I know she is tired, but she tries to stay awake all the time. She gets very fussy! Is this common and how can I help her?

silver22 · 04-27-2009, 01:24 PM

I'm having the same problem with my 7 wk old son. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I spend my whole day trying to get him to sleep: rocking, bouncing, holding, etc. As soon as I put him down, he is awake 10 mins later. Please help!!

newbmom · 04-27-2009, 06:39 PM

Do they like/use pacifiers? Both of my sons didn't use them but my youngest will suck on his hand/fingers. This is also his "I am hungry" sign. He is 5 months old and seems to get angry that he wants to sleep and he's not or he is fighting it. I haven't figured it out...
Maybe you can try white noise? Like a fan or noise machine in their room? They need to learn to soothe themselves but its hard at such a young age. Are you swaddling them? That might help since they will feel all snuggled up like when they were still inside you. My older son, 17 months, will turn on his fisher-price aquarium toy in the middle of the night and look at the lights and listen to the classical music. This usually puts him back to sleep. Maybe something like that on the crib?
Do they sleep at night? or for any stretch of time?

silver22 · 04-28-2009, 10:09 AM

My ds does us a pacifier. That sometimes gets him to sleep, but other times (when I think that he is overtired) it's pretty useless. Sounds the same as your youngest, my ds gets into an angry screaming fit when I know that he is tired and wants to go to sleep but fights it. It's as if he knows that he should be sleeping, and wants to sleep, but just can't get there.

We do usually try to swaddle, but it's been 90 degrees the last few days, way to hot to swaddle. And lately, he's been getting angry when swaddled too. Kind of grunts and struggles until he "breaks free" of the blanket.

He does sleep at night, which we are thankful for. Usual schedule is that he sleeps from 7-8pm til about midnight. Gets up to feed for 30 mins, goes back to sleep until 4 am, feeds again, generally goes back to sleep until 7:30am - 8. We are pretty lucky that he's been on this schedule pretty much from 1 wk old or so. For the last week or so, his sleep times have been stretching from 8pm - 1 or 2am. I think we may be getting into a pattern change for more night sleeping, and less waking time for feedings.

I know that some babies don't need naps during the day, and if ds wasn't cranky, I wouldn't try to force sleep on him - but I know it's his tired cry. So I guess I just need to keep trying and be patient.

White noise seems like a good idea to try. Thanks!

silver

BioAdoptMom3 · 04-28-2009, 09:35 PM

OK, I can almost 100% guarantee this will work, if you are comfortable with it. Put your babies on your tummies to sleep. I know it sounds scary and is not currently recommended, but here are some things to consider and some other options which will get you and your babies better and more sleep.

1. The rates of SIDS have dropped since the back to sleep campaign began but from less than 1 in 1000 for a tummy sleeping newborn to about 1 in 1500for a back sleeper. So, there is really not a whole heck of a lot of difference.

2. Up until 1993 the recommended position for sleep was the tummy. As a parent of two of our three kids who were born during that era I can honestly tell you that though we heard about SIDS, it was still extremely rare. The American Academy of Pediatrics, though they still recommend back sleeping, has actually stated that though its safer, a baby's risk of SIDS is extremely rare no matter how he or she sleeps.

3. You can also try having your babies sleep in the carseat, with the headrest included, or in the swing. Those Fisher Price portable ones work really well for sleep.

4. You can prop your babies on their sides. This may not work quite as well as tummy sleeping, but it does usually produce better results than back sleeping.

5. If you're comfortable with it, have your babies sleep with you. That works well too.

Nancy