Baby Won't Stay Sleeping in Bassinet at Night

My son was doing the same thing. We moved him to his crib and he started sleeping through the night!!

Hi B.,I think she might be to big for s bassinet. It is time to try a regular crib. I had the same problem with my daughter.the crib worked. Good luck!

I had a similar problem with one of my kids. She would not sleep in the crib, but one day she fell asleep in her infant carseat and I didn't want to wake her, so I just put the whole carseat in the crib and tucked in her blanket. She slept all night. I decided that so long as she was comfortable, safe and warm, why not? So I would let her sleep in her carseat. Eventually she outgrew that stage and did fine in her crib.

My kids both had reflux and preferred to sleep in the swing or car seat. Maybe that's why your daughter prefers those, because they keep her upright? Or she may like the more snug feeling, in which case you could try swaddling her before you put her in the bassinet. Otherwise, you could try just patting her back gently and giving her the pacifier while she's laying down until she falls back asleep. Or she could be picking up on your anxiety over her crying, which can make her cry more. Babies have the uncanny ability to pick up on our moods! You being anxious about keeping your hubby and neighbors up can in turn make her anxious and unable to sleep. So as far as that goes, don't worry about it! Your hubby should know by now that babies cry and wake up in the middle of the night. Sleepless nights are still in store for the 2 of you! As far as your neighbors, if they aren't understanding, well that's just tough luck! I can imagine the police officer's laughter if they called to say their neighbor's baby was crying LOL
One last thought, have you started solids yet? She could be just getting extra hungry. You may ask your dr. if it's ok to start some rice cereal or bananas before bed.

Do you have a crib? The bassiett may be too soft of a surface to lay on. I moved my baby into a crib at 2 months. Before that I would let her take naps in the crib during the day to get her used to it. i would recomend a colorful mibile (they have them at Target) I have a rainforest one, and it does WONDERS. They will look at the mobile until they fall asleep. My 9months old still likes her mobile. Also 4 months is too young to let her cry it out. Even at 9months, if my baby is crying longer than 5 minutes, it's usually because soemthing is wrong.
1-Dirty Diaper
2-runny nose, needs blue nose suction thing
3-check tempature
4-hungry
5-needs to play for another 10 minutes, not tired yet. I let her play, but with the TV shut off (no noises/picture) to keep her up

GOOD LUCK AND GOD BLESS!

My daughter HATED her bassinet. We could never get her to sleep in it. We finally ended up taking it back to the store since it was so "unused". We, after too many nights with zero sleep, resorted to putting her in her swing. She loved it! Within about 2 weeks she was in her own room, sleeping mostly through the night. We didn't actually "swing" the swing. She just snuggled into it and got comfy and then fell asleep. The swing was right next to the crib and we would turn her crib toy (makes music and lights up) on for her to see from the swing. We let her sleep there for about 2 months then we started putting her in her crib. Occasionally she would protest and want the swing but for the most part she transitioned great. She was already used to seeing her crib and watching the crib toy so it wasn't that big of a deal to move to the crib. Now the only time she wants in it is when she's got a runny nose. She breaths easier in the swing. We always try to put her in her crib first but if she's stuffy she will have a fit. We put her in her swing and she's the happiest baby around. Your daughter might be trying to tell you something. Whether it's acid reflux or it's just not comfortable, she wants something different. So try it. Give yourself and her a break by letting her sleep in her swing. It's worth it to try and you're not going to teach her bad habits by getting a little sleep. Just make sure to use the strap that is on the swing. That way she can't wiggle out.

One of the other things that we had to do that went along with giving up on the bassinet was giving up on her being in our room. We wanted her to stay in our room with us for the first few months but I think we were keeping her up. She knew we were there and she wanted to be with us. Not in the bassinet. That was the first decision we made. Put her in her own room. Co-sleeping or co-rooming works for some children but mine didn't like it.

LIsten to your instincts. Your almost there by seeing that your baby likes to sleep in her swing or bassinet. So let her relax and do just that.

Good luck!
Jen
http://www.mommysjoy.com

Perhaps the inclined way she is positioned in the bouncer and swing is more comfortable for her. You can purchase an insert to go in her crib that will allow for this type of sleeping position so that this can be continued without the use of the bouncy or swing. It may make it easier for her to digest her food in this position or she may just find it more soothing. As an example of such a product Baby Delight Inc. Supreme Snuggle Nest With Incline is one I have seen online at Amazon.com and sells for around $60. I am sure there are many different brands that could work for you and may be able to find in a store if you didn't want to shop online. Should your baby get a cold, the inclined position is ideal and I used a product like this for those times as well as when baby had colic. Good luck and hope you find a solution that works for you, B..

Hi B.,

I'm 34 and have a 19 month old son. There were a few times my husband put him in his carseat in our room to sleep. So I can relate! Do you hold her till she's alseep? The reason I'm asking is because I did my son this way until he was several months....I would rock him until he fell asleep and then try to put him down in his bed. My husband told me I should stop this because he was going to get used to falling asleep in my arms. I tried to explain to him that it is so hard not to hold him....you love them so much and they are so precious when they are sleeping we could just watch them all night. But all that set aside he told me to rock him a few minutes until he was drousy and put him down awake...that way he learned to fall asleep on his own. And I hate to admit it but, he was actually right...it definately helped me in the long run with him going to bed at night. Is is possible she is not comfortable in the bassinet anymore....I know my son at 2 1/2 months out grew ours. It seems that when I put him in his crib in his room to sleep he slept great!! If that's not the case...maybe she has some gas....if you think she might have some gas there is some great stuff called "gripe water" you can buy at CVS, Walgreens, ect. You can buy one of those wedges too to put in her bassinet so she will sleep more on a slant. We used that for ours as well when he was in the bassinet. Well good luck and have a Happy Holiday!

I bought a separate bassinette mattress to use inside our bassinette (primarily because I wanted better support for my daughter since they have exponential grow in the first few months); I did not use the thin cotten thing that came with the basinette. They sell bassinette mattresses at Babies R Us... not very expensive, maybe $15. At least 4 other babies have used our bassinette and mattress; none of the other moms have told me of sleep problems.

However, I will also add that we transitioned our daughter to her crib when she was 3.5 months. Most bassinettes can't accomodate the baby when they get close to 25 inches and/or when they are more apt to turn or roll. It might be time to put her in her crib, simply because of height and age.

It may be reflux. If sleeping in the swing of bassinet is preferred, go for it. You may end up using that method for a few months and then your baby grow out of the reflux and not mind laying flat in a bed again. For you own peace of mind and your babies comfort, let her sleep in her swing or bouncer. It is not going to hurt her and you will both feel better in the morning.

Hi B.....I agree with the other responses because I had the same problem....move her to a crib. Both of my kids were the same way and when they were ready to move, they let me know. Good Luck!

Hi B.,
Your baby girl may not be comfortable in the bassinet she might not be able to strech the way she would like try letting her sleep with you for a night and see how it goes.(if your comfortable with her sleeping in your bed)

Elizabeth Arden has a good one so does Avon called ANEW( it is in a see through blue narrow container)

I think that was the time my son stoped sleeping in his bassenett. Its ok to let her sleep in the swing or bouncer. They will out grow that one too. My son did this and now sleeps in his crib. Unless he is sick. Which he has been lately with ear tubes, runny nose, coughing. Also before you set her down again try lifting her arm and if it drops limp she is in a deep sleep if she stirs then she needs more rocking. I go by if my son is crying its because he needs something. Best of luck to you.

That sounds exactly like my daughter! We had to let her sleep in a bouncy seat until she was about 5 months old. She would sleep really well in it. So we let her. Don't worry she'll make the switch later. Do whatever you have to now. My daughter ended up having reflux which is why she wouldn't sleep laying down. Good luck

Read "Secrets of the Baby Whisperer" by Tracy Hogg. She'll teach you how to get your daughter to self-soothe and sleep on her own in a gentle, humane way without making her cry it out. As young as your daughter is, it should only take 3 or 4 days.
Good luck!

I haven't read any of the other responses, but my advice is to let her cry it out. It may be rough on everyone for a few nights, but she will learn a new pattern quickly. Either you train her or she trains you. Our 4 month old started waking up at 5am a few weeks ago. The first night I made sure he was ok (ie diaper, hungry, etc) and then I just let him cry it out. It took a few nights, but now he doesn't wake up that early. He has slept throught the night since he was 7 wks old. It's not because he's a "good baby," it's because we taught him how to sleep. Babywise is a great resource on getting babies to sleep through the night. You don't have to be super strict, just read the book and do what works for your family.

My baby will not sleep in his bassinet during the day.. will only sleep in the swing or bouncy seat.. I talked to my Dr. about this, and he said even as young as your baby, babies will develop a preference.. and apparently mine has a preference of sleeping "propped up" during the day. My Dr. said it's really no big deal-- we even told the daycare that he likes the swing or bouncy during the day. If she wakes up after a couple of times in her bassinet, either stay with her and pat her until she falls alseep (that works occasionally for me), or put her in the bouncy/swing so you both can get some sleep.

Do you suspect acid reflux at all? That can make it very uncomfortable for baby to lie flat. Silent reflux is hard to detect, but can cause this type of problem. I have 2 kids with silent reflux and what you are describing sounds very familiar. Good luck!

talk to your Dr about reflux. My son had it and I was up with him all night all the time after he was medicated he started sleeping throught the night. Reflux can cause long term damage and even throat cancer so I would see what your options are

Please read Babywise. Do not skim through it. Read it cover to cover.

I understand you are in a small apt. but the only way she will learn to sleep is on her own.

As for drowning out the crying you might want to try getting your husband a sound machine to put on his nightstand or even a box fan and turn it on high. Turn the box fan toward the wall so it will not blow any air on anyone.

This will drown out your daughter so your husband can sleep.

I use both of these at home to drown the noise so my daughter can nap and we can continue whatever it is we are doing w/o waking her.

http://www.target.com/Marpac-Dual-Speed-Sound-Machine-980...

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&p...

She may not be getting full when you feed her. Is she breast fed or bottle fed? If she is breast fed, she is probably just eating enough to take the edge off and then going back to sleep without getting full. She then is waking up again quickly, but you aren't feeding her again so she is then fussy. You might try feeding her from a bottle and make sure she gets a full amount.

Hey B.,
I haven't read the other responses so sorry if this is a repeat! I moved my little guy to his crib at about 8 weeks because he is such a big boy, he is really tall. Around 8 weeks I noticed he would just cry in the bassinet. Once I put him in his crib he was much more comfortable. By four months the bassinet is probably just too small for her. If you try the crib you may find that she will sleep for up to eight hours straight. I can't remember how long mine slept at that age but I know that somewhere in there he started pulling eight hours and it was so wonderful! I do know people however who have used the bouncy swing for a long time and I say whatever works, do it! Sleep is really important. I was like you though, I wanted him in his crib because I just felt that would give him the best rest. Best wishes whatever you decide to do!

You don't mention if you are breast-feeding or formula feeding. If you are doing formula, add more formula to the bottle to see if she's waking up because she is still hungry. My pediatrician recommended always having one more ounce of formula in the bottle than what we thought our twins were taking in (i.e., making a 5 oz bottle if they regularly drank 4 oz). If the bottle is drained, you don't know if it's enough or if more is needed. You might also move your daughter to a crib. They move around an amazing amount, even at that age, in their sleep. She may be feeling cramped. We were having awful problems with our boys and in desperation finally set up the cribs. We got 4 full hours the first night - it felt like we had vacationed at Club Med!

Put her in a baby crib. I know she seems too small but put her in the crib crossways, She needs more room to move around.
My boys only stayed the first week or two in the bassinet, then off to their room in their crib. The bassinet was good for naps, short sleeping periods. For the long haul thru the night she needs a bed. Good Luck.

Dear B. and other mom friends on MamaSource,
I saw this post and was saddened to see Babywise mentioned as an appropriate method of parenting. I encourage you to be aware of the dangers associated with Babywise. It was reported that the author even denounced his own research. Additionally, a warning was issued directly from the Academy of Pediatrics regarding this baby training method of crying it out. Here is a link to the review of this book from the baby "experts."

http://www.ezzo.info/feeding.htm

Now is the time to bond and build a trusting relationship with your baby, a foundation that will last a lifetime. Please take a look. Your baby will thank you a thousand times over...many years later of course! :)
Best of luck! It's tough navigating through all the advice out there. Sometimes, it's just best to go with what feels right for you and your child.

Sounds to mee like maybe she has reflux...with her fussing after being fed and then being laid down. If she is ok in the bouncer or swing, then she would be somewhat upright and that would help with the problem if it was reflux. Our son had reflux and we had to let him sleep in his car carrier at night until he was about 6 or 7 months old. I would lay him in it and set it in the bassinet. Worked like a charm... Maybe try that and see. Also ask your pedi about reflux. Just an idea...
Blessings,
S.

I also think it could be either that the baby is no longer comfortable in the bassinet OR it really sounds like reflux. My 2nd daughter had reflux and I was told it would peak around 4-7 months. And I was told to make sure the baby is at a 30 degree angle after eating / while sleeping and it makes a big difference. I ordered the wedge pillow- which was a bit pricey BUT it helped when I had to put the baby down just after a feeding. Otherwise we had to hold her upright for at least 30 minutes after eating. Reflux is always worse when they are lying flat. BUt if that is what it is she will outgrown it. My now 7 month old sleeps great through the night in her crib. We also put her in her crib at about 4-5 months....good luck.

I'd like to ALSO address Aimee's comments regarding babywise as an "unsafe" method. The problem is that the research she provides is untrue and one-sided. If you CAREFULLY read the babywise books, you'll note that Ezzo, over and over and over, states that it is PARENT DIRECTED (meaning the PARENT makes the decisions, not baby). The PARENT does what's best for baby. You are an adult, and YOU make the decisions. It's infuriating that Ezzo continually is misinterpreted. Everything I have followed from babywise has been in accordance with my pedi. I would DEFINITELY recommend babywise-the whole series.

It's painful, but you are going to have to let her cry a little...my 5-month old is now sleeping 12 hours a night, and goes down without crying, BUT, I had to set a timer and let her cry for several weeks. It was hard, but SOOOOO worth it! I know, you're thinking, she's an olympic cryer and sounds like I'm torturing her...my daughter has UNBELIEVABLE lungs. Your daughter is getting to the age where she knows what she's doing. You can tell if, when you walk away for a second she starts crying, and when you show up again, she stops on a dime, you know she's starting to manipulate. She knows that, if I cry, mommy picks me up. Doctors will even tell you you've got to let her start learning to self-soothe. I know it's so hard...find someone you can call or talk to while she's crying, so you can muster through it! It's hard, but totally worth it.

If she's 4 months old, she probably has a long way to go before she is too big for the swing. I would put her in it a couple of nights so you can get some sleep and re-energize a bit. Then, each night put the swing on a slower and slower setting, eventually until it is not moving when you put her in it. Then, transition her out of it.

My son really liked the swing as well, and this is how I moved him out of it.

Hi B.!
The same thing happened to me. My little girl is 4 1/2 months old now. She started getting very restless when I put her to bed in her co -sleeper next to our bed. She was doing great up until about 4 months. We moved her to her bed last Thursday night and she sleeps so much better now. I usually have to go in once in the middle of the night but that is about it. I don't rock her or nurse her to sleep any more. We have the same routine every night bath, massage, book, bed. That has helped. I agree with one of the other ladies about reading Baby Wise, Giving your Infant the Gift of Night Time Sleep. Your baby needs to also start learning to self soothe. I had to practice this with her naps during the day. It was easier than starting this at night. She used to only go to sleep in my arms or when I was nursing her. That isn't good. Now she falls asleep shortly after I put her down. Sometimes I have to pat her bottom a little if she crys but I don't pick her up. Also get her day time feedings and naps on a schedule as much as you can.
My husband needs his sleep for work as well. We have air purifiers in both our room and our daughters as well as a humidifier in hers. The baby monitor goes on my side of the bed and he never even hears her wake.
Sometimes when they wake up it's not because they want to eat. I was feeding her every time she woke up because she seemed like was hungry. She just wanted to nurse for comfort. This was not the right thing to do for me. Also, my baby is a side sleeper and when I had her in her co-sleeper she would wake up because she rolled over on to her back. If I flipped her back on her side she fell back to sleep. Now that she is rolling over she gets her self back where she is comfortable. Good luck with every thing. Let me know if we can help any more.

I know you must be exhausted. Whoever coined the phrase "sleep like a baby" must not have had one!

My son did this. Finally I just let him sleep in his bouncer. I worried that he would always want to sleep propped up and that I'd have to buy him a lazy boy recliner for his room instead of a bed when he got bigger. :)

Somewhere around 5 or 6 months he was happy going back to his crib. I think it was when he got good at rolling and moving around and being able to be more in control of his body and getting comfortable. He is now 8 and a great sleeper. I had to drag him out of bed this morning because he was so cozy with it being so chilly out.

Trust that this is a phase and will pass. I know its hard because your so tired and sleep deprived, but it does get easier. Hang in there mama!

First unlike the Dr.s I believe that even you do not sleep on your back all the time. Have you tried her side or stomach. Also play some soft music as background noise. When she wakes up she will hear it and hopefully go back to sleep. This worked for both of my children. Good luck, mom needs the sleep also.

First of all--my suggestion is to forget about everyone else. you are not going to keep a baby from crying and you are going to be exhauseted from trying to keep her quiet. It is not in children's nature!!!
Second, it may be time for a bigger bed! maybe she is uncomfortable in the bassinet. 4 month old baby's are known not to sleep through the night.