# Hard time with 7 week old falling asleep



## sbgquilt (Jan 7, 2005)

My dd is 7 weeks old and has been a solid night sleeper since week 1. She sleeps through the night -- I mean 5-8 hours straight. She sleeps in a cosleeper. On many nights, though, it's hard to help her to fall asleep. She gets so relaxed and even is asleep but repeatedly startles and wakes up and then we have to start all over -- this is the case no matter if she gets to the sleep place by nursing or by rocking or walking, etc. I was thinking we were missing her sleep window and she was overtired so I started trying to help her sleep for the night earler and this worked sometimes. Another thing that might be a problem is that she has a gas bubble in her tummy that awakens her -- she has quite a bit of gas related to eating and often she nurses to sleep. One night the only way we could help her sleep was to go for a car ride. I feel like she needs something from us to help get to a real sleep but I don't know what it is and so it feels like fumbling for hours every night. Maybe we just need more time to learn her, but I'm open to input.


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## mama24-7 (Aug 11, 2004)

Very little babies like this are not designed to sleep for long stretches. I'm surprised to hear that w/ her difficulty going to sleep that she stays asleep.

ANd yes, since you are so new to each other, you will learn more about how best to help her w/ sleeping as you get to know her.

You could try swaddling her, which would stop the moro (sp?) reflex which is what startles them. IT's my opinion though that this reflex is there for a reason and I don't think that I will use swaddling w/ my next one b/c I don't want to interefere w/ it.

There are great ideas in The Happiest Baby on the Block for getting newborns to sleep. Swaddling is one of them.

Sus


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## sbgquilt (Jan 7, 2005)

Thanks. Just reserved that book from library. I'm surprised dd sleeps like that, too. We haven't swaddled much at all -- didn't seem like she needed it and I've wanted her to have freedom to move which she seems to like.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mama24-7*
Very little babies like this are not designed to sleep for long stretches. I'm surprised to hear that w/ her difficulty going to sleep that she stays asleep.

ANd yes, since you are so new to each other, you will learn more about how best to help her w/ sleeping as you get to know her.

You could try swaddling her, which would stop the moro (sp?) reflex which is what startles them. IT's my opinion though that this reflex is there for a reason and I don't think that I will use swaddling w/ my next one b/c I don't want to interefere w/ it.

There are great ideas in The Happiest Baby on the Block for getting newborns to sleep. Swaddling is one of them.

Sus


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## artgirl (May 17, 2002)

Do you lay her on her back? I've found that laying my kiddos on their sides keeps the startling down to a minimum. I don't even know if that's *taboo* or not but it helps.


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## Isis (Aug 2, 2004)

7 weeks old is pretty young to be worried about her sleeping intervals. It's normal for them to jerk and react like that when they're asleep. Their cycles change so much. I remember my ds slept like a champ and then one fine day... BOOM! He still doesn't sleep through the night- he's up every 2 hours. So, enjoy this teeny bitty problem... relish in those 5 hours of sleep, while they last!







She sounds like she is getting some real sleep.


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## ctdoula (Dec 26, 2002)

SWADDLE SWADDLE SWADDLE

She's jerking awake because she has a startle reflex. Babies can't control their limbs & swaddling helps them SO much. They really need the swaddle. My ds sleeps at least 6hrs straight during the 1st stretch of the night, and a total of about 12hrs at night (waking to eat a couple times). I am a HUGE swaddle fanatic. It works!!!!

My trick is to use 2 blankets. Take one & put it kitty-corner. Fold down the top & put her shoulders on the fold. Take one side where it's folded & tuck her arm in.Then take the corner of the blanket on that side & wrap around her body, tucking under her. Repeat on the other side. Then take the 2nd blanket, put it on her (up to about nipple level) and wrap each side around her body, securing the package. One important thing is to keep her arms DOWN. This helps them from escaping :LOL

They've been in a tight environment for 40ish weeks, for them, the swaddle is like returning to the womb, LOL.


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## juju's mom (Mar 30, 2005)

My dd startled herself a wake a lot between 2-3 months. I asked me pedi and he said it was normal and it would stop soon. It did, but in the mean time, I swaddled. Helped a lot

Good luck, and enjoy

Jenn


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## ilex (Apr 30, 2002)

Hi mama, My ds sounds like your dd. He slept that well since he was 6 weeks and he is nine months now and still sleeps about 5 hours straight. I would suggest what others say here about the swaddling, but I also found that when I was holding him while he slept, or if he was in the sling, he wouldn't have the startle reflex. I read that it occurs in newborns as a survival mechanism to be sure they are secure with their mother. If they are a distance from their mother and not securely attached they startle awake. So if she is closer to you while she sleeps perhaps this will make a difference.

My ds also had digestion problems as a nb, I actually had to hold him semi-upright in bed while he slept when he was first born or he would have gas. I too found that side lying helped this as well. He could more easily pass the gas if he needed to.

You are doing a great job! Newborns cause so much worry, but these are normal problems and will pass soon.







There is an awesome swaddling blanket out there...what is the name of it??? I will have to go search...


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## proudmamanow (Aug 12, 2003)

Hi sbgquilt!

I also have a 7.5 week old daughter who cosleeps...and what you describe sounds very familiar and I just wanted to say that it is probably very normal! Dd sleeps well at night, occasionally for 4-5 hours, sometimes 3 hours at a time, (totalling maybe 8-10 hours, it varies) but will go back to sleep easily and naps alot during the day and seems fine. Some days she falls asleep on her own, nursing, other times dw and I have to spend 45 m-1 hr getting her to fall asleep, slinging her, rocking her, singing to her, cuddling, walking with her, bouncing her...you get the idea.
One thing we've noticed that really makes the difference with her is whether or not she had a lot of sleep during the day. If not, she can get kind of overtired/overstimulated and despite being tired & upset won't go to sleep! After stressing about it, I went to kellymom.com on the advice of another poster and realized that she was completely normal. I already knew she was wonderful and healthy and as a first time mom I just needed to chill and let her be (although I do want her to fall asleep before 11 pm :LOL )

oh and swaddling...some of our friends swear by that too, but we also felt, like you, that she seemed much happier unswaddled, she loves to kick her little legs & wave her arms and seems happy that way & sleeps OK (of course getting kicked or hit isn't so much fun







). Also Sears says too much swaddling can cause hip problems, fwiw.

sleepy







to you... hth!


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## ctdoula (Dec 26, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *proudmamanow*
Also Sears says too much swaddling can cause hip problems, fwiw.

sleepy







to you... hth!

It's only necessary to swaddle the arms. Leave the legs free.


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