9 Week Old Baby Sleep Habits

Updated on November 17, 2010
G.J. asks from Jersey City, NJ
7 answers

my 9 week old son will not stay asleep unless in the ergo baby or right next to me. we started co-sleeping by accident when he was only a few weeks old. i fell asleep while nursing him and found that he slept for 3 hours at a time. it was great so i kept it up. soon after we purchased a Summer co-sleeper for a safer co-sleeping option. at first he would sleep there from 8-12 pm after being swaddled and nursed, but only a week later, he would wake after just a few minutes of being put down, even if his limbs were limp (as suggested by dr sears). now i feel my only option is having him right by me, but i feel like neither of us get any decent sleep...he wants to nurse almost constantly between 12 and 7 am and i'm concerned about his safety. also, during the day, he won't go down for a nap unless he's in the ergo baby carrier. i've tried recently to sneak him into his co-sleeper from the ergo once he's asleep but still he wakes up! this might be normal, but i'm concerned since i will be going back to work in two weeks and fear that these habits cannot be broken. overall, he's a healthy, happy baby once he has his nap in the ergo carrier. but i need some reassurance and suggestions so that he may eventually be able to sleep apart from me either in his co-sleeper and later on his crib. help!

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

So What Happened?

thanks for all of your responses so far. i'm definitely going to heed your advice. obviously it's only been a day so no major improvements yet. we did elevate his co-sleeper and that seemed to help a bit...he slept in it for about 2 1/2 hours...which is amazing for him! but otherwise last night was pretty rough. i started to dim lights, swaddle and nurse around 6:30 since was fussy and seemed tired. but then he was fussing at the breast and just could not settle down. finally at 8 he fell asleep but in my bed but woke again at 10:30. i nursed him again and then put him in the co-sleeper. at 1 am he woke again, nursed and fussed but. when he woke again at 3 am, he didn't want to nurse and was really fussy, this kept happening every hour on the hour until about 6 am this morning. i did a little research and am wondering if he may have a case of reflux. he hiccups a number of times a day, coughs, wheezes, and fusses when he eats sometimes. this along with only being able to sleep for a length of time while upright, makes me think this is the case. i'm going to the dr this afternoon and am also planning on truying Colic Calm to see if that works. has great reviews, so we will see.
thanks again for your responses...keep 'em coming. i will persevere! :)

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.B.

answers from New York on

My baby was JUST like this!

First of all, at this age, these aren't habits. Babies don't start to form associations and routines until about 3 mos, so don't worry that you're creating bad habits at this age. It just isn't developmentally possible. You're still in the stage where you need to do whatever work. I definitely believe in the "4th trimester"; for the first 3 mos, my baby needed to be held and shooshed and rocked constantly. I didn't do anything special to "break" her of it, she just grew out of it around 2.5-3 mos. Give your baby some time and some grace until then.

Mom instincts are AMAZING when it comes to co-sleeping! We always started the baby in a Rock N Play for the night, but she usually ended up in our bed after her first or second feeding because she slept better that way. The research seems to indicate that, unless the mom is under the influence, co-sleeping is very safe. I had some of the same concerns you did, but I found one night that I startled awake because I was going to roll over onto her. I hadn't even begun to tip yet, but something deep inside of me startled me out of a deep sleep just because I was THINKING of rolling. I really believe we're created to know where our babies are to protect them even in the deepest sleep. Also, we had no problems at all transferring to the crib around 3 mos!

I agree this could be a growth spurt -- my LO went through one around this age. It took a few weeks, and I was exhausted during it, but they don't last forever! During the growth spurt, I co slept the whole night since she was so hungry, and it made nursing much easier.

A few recommendations -- try having him sleep in a Fisher Price Rock N Play next to your bed. It cradles the baby and keeps the head inclined (reducing the startle reflex), both of which really helped my baby to sleep on her own. Keep swaddling, and play LOUD white noise all night long (they say the womb is so loud it sounds like there's a vacuum cleaner running in there! White noise is very soothing, but it has to be pretty loud). Try having him nap in the swing, or transfer him from the Ergo to the swing while he's sleeping. The swinging may keep him asleep (my baby often ended up in the swing with the carrier unbuckled but still underneath her!)

Around that age, I also started putting my baby down for naps, and found that she slept much better and was happier when she was well-rested instead of just waiting for her to pass out on her own. After she'd been awake about an hour (the recommended max time for wakefulness at that age), I'd swaddle her, put her in the rock n play, turn on loud white noise and give her a pacifier. I'd often have to rock the rock n play, but she started falling asleep on her own that way. If it doesn't happen this early for you, no problem! It will. But it may be a good time to start trying.

ARound that age, someone told me, "Their phases pass so quickly at this age! Whether it's good or bad, it won't last long!" It's so true. This will pass, and you will probably find that he starts to grow out of some of this pretty soon. It's hard to imagine now, but later -- when all he wants to do is crawl around by himself on the floor -- you will look back on these days (when all he wanted to do was be held) and wish for them back!

1 mom found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.L.

answers from New York on

9 weeks old is way too young to be worried about sleep habits. Don't fret! Just enjoy this time. It goes by WAY too fast!
Lynsey

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

J.P.

answers from Boise on

At 9 weeks, there could easily be growth spurts going on. make sure that you are feeding extra during the day and let him know that night is night. Also, make sure that the swaddle is good and tight. You may have a bit of crying, but at 9 weeks (IMO), they are old enough to start learning to soothe themselves.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.W.

answers from Gainesville on

Take time to read up on 4th trimester. That's where your baby still is. Try using a swaddle before getting ready to get him to sleep. THat way when he falls asleep on you/with you, he is already swaddled and cozy.

I also used to practically stay on top of my kids when putting them down to avoid that "falling" feeling they get when being put down. I held baby close until they touched the mattress then let go of them. It made a huge difference.

He could be going thru a growth spurt, he could be cold in the night. I figured when my daughter wanted to nurse constantly at one point, that she was cold and needed to get close to warm up.

You also might try using a sleep wedge like this one:

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=240184...

L.T.

answers from New York on

Oh gosh I've been there with not being able to put the baby down! We could put him down at night if we were SUPER careful, but for naps he just stayed on my chest all day. Even now, putting him down is an art form.

1. If the mattress is really cold, that could wake him up as soon as he touches it and realizes he's not in your arms anymore. Try putting a warm blanket or towel down first, then remove it right before you put him down.

2. Keep his head above the rest of his body. My son will feel like he's falling if his head goes down, so we have to sort of crunch it up to his chest (not excessively) and have it be the last thing to hit the mattress.

3. The "limp arms" thing is just a guideline. My guy has a cute sigh he does that's often a good sign that you can put him down. You just need to learn his cues, which is easier said than done. If nothing else, wait about 25 minutes to put him down, when he should be in a deeper sleep cycle.

I'd write more but mine just woke up and is hungry :)

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

L.S.

answers from New York on

I remember those days! My daughter just turned 17 weeks today and I actually miss the days where she would only sleep in the Moby wrap. Now when I hold her she has to face out to see everything. She's come such a long way from the tiny little thing that would only sleep when held. I was also co-sleeping with her for a while because she wouldn't sleep any other way. I never nursed her in bed because I never found it comfortable, but after nursing her she would only sleep on me.

Eventually she started sleeping in the Fisher Price "Rock N Play". When I placed her in the crib she would just scream. It's only been about 3 weeks since she's been sleeping in the crib.

So rest assured, it does (eventually) pass. Believe me, I know how incredibly hard it is. I used to wait for my husband to get home, pass her off to him and take a long hot shower to try to calm my nerves.

My daughter still needs to be swaddled to sleep. I have tried everything, but she just cries unless she's swaddled up tight. And I'd recommend the Miracle Blanket over the Swaddle Me's. For starters, they fit better, and now my little Houdini has figured out how to get out of the SwaddleMe.

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

M.G.

answers from Sioux City on

I love co-sleeping but am right where you are...my son wakes up to nurse more frequently in the night and I find myself more "aware" that he is there so get very little sleep. I adore co-sleeping, however. Imagine getting up and going to his crib or bassinet when he is crying...it just seems so much more easy. Try this: a shirt that you are wearing, slip it beside him while he is down for a nap...sometimes just your scent is comforting the baby.

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions