Author Topic: 4 week-old can't settle down at night!  (Read 1427 times)

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Offline pmcleod

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4 week-old can't settle down at night!
« on: October 26, 2005, 19:26:36 pm »
I searched the archives and couldn't find anything similar to this, so I'm hoping someone has some advice!  My son is 4.5 weeks old, weighed 8.8 at birth.  We used BW methods on our first son with GREAT success (he's now the best napper in town, I think), so we're trying to start from the beginning with this one.

Lander is on 2.5-to-3 hour EASY, and doing pretty well.  He has mild (?) reflux, I think - he's pretty fussy and spitty for up to an hour after he eats.  I can barely put him down while he's awake, and I really think it's because of the pain.

Still, I am usually able to get him down for a 1-to-2 hour nap during every cycle in the day.  I have him napping in the guestroom (he'll share a room with his 2-year-old brother when he's sleeping through the night), and though he needs to be held/rocked/patted/shhh'd for awhile when I put him down, he usually settles pretty quickly and I can put him down either lightly asleep or even a little awake at times.  We're still working on it!  Most importantly, when he opens his eyes he seems comfortable with his surroundings in that room.

Until recently, he was sleeping in or next to our bed at night, but it's so hard for me to sleep that way, and I want to do things right from the start.  Since he's done so well in the guest room, we recently started putting him there at night, as well (this was about 5 nights ago).  The problem is, he has been awake for 3 hours in the middle of the night for the past few nights, and my husband and I are not sure what we should try next.

This was last night's schedule (he is breastfed):

3:00, 5:00, 7:00 PM - cluster feeds with some catnaps in between.
8:30 PM - last feed, then bath
9:30 PM - put him down to sleep with holding, patting, shh-ing, and pacifier.
1:30 PM - woke for feed.  DH changed his diaper and I nursed him in bed.  He did not fall asleep while nursing, so I held him for about 45 minutes as he spit up and went through his tummy pains.  When that was over, I tried to get him down to sleep and he just lost it, crying for over an hour as I held him, rocked him, patted him, shhh'd him, gave him a paci, left him alone.  Finally I broke down and nursed him at 3:30 AM, which calmed him (he barely swallowed anything), and then started the bedtime routine again, this time in my bed.  We were able to put him down (we took him to the guestroom), around 4:30 AM.
4:30 AM - 8:30 AM - slept like a baby.

Any ideas for preventing or dealing with this middle-of-the night wide awake time?

Also, Lander will not settle with my husband, only with me, and this is driving both of us crazy.

Pam
DS Perrin 10/16/03
DS Lander 9/24/05

Offline Katet

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4 week-old can't settle down at night!
« Reply #1 on: October 26, 2005, 22:44:34 pm »
In all honesty 4weeks is so young, they are still all over the place. I think (from my experience with my 2) that you have to go with the flow & his needs for a few more weeks.
i would get the possible reflux checked out as then you will know better what you are dealing with.
Also it is not uncommon for babies (under about 6-8 weeks) to have an  unsettled period at some stage you (like me with ds#2) just seem to be unlucky that is is the 2-4ish time slot. For me it lasted about 2 weeks (horrible with a toddler as well I know) but it did sort it self out by the time Liam was 6wo.
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Offline sara_derek

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4 week-old can't settle down at night!
« Reply #2 on: October 27, 2005, 03:57:09 am »
What Kate said is so true.  They are really still all over the place at 4 weeks.  He is still trying to get his internal clock regulated between day and night and with complications of reflux and feeling crummy, that just adds to the complexity.  Also, he is used to sleeping between two big, warm bodies.  To be put in the guest room is confusing to him and the only way he knows how to react is with crying, so that is a normal thing as well.  It's good to transition him slowly, like you are with naps.  It might be easier to move him to an area away from you in your bedroom for a week or so, then move him to another room so the transition is slower.  Just a suggestion!

Just try to keep him happy and napping during the day because good day sleep will translate into good night sleep!

HTH :)
Canyon 12/27/02
Christian 7/4/05

Angel#1 12/23/01
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Offline pmcleod

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4 week-old can't settle down at night!
« Reply #3 on: November 04, 2005, 16:58:03 pm »
Thanks for your responses.  I talked to the pediatrician and he agreed that reflux sounded like an issue.  Lander slept 7 hours the very first night we started Zantac!  It's been a week now since he started the meds, and he is a happier baby - I can set him down during his awake times and he will look around happily without crying.  And, he is going down awake or nearly so for the majority of his naps.  At night, he sleeps alone in the guestroom for half of the night;  then my husband will sleep with him in the guest bed as a transition (I just can't sleep well with the baby in the same room, but he can).  That's not to say that every night is perfect, but Lander seems much happier overall.