Fear of Swaddling!!
Moms View Message Board: Parenting Discussion: Archive July-December 2004:
Fear of Swaddling!!
Kiko is just about 6 weeks old. For the first week or two, he would sleep almost all day, just waking up to breastfeed or look around for a few minutes....it was so awesome(and the exact opposite of his older brother LOL!)..then after that he started spending most of the day fussing and crying....
I spend several hours a day walking and rocking him with a soother in his mouth. I have a pinched nerve in my neck now and I am exhausted....
Last night we went to my aunts for supper. She has 3 sons.
She took Kiko and swaddled him in a light blanket(it is hot here right now). She plugged in his soother and he slept for at least 6 hours!!!!!
He didn't wake up till about 1 or 2 at night. He woke up and breastfed and still slept through the night(waking up at around 6).
Last night I got to EAT!! I got to visit with my relatives, eat desert, talk to my 4 year old... read a magazine..etc..
Today I fed him, changed him, played with him and spoke to him for quite a while. Then I swaddled him and he slept for hours(maybe 4)...I cleaned my bathroom, ate, showered, played a video game with Eliah...etc.
Then Kiko woke up and I fed him,changed him,played with him,etc. When he got fussy, I swaddled him and he has slept for about 2 hours so far.
I am feeling worried....how long should babies sleep in a 24 hour period. I know that the hours I spent walking with him before were HELL! For him and me! He was obviously tired and uncomfortable...so swaddling seems to work. Maybe he really needs to sleep. He seems happier....
Does anyone else swaddle??
fiona
I always swaddled mine. that was one of the first things they taught me at the hospital. If he seems happy then stop worrying and enjoy the little bit of extra time you get. My youngest would sleep 6 hours straight per night, one feeding and back to sleep for another 3-4, and then she'd nap from noon until 4ish. I think swaddling makes them feel safe and warm.
I always swaddled mine, too. My ds really needed it and we did it until he was about 4 months old. We made sure only to do it when he was truly tired but it really got us through the colicky times. With as young as Kiko is, he will sleep as much as he needs and all those hours you were up with him menat he was awake too. He may need to make up some of that lost sleep. If it is making your life easier and isn't harming anyone, go for it. That has been my answer for many things, especially when I am too exhausted to really think through a decision.
Sleep notes from “Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child” by Mark Weissbluth, MD
(don't rec. the book.. but these sleep facts are good) HTH:
Newborn: Weeks 5 to 8
- baby may want to stay up to enjoy company of adults
- more interested in toys and objects
- longest sleep period begins to occur predictably and regularly in the evening hours
- longest sleep period about 4 to 6 hours (less if has colic)
- easy baby has more regular sleep periods
- put down to sleep at first signs of being tired
- put down after no more than 2 hours of being awake (wakefulness)
- early morning may only be up for 1 hour
- will be more distractible so needs a quiet place to sleep
- create a routine of activities that happen before every nap and bed time
- overtired signs: crabby, irritable, pulls own hair, bats at own ears
Months 3 to 4
- greater need for a quiet, calm space for sleeping, more distractible
- wakefulness no longer than 2 hours (some infants only 1 hour)
- at 6 weeks of age should get the longest sleep period at night (rather than daytime)
- longest sleep period is only 4 to 6 hours
- begin soothing to sleep before the child appears grumpy, crabby, or drowsy
- put to sleep somewhere motionless, not a car, swing, or stroller
Months 4 to 8
- infant’s sleep becomes more adult-like, entering sleep with a non-REM period
- most start the day about 7 am but should be between 6 and 8 am
- if awake before 6 am should return to sleep after a change and feed
- cannot change the wake-up time of baby by keeping him up later, feeding solids before bedtime or awakening baby for a feeding before parent goes to sleep
- morning wakefulness will be about 2 hours for 4 month olds and 3 hours for 8 month olds
- thus morning nap is about 9 am for many babies
- have a wind-down or naptime ritual of up to 30 minutes before nap started half an hour BEFORE the end of baby’s wakeful period
- a nap is restorative if it is about an hour or longer, 40 to 45 minutes is sometimes enough but most need an hour
- expect another nap after 2 to 3 hours of wakefulness
- avoid mini-snoozes in the car or park
- don’t let have a small snooze to make up for a missed nap
- if baby naps when he should be awake it throws the remaining nap/wake schedule out of kilter
- second nap usually occurs between noon and 2 pm most commonly around 1 pm but definitely before 3 pm
- should last an hour or two
- a third nap may or may not occur, if it does the start time will be between 3 and 5 pm and is usually very brief
- the third nap disappears by 9 months of age
- bedtime is between 6 and 8 pm as needed by the child’s tiredness
- employ a bed time routine with the same sequence of events every night so that the child can predict that bed time is coming
- child may be fed 4 to 6 hours after his last feeding, some will be hungry and some will sleep through
- a second waking for feeding may occur at 4 or 5 am
My youngest slept right through feeding times, she loved the comfort of swaddling. I swaddled her until she was old enough to start getting out of it. She loved it. I say whatever works, go for it. I think babies that young are supposed to sleep 12 hours of the day or something like that. I know my little girl slept all but about maybe 10 hours of the day. Then by 3 months she started waking more during the day...I love those times  Good Luck
All babies are different. Your best indicator is how does your baby look? Are all other things okay, skin color, still crying when hungry, not lethargic, when awake is your baby happy and healthy etc. Also weight gain, is your baby gaining weight and eating well. If all of those are true, then you have been blessed with a sleeper..woo hoo. My youngest was a sleeper, this was so nice, up until 18 months he still took 2 big naps a day. If you are really worried take a quick trip to the doc and double check all is well.
I say let them sleep as much as they want.
Remember, they need their sleep.
Just think of it as more resting time for you.
I always swaddled mine, my husband did a better job at it than me...he was great..it used to make me so mad. I let mine sleep when they were tired, eat when they were hungry, etc. When they are newborns I read the average is around 18 hours a day. Enjoy the time!
|
Members
