1 week old...and i cant sleep, why?

Question

my baby is a week and a day old...he's a great baby, doesnt give me problems at all. he sleeps well, but the thing is, i cant.

i cant fall asleep even when he is asleep why is this? i get like 4 or 5 hours of sleep a day, while he gets like 20. i thought i was supposed to be sleepless because of him, but im not....im just sleepless. what could help?

Answer 1

I've heard about so many women with this problem.  They are just so nervous that their baby is still breathing that they can't fall asleep themselves!

I'd stay away from any prescriptions or drugs to help aid sleep- especially if you are nursing.  Besides, you don't want to take something and turn into a total zombie or sleep through your baby crying!

I'm sure after another week or so, you'll begin to calm down and relax and be able to regain a more normal sleeping pattern.

Answer 2

The whole pregnancy people told you the baby would wake you up all the time.  You mentally got ready for this and now you are on edge.  You may need to take a little tylenol PM (check with your doc if you are breast feeding) and put some one else on duty for a few nights.  Get your body used to relaxing.  It is ok.

Answer 3

I couldn't sleep when my son was first born because I was so afraid that I wouldn't hear him if he cried.  I eventually got over it but I would just lay awake for hours.

http://1sttimeparents-whatdowedonow.blog...

Answer 4

You are doing pretty good if you can get 5 hrs a sleep a day (in the first week), especially if you are breastfeeding and baby needs to feed every 2 hrs or so.  The mother is usually very much in sync with the baby's need.  it will get better as time between feeding gets more spread out (3-4 hrs).

Even at 3 months, my wife gets at most 6 hours of sleep (7 hrs if she is lucky) a day.  The only difference now is that it is at least 4 hrs of continuous sleep which is awesome. It used to be 4-5 hrs of naps for the first six weeks or so.

What you can start to do once milk supply is established (if breastfeeding) is pump some milk and get someone to provide at least one feeding a day with bottle, so you can sleep for 3 hrs straight.  My wife started doing that at two weeks.

We also got the Angelcare movement / sound monitor (which beeps if baby is not breathing).  That really really helped us get more sleep time (and less worry) as we were not checking up on baby like every 15 minutes whether breathing or not (the breathing is very periodic in the first month, so we were always worried).

Good luck

Answer 5

Thats just postpartum stress. Your worrying about the baby not sleeping thats keeping you up. JUst Relax and enjoy your new baby.

Answer 6

take some nytol, or equivalant natural tablets to help you sleep. its hard at first to get any sleep, as the excitment of your new baby is still running through your veins. it will happen soon though.

drink some cammomile or have a hot milky drink before bed, and cat nap in the day when you can