Lack of sleep

[flobob]

Hello

My baby girl is just 5 weeks old tomorrow. She only sleeps for 3 hours during the day - although she is very good at night, just waking for a feed and going back to sleep.

Has anyone heard of babies doing this so young? I've just worked out that on Monday she slept for just 10 hours in a 24-hour period. And on Wed she slept for 9.5 hours. Can't remember Tuesday for obvious reasons!!!

As usual I'm up in the night - I feed baby then can't get back to sleep. Tonight I washed the thing for expressing (brain can't even think what it is called I'm so tired!) and a couple of bottles. Then looked up on google about insomnia. Found this:

Research has shown that insomnia and other sleep disturbances can run in families.

heck! but should it start so young?
My little boy also doesn't sleep much in the day, but he did at 5 weeks old. I can't remember when but by 6 months he was definitely only having 1 sleep in the day when other babies his age were having 2 sleeps morning and afternoon and I'd be so amazed and jealous.

Would love to hear what you think as it's upsetting me.

I am worried about PNI again but can't explain all that now.

Definitely going back to bed.

Cheers, FloBob

[flobob]

I should add, that mostly my baby isn't crying when awake in the day - except when she does really need a sleep. But she does want to be held a lot and doesn't like lying down. So that is difficult.

[winegirl]

Hi Flobob

My LO didnt sleep much during the day. Couple of naps and that was it. But she slept quite well through the night... I think they all just have their different problems. My Lo was sleeping for 8 hours straight at night at 3 weeks and i still dont know why.

Are you breast or bottle feeding?

[cheshire]

Hi Flobob,

My second did sleep a bit in the day at first - and was hard to get down before 10 (late c.w my first). He did then sleep ok during the night (bottle fed). This problem got worse though when he started Nursery - firstly as they struggled to get him off with the others, and then if he didwe had such a battle getting him down before 11 in the evenings. We decised very early on (much earlier than our first) to dop his afternoon nap - so at Nursery he went in another room whilst the others slept. He was a bit of a handful at first as overtired but it did help establish a better sleep routine.

My first was nothing like this - she went down as per 'the books'!

Hopefulx

[stevensmummy]

Hi flobob,

I have 2 boys and both slept differently. My eldest was a bad sleeper. Didnt sleep much day or night. He had bad reflux and in the end was bottle fed, i think this contributed to it tho. Even now tho hes not a good sleeper, light and easily woken, would survive on 7 hrs at night and a short nap daytime. In the end we gave up the nap until he started paygroup where he was so tired he needed it.

My youngest would sleep forever. Sleeps 11-12 hrs during the night and fron 2-4 daytime. He loves to sleep! As a baby he was breast fed, he shared a bed with me from the 1st night feed at 1am thro to morning, he had a night feed until 6m tho! I was alot harder with him when it came to cuddles and rocking to sleep etc. I refused to let him be spoilt and wouldnt let ppl hold him constantly, for fear of having a repeat of my 1st where he wanted held all day. In the end he prefered to be left to it, would sit happily on his own yet loved skin contact with me and didnt object to being held for a short time. But he liked his own space and went to sleep on his own from awake, even from a few wks.

I'd say if shes happy to be left to it and isnt crying then why try to fix something that isnt broken? I think as she finds she needs more sleep then she will take it as and when.

Plz try not to worry, I think google is a god send but also a gun with bullets. Dont worry about your LO and insomnia, she wont have it too. You are just worrying, and you know what? All that does is makes you a good mum!

You are doing a great job hunni, relax and have some you time

Sarah x

[flobob]

You are just worrying, and you know what? All that does is makes you a good mum!

Sarah, when I read that first bit of your sentence, I thought you were going to tell me off, but thanks for the positive bit. I nearly cried when I thought I was going to be told off, then did cry when you were nice to me.

But you say your eldest survived on 7 hours sleep at night and a short day-time nap. I just wondered from what age that was. Because I'm convincing myself that there is something wrong with my baby girl and that she can't be well if she's not sleeping. And honestly can 10 hours in 24 hours be enough sleep for a 5-week old baby? Because "they" say babies sleep for 20 hours in a day. Although I guess by 5-weeks that might have dropped a bit, surely not to just 10 hours?

Cheers again, FloBob

[monica]

Hi

If it's any consolation my middle child right from day one used to have one feed at night and like yours, slept very little during the day. I udnerstand you worrying, but sounds as if your little girl is well adn healthy and it's true what they say, they are all different. If there was something wrong there would be signs - eg temerpature, constant crying.

If it's really worrying you ask your hv or dr. Im sure they'll be able to put your mind at ease.

Love

Monica

[stevensmummy]

HI Flobob,

I'm sorry I've just gotten back to you been a bit for a bad time myself lately and haven't found the time.

I'm glad you didnt think i was telling you off, I feel terrible thinking that you thought that. I'm sorry!

I say my eldest survives on 7 hrs with a nap, that was from about 1. Previous to that as a baby he never slept longer than 2 1/2 hrs at a time to be honest. He fed alot and seemed to cry and be winded, changed, sicked on etc etc for about another 2hrs and would then sleep. i cant recall exactly how long at 5wks but i cant think it was much more than 10hrs either. I remember too being worried when i worked it out but i was told not to as like Monica said there would be other signs of problems if there really was something wrong.

How is she sleeping now? Is she still settled?

Hugs and kisses and tellings off!
Sarah x

[rachelk]

Just to add - I have 2 boys both totally opposite. My eldest never needed to sleep, never slept in the day and only for about 8 hours at night. He still doesn't really NEED to sleep. He goes to bed at 7.30pm (he is 5) but could easily not, and he could get up anytime from 5am onwards and not be tired. Just to reiterate, he was like this from day one.....

On the other hand, number 2 sleeps forever, in the day at night - whenever you put him to bed he sleeps.

I think the trick is the think that, if your baby is sleeping at night, this is good news. I know you are feeding, but that will stop soon and you will have a baby that sleeps.

With my first I was obviously exhausted so my OH used to do the 10pm feed while I slept (went to bed at 7pm), then I would get a good stint of sleep up to say 2am, then I felt able to cope.

It is so hard, but try not to think about when they are older. If you baby doesn't sleep much in the day this could be good news as it will be anight sleeper.

In the meantime, take care.

Rachx

[nicola1712]

Hi Flobob

Have read through this thread and just to re iterate - worrying about baby is perfectly normal and shows you are a good mummy. I spend 90% of my life worrying about my LO and everyone tells me it is part of being a mum.

My LO fed and slept day and night for the first 6 weeks and then things changed and she stayed awake a lot longer during the day. It did mean she slept better/longer at night and by 12 weeks she was going from 11pm till 7am with a two hour nap during the day. She still has two hour nap during the day now (at 16 months) and sleeps 13 hours at night - she loves her sleep. All babies are different though and some need more sleep than others. My friend's LO doesn't have a nap atall at this age during the day and only sleeps 11 hours at night (she is pretty knackered needless to say!)

My mum used to tell me my LO will sleep when she needs to and be awake when she wants to so I wasn't to worry. I had her on the playmat one day when she was about three months old kicking away and she just konked out asleep there and then - I had missed the cues and she still went to sleep when she needed.

Talk to your HV - mine have been great - and try not to worry.

xxx

[stevensmummy]

Hi Flobob,

How you getting on?

let us know

love and hugs
Sarah x

[winegirl]

Hey Flobob

Haven't heard from you for a while and was wondering how you were doing?? Has the sleeping got any better?

Thinking of you and hoping things are settling down xxx

Take Care

WG x