Baby won't sleep unless being held - is this normal?

4d ago1 min read

My son is 3 weeks old and literally will not sleep in the bassinet. The second I put him down he cries. I've tried swaddling, white noise, warming up the mattress, everything. My wife and I are taking shifts just holding him all night. I'm exhausted but also worried we're doing something wrong. Do I need to let him cry it out or is he still too young for that? Any advice would be appreciated, I'm running on fumes here.

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Comments(7)

BBrandonRegular3d ago

Totally normal at 3 weeks. My son was the exact same way. The bassinet is cold and flat and lonely compared to being held. What worked for us was warming up the bassinet with a heating pad before laying him down, and sometimes just sleeping with him nearby on my chest for naps first.

BBrianRegular4d ago

Yeah this is the newborn phase in a nutshell. They want to be close to you - it's not a bad habit, it's just how they are right now. Some people swear by those little sleeper pods that make the space feel more enclosed. Either way, the holding phase does pass eventually.

BBrianRegular4d ago

Three weeks old being fussy about the bassinet is completely expected. White noise machine helped us a ton. Also maybe try swaddling him tighter - some babies sleep better when they feel contained. And honestly at 3 weeks just hold him when he needs it. You're not creating bad habits this early.

DDavid R.New Dad3d ago

At 3 weeks you're still in the newborn phase where they really do just want to be held. I remember reading that their circadian rhythms aren't even developed yet. It changes, I promise. Hang in there.

RRyanRegular4d ago

This was literally me 8 months ago and I felt like I was losing my mind. Turns out it's totally normal though, something about how safe it feels. The good news is it does get better. Have you tried contact napping in shifts with your partner?

CCarlosNew Dad3d ago

One thing that helped us was white noise and making sure the bassinet was as close to body temperature as possible. Sometimes it's just about making the transition feel less scary to them. Every kid is different though.

RRyanRegular4d ago

This was my life for months. It gets better but man is it exhausting in the moment. Make sure you're taking shifts with your partner if you have one. You can't function on zero sleep.