Our newborn is an insanely bad sleeper - any advice?

My oldest was a crappy sleeper until he was around three. It was awful.

All I can say is that routines helped, but the one thing that allowed us all to sleep was co-sleeping. He slept better and longer when he slept with me. I know it isn't everyone's thing, but it worked for us. 

Oh, I remember it so well. My only was just like this. It was so hard and we were so tired. Everyone would just say, enjoy that baby, but that was so hard when we were so tired.

We tried everything the books said to do but we weren't prepared to CIO with a baby that young.

The solution we came up with was shifts. We would split the work and get as much sleep as we could until time for the next person to take over. Because I was nursing that wasn't all that long, but it got better. I would sleep while nursing - I would have my husband sleep in the other room and I would co-sleep with baby. That worked well for a while.

Before long you may be able to start establishing a schedule. That made a big difference for us when we were finally able to do that.

I remember so well. So much sympathy, it was terrible. Do you have a teenage neighbor who might hold baby for a bit while you nap?

I have no advice but sending good thoughts and prayers. It's tough. Hang in there!

It sound like your are trying all the things that are out there. My oldest was a dream. I read Happiest Baby on the Block, used all those tools and it worked magically. My youngest didn't sleep the night until 21 months old. It was terrible for all of us. Lots of crying going on in our house between him and me. Hang in there.

My youngest did have reflux and we got the fisher price rock and play sleeper and he slept in that next to me until he learned to roll over. He slept much better in the upright position. He also loved the vibrating bouncy seat.

Are you wearing him during the day? That would free your hands. Have you talked to the pediatrician? Could there be a physical issue, i.e.: reflux, that's causing this? Have you considered chiropractic adjustment? Sometimes birth gets little ones' all wonky. We have a family friend (chiropractor) who adjusted his grandkids within a day of birth. I had a friend tell a story of a baby she cared for that never stopped crying. In desperation they took him to the chiro at three weeks of age. A gentle adjustment made him instantly stop crying and he was the most content babe after.

My sympathies. My eldest didn't sleep at night until he was 4 years (and three months) old. With one glorious exception (one night during those years). We tried absolutely every trick in all the books.....nothing worked. 

Have you tried white noise of some sort? DD was a terrible sleeper too but we could get her to go to sleep if we ran the vacuum for a while. That thing was so noisy but we could see her visibly relax when we turned it on.

If you go that route, get a Marpac white noise machine.  They are now selling them at Bed bath and beyond and you can use the coupon.  Those were a lifesaver for my kids.
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Have you taken him to the ped to see if he has reflux or GERD? Both present like that.

Dd had to sleep inclined as did ds. We proped up the matress and then used a swaddle blanket to stop theur butt from sliding down. They were both put on meds as well. And both were switched on different formulas.

A friend who breast fed had to cut a lot of foods from her diet to help.

Dd disnt cry but ds did! He was severely colicy. We had no idea dd had gerd u til she vomited blood. Then she had the swallow study and boom we knew.

Yes, I would try this first.  DD however was not at all interested in that.  We played around with some different things like a white noise machine, static on the radio, running water before we discovered that the vacuum was just the right sound for her.  So I guess my point is, you may have to experiment a little before you find what works.