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SLEEP => General Sleep Issues => Topic started by: judithsmum on December 13, 2006, 20:49:46 pm

Title: Advice please: Baby wakes up when laid down
Post by: judithsmum on December 13, 2006, 20:49:46 pm
This started a week ago...everytime we lay Judith (1 month old) down on her back to sleep, her arms and legs start to move (flail) around (usually w/in 5 minutes of being laid down) and she wakes up. She only stays asleep if we lay her on our chests, tummy down. Why is this happening? What can we do to correct it?
Title: Re: Advice please: Baby wakes up when laid down
Post by: Jaime on December 14, 2006, 20:24:34 pm
hello and welcome,

are you putting her down awake or asleep?  either way, sounds a bit like a startle reflex; you can usually help her with swaddling her.  (though if you want to continue the tummy sleeping, you probably shouldn't swaddle, but that's a call only you can make).

if you've been putting her down asleep & you don't have a winddown routine yet, now is a wonderful time to start. 

i would recommend reading the sleep interview here:
https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=451.0

some info on pat/shh:
https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=26672.0

and some general info on getting started:
https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=1993.0

once you have an idea if BW is something you want to pursue, we can help you out with any more specific information that you need :)
Title: Re: Advice please: Baby wakes up when laid down
Post by: catty47 on December 14, 2006, 20:30:16 pm
Swaddle swaddle swaddle!

I didn't know about swaddling with my first baby, and she used to need to sleep on our tummies too!  I swaddle with #2 baby and it works wonders for calming them.  They have no control over their limbs, so they flash about in front of their faces and freak them out.  You can use a blanket, or buy a swaddling sleeping bag - there are some on the market and that's what we use.  It's amazing how much it calms them down and don't forget it's also like a cuddle - they feel safe, secure, and held, and if they startle it doesn't rock through their little bodies and shock them.

I'm sure this will help little Judith :)
Title: Re: Advice please: Baby wakes up when laid down
Post by: alexandrafromHolland on January 16, 2007, 18:21:43 pm
I'd say, put her down in her bed while she still is awake and let her fall asleep then! I made this mistake many times...and then started putting him down in his bed while he was still awake and learning him to fall asleep there rather than in my arms of somewhere else. It took about two weeks but now he is an excellent sleeper! No fuss, he sleeps when he is laid in bed almost right away!