4-day-old newborn sleeping problem?

Question

This is my 2nd night home with my 4-day-old daughter. Last night went pretty well - I nursed her and lay her down in her bassinet and she slept 2.5 hours until her next feeding and then slept for another hour until feeding. After that feeding, however, we cannot get her to sleep on her own. She will nurse until drowsy and wake up if you set her down. She catnapped with my husnand earlier but we aren't having any luck getting her down tonight. She is swaddled, fed, warm, and clean. Advice?

Answer 1

It will take at least 6 weeks before her sleep even seems some what normal.  Once you figure out her sleeping habits, she will change again!  Hang in there and try to sleep when ever you can.

Answer 2

Try swaddling her - make sure it's tight with her arms straight by her sides so she can't wiggle out - and then bounce and rock her until she's really drowsy. Then put her in a swing. It's ok to let her rock.. since she's up every 2-3 hours, and she definitely will let you know when that time is up because she'll be hungry. Once she's a month old you can start putting a pacifier into the mix to make it even more effective.

Answer 3

My baby is 7 weeks old and when she was first born she would not sleep in the bassinet either so I layed her on one of those boppy pillows with her butt in the middle kinda like an inner tube and she slept in this either next to me in the bed or she was on the floor on the boppy and I was on the couch. She just needed to be close to her mommy, some may not agree but she slept peacefully next to me waking only to eat. As of about 2 weeks ago I was able to get her in the crib, but it takes time he/she may just want to be next to her mom. Also try using some of that Johnson's and Johnson's baby lotion, it is suppose to relax them to help sleep. Good luck

Answer 4

Little ones are always changing, ecspecially when they are first born. my 4 month old slept better when she was only a few days then she did at a few onths(thankfully back to only 1 feeding a night) just make sure you keep putting her in her own bed...I didnt with y first child and he slept with me until he was 2 1/2!!! bad habit to start! but good luck and congrats!

Answer 5

It will take awhile to get a sleeping pattern set up for your baby! You may be in for alot of sleepless nights, which is completely normal!

Good Luck, and Congratulations!

Answer 6

Some babies won't sleep at night as they are not able to adapt to the new world as they don't when is day and when is night so give your child some time to adjust to this world. My son also can't sleep at night when he was very young that at times even he is 16mths old already he still has problem falling asleep at night. Some baby will need to be rock in order to sleep but that is a bad habit for them so i won't suggest to you. Try give your baby more time.

Answer 7

Newborns sleeping habits are always changing. Tonight might be a tougher night, but tomorrow she will probably sleep better. I would lay her in her bassette or crib and just sort of stay with her until she falls back to sleep. It does get better trust me! Sorry I dont have better advice for you. Also, I started this immediatly as soon as we came home from the hospital. I gave her a sponge bath(at least untill the unbilical cord fell off) and put Johnson @ Johnson bedtime lotion on her. It always soothed and relaxed her right before we would lay her down for the night.  

Answer 8

Wow you were pretty lucky you got some sleep the first night. Here is my story, when i first took me soon home he did not sleep at all in his bassenet, I litterally got no sleep all night! I tried feeding him, but he just wanted to fall asleep in my arms. Same with the second night, but this time I actually got maybe 30 minutes. He only wanted to fall asleep with me. But i though, well was informed, that the baby could not sleep with me in my bed. I heard so many bad stories. It wasn't until i read this really neat story of how its not so unsafe to sleep with your baby in your bed. People did it back in the day. So i tried this and sure enough he slept! And i loved him sleeping with me, i felt like he was safer because i could keep watching him and i woke up everytime he moved so i knew he was ok. The only warning about sleeping with your baby is to make sure you are not intoxicated or overly tired. You could try putting those safety pillows if you are scared you might roll to close to your baby.

My baby is 6 months now and he sleeps in his crip, and early in the morning usually i will let him sleep with me, but after like 1 month or so of sleeping in my bed, he started being able to sleep in his crib and fall asleep on his own. So you could try that. Some other things that could help:

Singing to your baby

Playing music, lullably music

Letting them look at a mobil hanging over crib

Pacifier(helped mine go to sleep alot)

White noise is also said to help newborns.

They have this teddy bear at walmart that plays sounds that sound exactly like being in the womb. It plays a heartbeat, its neat. So you could look into that. Good luck, and do not worry the sleeping gets so much better in time. Mine still wakes up every 3 to 4 hours, but i am used to it now. At first i was a wreck! lol

Answer 9

OMG!  I remember that well!  My daughter is 4 1/2 months old now and still not sleeping through the night.  All I can say is keep doing what you're doing and good luck!  Congrats on your little miracle!

Answer 10

I kept my son in bed with us for the first two weeks ot get some NEEDED sleep.  After two weeks I just put him in his crib.  It takes a while, and I do suggest getting her to sleep in the crib as soon as possible.  But the first 2 or 3 weeks just to sleep well it is fine to have her in bed with you.  he he, I just let my boob hang out, and my son would just turn his head and bam he had boob. lol.  :)  Good luck with your little blessing.