Bounty

Your questions answered by Jo Tantum of Greatvine.com.

My 3-week-old baby used to be such a brilliant sleeper that she would sleep anywhere. Now she doesn’t seem to sleep at all and when I try and get her to sleep at night she just seems to scream for hours. I am so tired and feel like a rubbish Mum.

When your baby was first born she was very tired and was happy to sleep all the time. After 2 weeks your baby has now started to wake up which is very normal. She is starting to take an interest in the world around her and doesn’t want to miss a thing.

Nap time

You will need to put her down for her naps somewhere where she can switch off and have some quiet. Using her Nursery for daytime naps is a great idea, as it will get her used to it. Close the blinds/curtains so that she isn’t stimulated by light, swaddle her to stop the “startle” reflex and leave the room.

Small babies sleep a lot, so she can only stay awake for about an hour before she starts getting tired. Make sure that you put her down before she gets overtired.

Signs of tiredness are a short cry, staring into space and yawning. When you see her do these things, if you take her to her nursery straight away she will learn how to settle herself very quickly.

Overtired

When your baby screams at night it is because she is overtired and over stimulated. To stop her getting distressed have her night time feed with low lights and no talking or noise. You will soon find that she will settle more easily in the day and night and you will soon start to enjoy your baby more as you come to understand her better.

Jo Tantum

Author of the best-selling book “Baby Secrets”, Jo Tantum is a baby sleep and twin’s specialist and the sleep expert for Prima Baby magazine. Jo’s own pioneering sleep technique, “Spaced Soothing” is a failsafe method that teaches babies to enjoy their sleep and empowers parents to understand their babies better. For individual advice you can trust, book a private phone call with Jo at www.greatvine.com/jo_tantum

* The information in these answers is not a substitute for examination, diagnosis or treatment by a Health Care Professional. If you are worried, please consult your HCP.

Greatvine.com offers individual advice, by phone, direct from the country’s best parenting experts.