Advice needed for sleep/napping issues!

dawnemjh

My son is 6 wks old and I am having trouble with his sleeping/napping, (surprise I know).

my problem is that my son does not like to be put down in the crib or bassinet. The only places he sleeps is either in the swing, bouncy seat, or car seat when we are out driving etc. He will also sleep if I hold him. I have tried to put him in the bassinet since day one, and he can be asleep and will wake up the minute I put him down, and if he is awake, he will just start crying right away. The same thing goes for the crib. Today he slept in his crib for 30 minutes, when usually in the swing he will sleep for 2-3 hrs.

At night I have managed to get him to sleep in the bassinet for a couple hours at a time, then he wakes up and starts fussing and crying so I pick him up and lay him on me and he is out like a light. I have let him cry for a few minutes to see if he will fall back asleep but he just gets more upset.

Advice? thoughts? He is still getting up 2-3 times during the night to eat so we are still using the bassinet right next to our bed at night.

Thanks!!!

daytolive

He's only 6 weeks old. Please don't let him cry,even for few minutes(unless you really can't get to him). These are cues from him, for you to pick him up,change him,etc.,and at this age,he should be held on demand. There's no real schedule because he's just a wittle guy. If he will sleep in his swing,let him. Right now he just needs to be held,rocked,swung,whatever it is to make sure he gets all the rest he can. When he's 6 months old,that might be a time to let him cry a few minutes to see if he self soothes. My daughter would sleep an easy 2-3 hours in her swing and that was GREAT! Now she is almost 12 months and i can't get her to sleep longer than 40 min at a time but she sleeps through the night.

I'm not sure If you're into co-sleeping(i did with both my kids) but that might help you and him get some solid sleep. Are you FF or BF him? If he's BF,then it'll be even easier. A lot of people are against co-sleeping but I loved it. It made the transitioning into parenthood a lot easier. Otherwise,keep the bassinet next to the bed for as long as you can handle it. Rest for both of you is important :flowerforyou:

Jenny_Rose77

We used a Rock N Play next to our bed until he was 3 months old. My husband and I loved that thing, and think it is the absolute best baby invention yet. Since your baby is 6 weeks old, you probably don't want to run out and buy one. I would say just let him sleep in the swing or wherever he can right now.

Jenny_Rose77

Also, have you tried using white noise? My son used to fall asleep very easily to music. Now I play soothing ocean or rain sounds.

FitMama2013

My son wouldn't nap in his crib until he was about 5 months old...prior to that, it was swing, bouncy chair, or on one of us! He just needed that closeness to fall asleep during the day, and we let him. It didn't ruin him and he takes great naps in his crib now (he's 7.5 months old). Hang in there!

RBXChas

I forced the crib way early with my first, but he did well. I haven't been so lucky this time. He is 14 weeks and won't sleep well out of my arms. I know how frustrating it is!

At six weeks I couldn't put him down at all, not in the swing or bouncy seat. He's still not a huge fan of the bouncy seat, but he'll tolerate the swing (and will nap in it once in a blue moon).

For now don't push it but keep trying. It may just take.

Like I said, my older son was ok enough in the crib fairly early, but he hated the bassinet with a passion. I didn't even bother with it this time because I found it so frustrating last time. I hear a lot of babies don't like bassinets, so I wonder if they're just uncomfortable!

cocolo89

The first 6months of my sons life he wanted to be held and I held him. ALLL day long. It was super hard to get anything done, plus battled with PP anxiety and dental issue, I was a disaster, I could barely function because of a lot of issues i was dealing with, BUT i still held my little one close and did the best I could to put my issues aside. I did have nights I had to rock him to sleep or put him to sleep in a carseat. At this young age they want to feel closeness and feel like something is holding him. Are you swaddling? We swaddled until 3months and it helps a lot. Also I didnt have a bassinet, we used the play-pen and the play pen had a newborn napper which made him feel like something was close to him. My LO is now 7.5months old and he loves playing and crawling. He can stay on the ground playing forever. It was all worth it. At this stage of 6wks, he doesn't know what self-soothing is. its to young to "train". I never did sleep training with either of my kids or CIO method. They both sleep fairly well. MY son now wakes up at 630 for his first feeding and up at 8 for the day. He falls asleep on his own with his paci and thats it. I hope you figure something out that works for both of you!

ramsx1991

That is completely normal! My LO wouldn't sleep unless it was in my arms for about the first 6 months. She is not growing into sleeping on her own. Just enjoy all the extra cuddles

Pepper2185

My son slept in our room until he was 6 months old. Prior to that, he really wasn't interested in his crib.

I remember that he got really clingy around 6 weeks old. He wouldn't nap unless someone was holding him. I ended up getting a Moby wrap so I could wear him during the day and still get things done around the house.

Enjoy the cuddle time with your little one! It's totally normal!

Mewlingstork

Like everyone above, totally normal! My guy still won't sleep in his crib through the night at 11 months old. We tried the bassinet for 5 minutes that first night home and then gave up on that and brought him in to bed with us, where he is still. He nurses to sleep, then I move him to the crib and he stays asleep for 1-5 hours, then I bring him in to bed. This has worked great for us. Co-sleeping has been a sleep saver for us! When he was tiny, I would sleep while he slept and I think it really helped all of us. He still doesn't want to be put down sometimes. I agree with the comment that these are cues from him and at 6 weeks, don't just let him cry. I think more around 1 year is when we'll actually let him cry. I second the Moby wrap, or an Ergo is great. Leaves your hands free so you can do other things while they're clinging.

Good luck, Mama!

DragonSquatter

We used a Rock N Play next to our bed until he was 3 months old. My husband and I loved that thing, and think it is the absolute best baby invention yet. Since your baby is 6 weeks old, you probably don't want to run out and buy one. I would say just let him sleep in the swing or wherever he can right now.

We used ours from birth. My son didn't like sleeping flat until about 4 months. Having a slight incline helped him a lot.

I agree with other ladies who suggest not ignoring his cries yet. Just try to snuggle him as much as he wants and comfort him.

blink1021

My first child did great in a bassinet and a crib so I was all excited when my daughter came thought it would be the same way. Yeah I was wrong. She was the same way she slept in a bouncer or a swing until she was around 4 months old. Don't worry its normal she is now 9 months old and sleeps great in a crib. My pediatrician told me let her sleep where she will in the beginning so I did. Use the swing while you can because before you know it he will have outgrown it. I was worried in the beginning too but wanted to sleep so I took where I could. He is too young to let him cry it out babies do not have the capability to self soothe until 6 months. Some people prefer co sleeping. Its not for me I am a heavy sleeper. Try what you think will work for you but for now if he sleeps in the swing go for it.