Settling during the day

My son is nearly 6 weeks and I'm finding the only way I can get him to sleep during the day is to rock him to sleep in my arms and then try to get him into his cot without waking. If I manage this he will 2 times out of 3 sleep for a couple of hours or more. What I'm scared of is that this will become a habit for him. At night he is the opposite I can put him in his bed wide awake and within minutes he'll have put himself to sleep and sleep 3-7 hour blocks. But try this during the day and he screams the house down! What are your opinions or suggestions on this. Should I keep doing what I'm doing or should I persist with getting him to settle himself?

Hi Michelle, I not only rocked but also patted and breastfed my son to sleep at difficult times. Usually in the middle of the night and once or twice during the day. My son is nearly 11mths now and goes off to sleep by himself. All the "experts" tell you that you shouldn't do this but it worked for us and i kept my sanity!! I couldn't stand to listen to him sob like his heart was broken! Just do what feels right for you. Hope all goes ok.

Hi
My daughter is 2 months old.We haven't followed any "rules" etc, she has done her own thing since birth and she is now in a good routine. Jessika sleeps 8-9 hours at night then has a feed (bottle I'm not breast feeding). she then goes back to sleep for another 2/3 hours. We then get up. Throughout the day she lets me know when she's hungry, which is usually around the same time anyway. After eating and being burped she's awake and we put her on a mat in the lounge room with the tv or radio on. She falls asleep when she feels like it, on the floor. If she's not sleepy I don't try to force her to sleep. Sometimes she gets a cuddle to sleep, especially on these hot nights when shes hot and bothered. I can't listen to Jessika cry either but now she is already starting the fake cry thing and when we get there she's already smiling so you do have to be careful not to let them get too used to you running after them and cuddling them to sleep. I don't know if you use a dummy but that works for Jessika. We don't wrap her tightly as suggested either because she hates it, she likes to have her arms above her head to sleep. If you can work out what your baby likes do that, who cares what we are "supposed" to do, do what's good for you and your baby and your sanity!

Thanks for the vote of confidence. I agree that they shouldn't be forced either, but when there are so many"experts" telling you otherwise you start to doubt yourself.

By the way he fell asleep by himself yesterday and slept for 4 hours, he obviously needed it and realised that himself.

Hello,
My daughter is the same, she doesnt sleep well during the day, i think it is because it has been so hot!
My stepmother told me that Talana is a clingy baby, she needs to be held all the time and loves attention.
She said some babies are like that!

Smetimes it is really good because i get extra cuddles all day long!
Talana loves it too.

When my babe is unsettled (7 weeks) during the day and falls asleep, I put her to bed anyway. I figure its better for her to be either awake or asleep, not somewhere in between. If she wakes right away, I don't try to rock her back to sleep but put her with the toys or put some music on. She will often stay awake for 1/2 hr longer and then either fall asleep or want a feed (and fall asleep there). I also don't want her to have to rock to sleep all the time, don't want to do that in a year's time!

When she had her six-week check, the Doc told us that she had had an ear infection and asked if she had been unsettled lately. Sometimes an infection or heat can make them extra-cuddly - I can't blame them. Every now and then, she only wants cuddles and at first, I was afraid I would spoil her but I decided that I didn't know what was unsettling her and I wanted to be there for her if she is in pain or whatever, and I just enjoy the cuddle. But she's always really settled the next day, so I don't know.... smile Sometimes you've just gotta go with gut feeling.