6 week old won't sleep in the evening!

[Laucu]

I recently posted about sleep problems with my baby. Well, I'm glad to report that she is now napping well during the day. She takes her first nap in her cot, and others in her pram. With 1-2 hours awake time in between.

The trouble is that I cannot get her to settle in the evening. I wake her for a feed at 4ish, and can't go out in the pram after them as its teatime and bed for the other children. i do bath, story and bottle and baby is in her cot for 6pm, but she just won't fall asleep, if she does by any miracle then she doesn't stay asleep! It's not a new thing either, she's always been like this. We don't leave her, we stay with her with a hand on her tummy so she's knows we're there. But she just can't seem to switch off.

She'll eventually conk out somewhere between 10 and 12, usually in her Moses basket with me lying next to her with my hand in her tummy.

What can I do to get her to sleep earlier? My other two never did this! Is it just a thing that she'll grow out of as she gets s bit bigger?

 

[Left wonderin]

I wouldn't worry , she is very young to even begin to be thinking about a routine for her . My 11 week old is awake and sleeps at random hours . It will settle into a pattern eventually . Maybe she is not tired at 6pm ? Maybe 6-12 is her awake phase ?

 

[Laucu]

I wouldn't worry , she is very young to even begin to be thinking about a routine for her . My 11 week old is awake and sleeps at random hours . It will settle into a pattern eventually . Maybe she is not tired at 6pm ? Maybe 6-12 is her awake phase ?

I thought she was tired, she fell into a deep sleep yesterday after her bottle, but woke half an hour later! And was awake until 10:30!

 

[dani_tinks]

It is normal sadly lovely, i'm lucky in that E is currently choosing to sleep at 8 so we put her down around that time but i'm fully prepared for her to start fussing at any time. It's best to just follow their lead until they settle into their own routine. You're doing all the right things, just stick with it xx

 

[Left wonderin]

Its crazy how random things are with newborns . They also have the habit of not being sleepy when you really need them to be .... Ie bedtime for other Los . We have the same issue here !! Bedtime for Ds and bing dd is wide awake and will not settle except in the arms !!!! I've decided it's too hard trying to impose a routine with a small baby , it just ends up frustrating the hell out of me !!! I just go with the flow .... They do eventually fall into one so for now .... My ss is the boss lol

 

[Laucu]

Thanks ladies, I wasn't sure if keeping her downstairs was keeping her awake so last night I put her in her Moses basket and lay next to her with my hand in her tummy , she just lay there awake for 3 hours!!! So even though it didn't work, I feel better knowing that she is just wide awake and not being kept awake by being in the wrong environment, if you know what I mean!

 

[ruby83]

I think it's probably too early for her. Could you try a nap around 5 then keep her up with you- even sleeping on you, until you go to bed? This was working great with my son until a couple of weeks ago anyway. Now his sleep has gone to sh*t! 😁

I think routines get easier between 4-6 months. That's what I'm hoping anyway!

 

[DaisyDreamer]

She's still figuring out night and day, and around this time fussy evenings unfortunately are the norm

The best thing that worked for us is sleep sharing

 

[Laucu]

Thanks ladies. What seems to be working is a catnap at 5-6 and then doing her bath later. She's still not conking out till 10ish but at least she's not grizzly.

 

[Left wonderin]

My LO 11 weeks is like that naps on and off between. 5-7 .. The goes off between 10-11

 

[Taurus8484]

I started both kids on a bath, fed and bed routine from the day they come home. Did it at the same time each night. Each time I would get them to sleep at 7.00pm only for them to wake up hour later or they would resist so much that I ended up feeding them again and then they would go to sleep, sometimes 2 hours later of trying to get them to sleep. Then around 8 weeks for both it was like a switch went on and they would go to sleep at 7.00pm and stay asleep. DS1 started sleeping 7-7 at 10 weeks, DS2 started doing 7-7 at 14 weeks. Guess what Im trying to say is persistance paid off for me. And I never went through a major sleep regression. Just couple nights here and there. Blessed with 2 amazing sleepers but Im convinced that routine had something to do with that. Others may disagree. Just my experience. Good luck and hope you find something that works xx

 

[Left wonderin]

Wow 7-7 at 10 weeks that inciredible !!!!

 

[Eleonora]

I would classify my little girl as "super easy" but I still have to be prepared to essentially hold her, nurse, or have her sleep on me for an extended period all evening. The 6 week mark is notorious for both growth needs + fussiness. She will seem sound asleep but wake within minutes if put down whereas in the late morning or afternoon she has the capacity for long naps by herself.