Forum From Baby to Toddler

Day and night rhythm

8 replies

Kimmie1989
Dear moms,

We became proud parents of a handsome son for the 2nd time this week... Our oldest son is 3.5 years old, so it's a bit of a search again. :-)

He's a wonderfully calm and sweet child who also drinks his bottles well. But (there's always a but, of course ;-)) I'm running into one little issue... During the day everything goes smoothly: diaper, bottle, burp, sit upright for a bit and cuddle, then back to sleep (usually in the playpen) until the next bottle. Only after the last evening bottle, when he has to go into his crib, does it go wrong. He's quiet for a moment and then starts crying after about 10 minutes... I often go in first to give him a pat on the head and a comforting word, but after 10 minutes it goes wrong again. This usually lasts for a long time. (e.g., from 11 pm to 2 am). After the next bottle, he usually sleeps for another 3 hours without any problem.

Does anyone have tips for this?
It's quite exhausting like this; he sleeps when I'm awake and actually sleeps max 3 hours when I can also sleep...

I was thinking of keeping him awake a bit more during the day, but that's not so easy with such a little one. ;-)

Replies

  1. Hartje #2

    Hi, congratulations! So you're still in your postpartum week this week, right? The routine is often quite non-existent then. Maybe your baby's day-night rhythm is still reversed? Is it too dark when they're restless?

    What I held on to: they have to learn to sleep on their own, but for the first 2 weeks, you can definitely rock them to sleep or do something else that you wouldn't do later. So young still, such a transition, just give in to it and it's often over quickly.

    Now corrected for 3 weeks and it often works out well for them to fall asleep. If it doesn't work one time, I think it's more important that they sleep than that they manage it themselves. So then I cuddle them to sleep, it can still be so nice now!

    Greetings!

  2. Anonymous Guest #3

    What nonsense to put that little boy in his own bed. He wants to be close to mama and papa. The baby is only a week old.

  3. Anonymous Guest #4

    Sorry, that came out harsher than intended.

  4. Hartje #5

    Hihi. I get your reasoning, but not every situation and every baby is like that. Mine craves quiet after they've had a drink and are getting tired. And since the oldest also needs care, dad wants to eat, and the household needs to be done, we can't cuddle 24/7. By the way, good luck with a twin, always cuddling. Hands are limited, so sometimes a bit of common sense is needed.
    P.S. During the postpartum week you can cuddle as much as you want, in a normal situation everything is taken care of.

  5. Dwars kimmie Guest #6

    I totally get sleeping in your own bed. It's really nice if it works out. I wouldn't make a habit of sleeping with dad and mom. Maybe your baby needs to get used to being in his own bed at night, and that he gets used to the 'second time' around. How's the transition with light and stuff? It sounds like you have a lot of structure, which is always good. I think it's a matter of sticking with it. Then the rhythm will come naturally. If not, follow your gut.

  6. proud_mommy #7

    Congratulations, girl. I swaddled my little boy and it helped a lot. Or he might have colic. Put some oil on the thermometer and then gently push it down. I had that a lot with the little one during the first week.

  7. Gwen1 #8

    During the day in the box he hears your sounds, and at night in his own little bed, of course he doesn't... try putting him in his own little bed during the day too? Or white noise sounds in his room at night? It's very quiet all of a sudden for a baby who heard nothing but noise for 9 months.

  8. vdh #9

    Hey, Zoooo relatable. Our daughter was awake from 12am to 6am at night.... Was quite tough. It lasted about 6 months.... and afterwards it got better. I used a swing chair after those 6 months to soothe her back to sleep at night and it was more comfortable for me too :-) (it was my ultimate remedy). It turned out she still burped a lot while being rocked... She also became very calm from it and I could then put her down again. She is now 1 year old and sleeping is better, but yeah those growth spurts and teething mean we still have to get up often and then that swing chair is just bliss :-).
    Ene, it says number 2 here. Same here, and apparently among all our friends the number 2s are the least easy :-)))

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