DS2 is 3wks old and for the past 4 days (once newborn sleepiness wore off) has become SOO hard to get to nap! Driving me crazy. I've been trying to catch his sleep signs - starting to swaddle and quiet cuddle as soon as I see the first yawn. This seems to happen ridiculously soon after he's woken (but it worked in those early days). DS1 could only handle 50mins A time at 3months old so I initially thought that maybe DS2 was the same. But even if I get in early like that, he's been really struggling to settle for the nap - grizzling on and off every few minutes. If he does settle he frequently only sleeps for 20mins and then wakes, unable to transition into deep sleep. This is our day:
8amfeed
nappy change, few minutes A time until he yawns (fussing starts shortly after)
8.30am or shortly after - down for sleep. Grizzles and cries on and off for 20mins - had wave sound (Shhhh..Shhhh..Shhh) machine going. Then got really upset at 20min mark and woke. Grizzling on and off for 20mins managed to go into deep sleep. Woke at end of that cycle, unable to settle so I got him up and he napped on me with paci (I won't give it to him in his cot cos he spits it out every few mins and then wakes up) and he got some short naps in until feed time
10.30am feed
nappy change, started fussing straight away after so swaddled and got ready for nap.
10.55am Was drifting off as I lay him down and seemed like he'd manage on his own but few minutes later started fussing - fussed and grizzled on and off for half hour, finally settled (maybe) into deep sleep? Alas we have to go to a funeral in 15mins so I'll have to transfer him to the carseat - mind you he'll probably wake by then anyway
The rest of the days usually go like this:
1.30Feed (100ml formula at most feeds)
20-30mins A time including the feed - basically until the first yawn
4pm feed
try and get him down for a nap in his cot but since the end of his 1st week this is the start of his fairly wakeful period so he usually ends up in his carseat (in the lounge) with the paci and naps on and off spitting out the paci every so often and then yelling for it back. He'll just cry if he doesn't have the paci.
6pm feed
don't even bother trying to put him in his cot, just straight back into the carseat with paci while we eat dinner with DS1 and then one of us will cuddle him with paci
7.45 bath and into 'nightie', swaddle
8.00 feed
8.15-30pm bed - recently has been settling reasonably well
1amish feed
4amish feed (often quite grizzly after when we resettle him)
7.30 breakfast
So, I don't know if the hard time settling for naps is cos he's overtired or not tired enough - but if I keep him up longer he just cries and roots around for something to suck, gets harder to calm down. (From mid afternoon you can't hold him without the paci because he writhes and fights and works himself into a frenzy looking for something to suck, even if he's got a full belly - very sucky baby!!)
Please give me some advice! I've been trying pat/shh but the patting just seems to irritate him (and he sleeps on his back). The shh works a little better, that's why I've started using the wave machine sound - to save me having to do it! Trouble is that with DS1 (2yrs) at home, I can't spend 30mins in baby's room trying to get him to sleep. I used to spend hours in DS1's room when he was a baby, applying pressure to his arms and legs to help him extend his naps - but that really isn't possible with DS2 because DS1 needs me. I'd even settle for a baby that only did 45mins at a time - but 20mins (and a battle just to get that much) is just no good!!!
