hi - My baby boy is 6 weeks old. He gets very easy over-stimulated and over-tired, so i've had a hard time getting him to sleep - eyes always open/ looking around etc etc!
WOuld really love some advice on a couple of questions i have...just to make it clear, here's a very rough sample of his daily routine (on a day i don't go out anywhere and all sleep times are MEANT to be sleeps - only 50% of the time do they actually work!)....
This timing generally works well
E 7
A 7.45-8
S 8-9.45
Y
this is where it all goes a bit wrong - for eg. this morning i had drs appointment at 11, so it went like this...
E 10am
A 10.45-11
S NONE - cried at docs as i think he was still hungry...fed him a bit when i got home at 12 - tried to put him to sleep until 12.45 - no luck - fell asleep on my shoulder (shush pat) but no success in basket, so awake until next feed at 1.
Y
E 1pm
A LOTS - awake and happily playing with me and mum until 2.15
S fell asleep on me and then we went out - he stayed asleep until...4.30
Y
E 5pm (usually 4)
A none really
S 5.30 fell asleep straight away - after nappy change and more feeding and actually still asleep at 7pm (now!
Y
My afternoons/ early evenings are always touch and go too.
We are trying to give him a feed at 7pm, then bath at 7.30, then last feed at 7.45, then bed at 8 -it seems to work - but ONLY if he hasnt been asleep in the afternoon - if he has - he is then generally MUCh harder to get to sleep at 8.... so i guess my first question would be - after his 4pm feed - he should go to sleep - but should I then wake him up at 6ish to play so he's more sleepy for later? i have tried this, but it never seems to work. Any advice on this time of day?
my next question is...if he doesn't sleep at his right time and he's awake and smiley and happy (unusual, but it did happen today) - does it matter? if he then misses his sleep in the morning - is it ok to make it up with an extra long sleep in the afternoon?
also, if i finally get him to sleep 15 minutes before his next feed, do i then need to wake him up or should i prolong his nap for a little bit!?
when should i be extending his feeding times from 3 hours to 3.5 hours - or is there a good time of day to extend one of his feeds? or not at all?
when i go out to do things in the day, how do it fit his routine into it?
Lastly, he tends to wake up about 5.30-6am, cryin§g in his sleep (fussing/ coughing/ shouting etc - not all out wailing) i don't wake him up at this time, but wait until 7 to feed him - is this right?
WOuld really love some advice
Thanks a lot
x
