# getting an overtired newborn to sleep



## engineer_mom (Dec 22, 2006)

any tips/tricks?

my poor little one has been staying awake for several hours in the evening (2weeks old) and appears to get himself overtired then fussy. and then forget about putting him down for a second. *sigh* he gets all annoyed and won't immediately take the boob, instead pecks and punches/pulls it. and he makes so many noises when he is trying to calm down/sleep. last night this must have gone on for hours before i fell asleep and let him sleep on his own accord. another night spent on the couch (though, one of the best nights sleep we've had!).


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## NotTheOnlyOne (Oct 23, 2006)

Have you tried swaddling? There are some tricks to do it tightly, you could probably find them online and I have yet to see it fail. Swaddle him up tightly, then go to a quiet dark room, turn on some white noise and either bounce him or walk him until he asleep. It might help to "shush" him. "Shhhhhh, Shhhhhh, Shhhhh" For some reason that seems to work for my ds. Maybe it sounds similair to being in the womb. My ds needed to be swaddled until he was 4 months old.


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## jessma (Sep 14, 2006)

I was going to post the same thing as pp. My son is also two weeks old, and has the same exact problem. I find if I can get him in a tight swaddle (which can be hard when he's flailing around), and pop either a paci or my finger in his mouth







: and do the bouncing shhhh shhh shhh thing, he calms and settles down pretty well. I then put him down as he starts to conk out. I know how exhausting this can be. I almost came to tears with it myself a few days ago until I remembered the swaddle "so I don't distract myself with my arms and limbs" trick.


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## pinksprklybarefoot (Jan 18, 2007)

I third the swaddling! Between that and the baby hypnotizer (makes womb noises), I can get an overtired little guy to sleep in ten minutes!


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## LilMomma83 (Jan 20, 2007)

.My babe doesn't like being swaddled









It does help to lie down with him in the dark quiet bedroom...or walk him...but that is so tiring!

btw he's 5wks - but this not settling down even when he's tired has been going on sense he was 1 day old...

Also he makes a fussy sound no matter what I do...I think he just needs to make that sound.


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## lolar2 (Nov 8, 2005)

Have you done all the Happiest Baby on the Block stuff? DS sometimes (even now at 3 months) makes us go through the whole routine before he'll settle enough to 1. eat and 2. sleep.


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## coloradomama1 (Dec 31, 2006)

swaddle, swaddle, swaddle. this is the only thing that worked for us when dd got overtired and wild when she was that small. also, if you haven't already tried, put dc in a sling and walk.


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## kdtmom2be (Aug 26, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lolar2* 
Have you done all the Happiest Baby on the Block stuff? DS sometimes (even now at 3 months) makes us go through the whole routine before he'll settle enough to 1. eat and 2. sleep.

No kidding, I thought my MIL was just nutso, she has the book and dvd and was trying some of the things she could remember with our fuss-budget newborn and they worked. I'll have to get it to read, right now my BIL has it and WE need it!
I also recommend swaddling, but some babies don't like it. Mine does, she likes to be swaddled or wrapped tightly to my chest, but the key is tight!


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## crwilson (Mar 13, 2007)

For my dd the only way I could get her to sleep if she was overttired was to put her in the baby carrier and vacuum while listening to music (with earphones) and dancing. We had very clean floors for the first couple of months after she was born. And listening to music while bouncing was important - she seems to only like being bounced in rhythm.

Finding some sort of baby carrier, whether a sling, structured carrier, pouch, will make bouncing and sleeping a lot easier. That's still how she usually sleeps and it still is the one thing that can calm her down when she's cranky.


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## midwestmeg (Jul 10, 2005)

Rock, pat, jiggle, sway. Rock, pat, jiggle, sway.

That's what we did for the first 2 months with my son!









I also learned that my baby needed a dark, quiet room to relax.


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## turnipmama (Oct 29, 2006)

I would make sure it is quiet, dark with little activity. My 6 wk old DD will want to stay awake if there is a lot going on...I think she is afraid she will miss something!







If it is quiet and dark she will usually not be so distracted and stimulated and drift off to sleep.


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## momto l&a (Jul 31, 2002)

My 2 week old was majorly fussy at night, crying ( er screaming), playing around at the breast ect, not falling asleep till 1-3 AM.

I ran out of my tea that I drink 1 cup of every morning. So for the last 3 night she has been going to sleep between 6-8 pm. I guess the small amount of caffeine thats in my tea bothered her


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## cmp03 (Sep 22, 2006)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lolar2* 
Have you done all the Happiest Baby on the Block stuff? DS sometimes (even now at 3 months) makes us go through the whole routine before he'll settle enough to 1. eat and 2. sleep.

LOVED this book (well actually I never got time to read the book but got hte DVD from library). I found that swaddling, shhhing, and also bouncing on the yoga ball did wonders for helping my overtired baby sleep when she was younger.

Good Luck.


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## User101 (Mar 3, 2002)

I have to swaddle him and have a pilot cap on him and hold him cheek to cheek, rock back and forth and kiss his cheek. Puts him right out.


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## Autumn Breeze (Nov 13, 2003)

AM, don't you just love it when you find 'the trick'

If swaddling doesn't work, try holding him on his side, facing you , with your arm down his back, and the other hand patting his butt. That pud my ds out.


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## jocelyndale (Aug 28, 2006)

What works for us:
don't let him get too hungry. I encourage cluster feeding in the evening. If he's in a boob frenzy (not hungry, but compelled to latch on because he smells me, gets angry at my spray), I hand him off to hubby for awhile.

bouncing on the fitness ball.

dim lights, no tv or loud music.

singing softly.

sling, if that doesn't suit--stroller for a walk.


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## User101 (Mar 3, 2002)

Every mama has to find her trick, I think!


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## nina_yyc (Nov 5, 2006)

The rocking chair in the dark worked for us.


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