Son won't sleep unless I'm holding him - is this normal?

Jul 31·1 min read

My boy is 3 weeks old and literally will not sleep in the bassinet. The second I put him down he starts crying. I've tried everything - white noise, heating the mattress, making sure he's fed. Nothing works. My wife says it's a phase but I'm going crazy on like 45 minutes of broken sleep. Anyone else deal with this? When does it get better?

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Comments(4)

LLucas M.RegularJul 31

Yeah this is completely normal. The good news is it does pass, usually by 4-6 weeks. In the meantime, look up contact napping - it's rough but temporary. Have you tried white noise in the bassinet?

LLucas M.RegularJul 31

Oh man, welcome to the club. I'm still dealing with this with my newborn and my toddler at the same time. Honestly some nights I just lean into it and let him sleep on my chest. The bassinet will happen when it happens.

BBrian M.RegularAug 1

Totally normal dude. Mine did the exact same thing at 3 weeks. It's called the fourth trimester - he basically wants to be back in the womb feeling your warmth and hearing your heartbeat. You're doing everything right even though it's exhausting.

JJoshuaExperiencedAug 1

Three weeks in and you're already looking for solutions - that's great parenting right there. But seriously, don't stress too much yet. This phase is temporary and he's telling you what he needs.