8 week old who wont sleep

Amy - posted on 10/09/2012

If he's only getting 4 hours sleep a day total that is not normal. A new baby should be getting over 15 hrs a day. You must be exhausted!!!



Try keeping him wrapped up so he's warm. They need to be warmer than we do. So, you may be comfortable; but, he will be too cool. How often are you feeding him? It may be that he's one that needs to be fed more often or a change in formula (if you're using formula) or reduce your milk intake in case he is lactose intolerant. My daughter (now 13) had to feed every 1 1/2 hrs for her first month.



Try nursing him in your bed as well. If you're breastfeeding him, lay on your side, him on his and nurse him in that position. If bottle feeding, lay in bed with him in the crook of your arm and feed him that way. You will at least get some rest and he should fall asleep too. Just make sure your blanket doesn't cover his face of course!



Also, talk to your doctor. If he is only sleeping 4 hrs a day total you want to make sure there is nothing else wrong.



Good luck!

Tara - posted on 11/21/2009

Hi, My Son Is Now 6 Months Old And I Had The Same Problem With Him. He'd Sleep For 10 Minutes At A time During The Day And The Awake All Night. I Found Out Eventually That He Had Reflux & Once I Put Him On a New Formula He Was Fine .. Well Sleeping More Anyway (He Still Doesnt Sleep Through The Night Yet) But The New Formula Really Improved Him. Talk To Your baby Health Nurse They Should Be Able To steer You In The Right Path :)

Jessica - posted on 11/20/2009

babies at that age need about 5-6 hours of sleep during the day and then should sleep most of the night inbetween 3 to 4 hourly feeds. There could be a few reasons why he cant sleep and the first one that is most common is the fact that he is so over tired he can not go to sleep, when babies are over tired they become hyper and it very hard for them to get to sleep so most of the time they will just scream cos they are so tired but cant sleep. To try and encourage sleep through the day i would go for a drive or a walk in the pram if you can. Babies sleep in cycles 40minutes and 80 minutes so if you can go for a drive for 40 minutes or a walk that would be good. Once he has fallen asleep and had that 1 sleep cycle it should be much easier for him to get to sleep int he next 1-2 hours.



Also like what Brandie said, he could have reflux, does he spit up alot during feeds? is he taking all his feed? a windy baby can also be very unsettled so i woulkd recommend some wind drops before each feed and try and burp every 30-50mls. If you are struggling with feeding your baby could be lactose maybe try a soy or lactose free formula if your not breastfeeding.



You can try a nice warm deep bath with lavander oil in it followed by a nice slow massage, babies find this very relaxing and i do this for my son every night before his last bottle.



Babies also like to have a a little routine at this age so try and do the same thing each time its time for a nap, like say if he has a bottle/breastfeed then a play for a while then say about and hour and a half after a bottle wrap him up and you could sing to him or just cuddle him for a bit, to see if he will fall asleep, or just put him in his crib to fall asleep on his own.



If you would like i can give you a routine for an 8 week old, for feeding, sleep and nap times and bath times, just send me a private message.



I was at your stage 2 months ago so i know how you feel and im also a first time mum, it is hard when you dont know where to start!, my son is 4 months now and is on a good routine so he is always full and tired at the right times to fall alseep on his own, it makes life alot easier to be able to go out and make appointments and shopping when you know when they want to eat and sleep.



so know your not alone, good luck =)

Fattima - posted on 11/20/2009

Omgoodness .. I'm glad my husband and I aren't the only ones lolol. My eyes are red and I've had a headache for about 2 to 3 days now on the left side, all because my boy wakes up anywhere between 12:30 am- 3 am. And it's not that he wants food but mainly to look around and get to know his surroundings and family... but that's when we are just about ready to call it a night! So i've decided you know what I'll take the pain for now because i know eventually he will grow into being on a schedule .! HOPEFULLY:)

Brandie - posted on 11/20/2009

My son was kinda like that. He had trouble pooping and his tummy hurt a lot but he was also always hungry because he couldnt stomach his milk do to acid reflux. You should try something called "Gripe Water" you can get it at like CVS or Walmart. Its for colic, tummy aches, hiccups, gas, and teething babies. You can give it to them as early as 2 weeks old. I hope that it works for you. Good luck!