OT: Need help with a fussy 10-week old *desperate*

[chlobo]

My 10-week old just will not nap during the day. I know she gets tired b/c she is constantly yawning but she's so curious she is constantly looking around at things and refuses to close her. I've tried putting into a darkened room and she tries to look around that too. Whenever I lay her down she starts to wail.

I'm sort of at my witts end and my baby is very tired and cranky. Does anyone have any advice they can share?

[dotgirl]

Are you trying to get her to go to sleep on her own? I don't know about your baby, but my 10-week old wants nothing to do with that idea! *grin*

He tends to get fussy when he's tired, so I usually sit with him our glider and just rock him to sleep and sing to him. He's usually out within 10-20 minutes. I give him another few minutes to make sure he's good and asleep (I do the "limp arm" test), and then put him down in his bouncer or crib, where he'll sleep another 30-60 minutes.

I'm looking forward to getting him to the point where he'll fall asleep on his own, but I just don't think he's there yet.

[TraciG]

I have to use the swing, unfortunately for me I cannot take Sydney out of it or she would wake up, light sleeper, also if we turn off the swing after she's sleeping she will wake up within 5 minutes.

good luck

[miki]

When you say "darkened room" do you mean just closing the blinds? That was not dark enough for my baby. I had to drape a few layers of sheets over the blinds to get it much darker. Otherwise it was too much stimulation for her eyes and she made herself crazy tired looking around.

And ditto the above--I don't know any young babies who will cooperate with just being put down for naps without some rocking or other soothing.

[egoldber]

Try having her nap before she starts to make those obvious sleep signs (liek yawning) because she may be getting overtired. But honestly, my DD nursed to sleep until she was about 5 months old.

HTH,

[Momof3Labs]

At 10 weeks, she can probably tolerate no more than 1.5-2 hours of awake time in a stretch. Try putting her down sooner - an overtired baby has a hard time falling asleep. Also, she probably is too young to fall asleep on her own; I found Dr. Karp's Happiest Baby on the Block handy for tricks to help Colin fall asleep when he was tiny.

[Melanie]

If you are desperate and just want to get her to sleep (i.e. not worried about habits, blah blah blah...*grin*):

I suggest the baby swing, a walk in the stroller/sling/bjorn-like thing or a car ride.

Have you tried rocking in the dark room with some soft lullabyes or classical music?

As for her waking right up...are you sure she is all the way asleep? They seem to sleep lightly at first and take a while before they go to a deep sleep at that age. http://www.askdrsears.com/faq/sl6.asp

[papal]

With Leela what dh does is lays her in his lap, while sitting crosslegged (indian style) and then he pets her head (not too lightly, a little firmly but NOT too firm) from front to back. He literally moves his hand down and closes her eyes with each pet. She doesnt know that she has to close her eyes to sleep as yet! What dd will try to do is move her head from side to side..so it is important to keep her head positioned on one side and held there firmly so she cannot move it. I know it sounds kind of harsh but it does not hurt her one bit.. after petting her for a while she is out like a light.

try it and see if it works for you.
hth!

[ethansmom]

DS was powerless against a car ride. It was the only way we could get him to fall asleep. Well, he would sort of fall asleep nursing, but you could NEVER move or he's wake up.

BTW, around 10 weeks we would put DS's carseat in his crib when he was asleep. The thought was it would get him used to sleeping in his crib since he'd only sleep in our bed at night!