sleep help!

EmmieB

ok - let me preface this by saying that once i'm in bed with him and it's dark he sleeps anywhere from 3-5 hours at a time, so nights are good as far as i'm concerned.

but during the day he'll sleep for 15 minutes and then wake himself up and be awake for a couple of hours and then power nap again and by the end of the day it's meltdown crankypants house here. 

If I wear him he's better, but he's still only sleeping in 20-45 minute cycles.

Please, please tell me this is a phase. He needs sleep whether he likes it or not!

NorcalLinds

Do you have a swing? Logan needed to sleep on me for all naps and bedtime for awhile. The swing helped and so did the bouncy chair. I was able to sqeeze in a shower or nap. I also got out and about a ton! He slept really well at the mall.

Lesley423

Unfortunately that's how it is at my house.  Our little guy will only sleep 30 minutes at a time during the day and he usually only takes 2 naps a day.  At night though he'll sleep from 6pm until 6:45am (getting up once to feed) so he makes up for the lost sleep at night. 

In order to prevent him from being fussy later in the day we really try and have his 2nd nap be in the afternoon so he isn't up too long before bedtime.  It's tough.  

ashleyhuney

Where is he sleeping?  J wouldn't sleep flat by himself for a long time, especially for naps.  So he slept in a swing or the amby.  I was a little worried about creating bad habits, but decided that whatever got the most sleep for the most amount of people was most important.  And surprisingly he transfered out of the swing into the amby without a problem when he was ready and into the crib when he was ready.  Other than a few months of reverse cycling hunger he's slept well, but I know if I'd tried to push sleeping flat nobody would have slept.  Oh, and I'll tell you it's a phase, because almost everything is

EmmieB

We don't have a swing, but he falls asleep without a problem in the rocker, which I don't mind because I just read to him (whatever I'm reading) and I transferred him to his crib about fifteen minutes ago without any fussing at all.

He's got a wedge in his crib, so he's only ever laying flat if he's on his movement mat or the changing table - both of which he loves when he's rested. 

I think I'm just going to be pro-active and start the "it's naptime" process after he's been up for two(ish) hours so he doesn't get over tired. And if he sleeps, yay, and if not, maybe the quiet time will be enough that he won't be fussypants.

 

Thanks, guys!

 

ps-  if my plan doesn't work, I see a trip to buy a swing in our future.

Celyn

He's probably still in 90 minute cycles.  I would watch for cues of being ready at that 90 minute mark.  If you wait too long, then it's over-stimulation time and he won't be able to get restful sleep, which becomes a big vicious cycle.

If you're into podcasts, the basic HUGYOURBABY one is pretty good.

EmmieB

Celyn:

He's probably still in 90 minute cycles.  I would watch for cues of being ready at that 90 minute mark.  If you wait too long, then it's over-stimulation time and he won't be able to get restful sleep, which becomes a big vicious cycle.

If you're into podcasts, the basic HUGYOURBABY one is pretty good.

thanks!

megan0071234

DD would not sleep well unless she was bundled up like a baby burrito. Have you tried wrapping him up to see if he doesn't jerk himself awake or whack himself with his arms (lindy would wonk herself in the head with an errant arm all the time). But she did use it day & night for almost her whole first year.

futrkingsley

EmmieB:

Celyn:

He's probably still in 90 minute cycles.  I would watch for cues of being ready at that 90 minute mark.  If you wait too long, then it's over-stimulation time and he won't be able to get restful sleep, which becomes a big vicious cycle.

If you're into podcasts, the basic HUGYOURBABY one is pretty good.

thanks!

 C was exactly like you describe at that age.  I distinctly remember complaining that he went a whole day without napping when he was 2 months old.  It was awful. And I sucked at helping him get sleep.  I will totally own that.  I didn't see his cues and didn't do anything other than nurse him on demand -- usually that put him to sleep but apparently on that day it failed.

Anyway, I eventually got a few sleep books from the library and the one that helped most was the one that encouraged me to look for 90 minute cycles.  Viola!  A baby who napped!  It rocked for a long long time.  And if we missed one window, we knew he was up for another 90 minutes and we wouldn't waste that time trying and failing to get him to sleep.  Which relieved a ton of stress. 

Oh and when I say he napped, I mean he took 30 to 45 minute naps several times a day.  He was sleeping a total of about 14 hours a day (12 or so at night with breaks for nursing) plus another 2 hours during the day in naps. So it wasn't as if he suddenly started taking 3 hour naps.  Those didn't come until he dropped down to one nap and got in that groove (which started at 11 months and took until 14 months to really work for him).

Good luck!

MrsJewell

swaddeling works wonders for us! Do you do that at night??? Other than that it's the swing!

pkw

EJ is totally in the 90 minute cycle...hardcore.

We are still learning how to juggle it at home....when we are out he lulls in and out of sleep as he pleases with minimal fuss (usually only when he wants to eat) but at home we are still struggling a little to figure out how to manage his needs in his "window of opportunity."  

When we are spot on....we get 45-60 minute naps...4 times a day....when we are off....we get 3 naps....but stilly usually around 40 minutes.

For us his first nap of the day is the easiest to manage...he gets swaddled some food, some rocking with some singing (I turn the radio on low and sing along, he loves it) and before I know it he is drowsy so we put him down and he is out for about an hour. 

pkw

futrkingsley:

EmmieB:

Celyn:

He's probably still in 90 minute cycles.  I would watch for cues of being ready at that 90 minute mark.  If you wait too long, then it's over-stimulation time and he won't be able to get restful sleep, which becomes a big vicious cycle.

If you're into podcasts, the basic HUGYOURBABY one is pretty good.

thanks!

 C was exactly like you describe at that age.  I distinctly remember complaining that he went a whole day without napping when he was 2 months old.  It was awful. And I sucked at helping him get sleep.  I will totally own that.  I didn't see his cues and didn't do anything other than nurse him on demand -- usually that put him to sleep but apparently on that day it failed.

Anyway, I eventually got a few sleep books from the library and the one that helped most was the one that encouraged me to look for 90 minute cycles.  Viola!  A baby who napped!  It rocked for a long long time.  And if we missed one window, we knew he was up for another 90 minutes and we wouldn't waste that time trying and failing to get him to sleep.  Which relieved a ton of stress. 

Oh and when I say he napped, I mean he took 30 to 45 minute naps several times a day.  He was sleeping a total of about 14 hours a day (12 or so at night with breaks for nursing) plus another 2 hours during the day in naps. So it wasn't as if he suddenly started taking 3 hour naps.  Those didn't come until he dropped down to one nap and got in that groove (which started at 11 months and took until 14 months to really work for him).

Good luck!

Which book did you find most helpful?  I have seen a couple on the 9- min cycle... 

EmmieB

MrsJewell:

swaddeling works wonders for us! Do you do that at night??? Other than that it's the swing!

He let us know about a week or so ago that he is FINISHED being swaddled. He fusses and flails and the minute he gets it undone he settles and is happy.  

EmmieB

PKW:

futrkingsley:

EmmieB:

Celyn:

He's probably still in 90 minute cycles.  I would watch for cues of being ready at that 90 minute mark.  If you wait too long, then it's over-stimulation time and he won't be able to get restful sleep, which becomes a big vicious cycle.

If you're into podcasts, the basic HUGYOURBABY one is pretty good.

thanks!

 C was exactly like you describe at that age.  I distinctly remember complaining that he went a whole day without napping when he was 2 months old.  It was awful. And I sucked at helping him get sleep.  I will totally own that.  I didn't see his cues and didn't do anything other than nurse him on demand -- usually that put him to sleep but apparently on that day it failed.

Anyway, I eventually got a few sleep books from the library and the one that helped most was the one that encouraged me to look for 90 minute cycles.  Viola!  A baby who napped!  It rocked for a long long time.  And if we missed one window, we knew he was up for another 90 minutes and we wouldn't waste that time trying and failing to get him to sleep.  Which relieved a ton of stress. 

Oh and when I say he napped, I mean he took 30 to 45 minute naps several times a day.  He was sleeping a total of about 14 hours a day (12 or so at night with breaks for nursing) plus another 2 hours during the day in naps. So it wasn't as if he suddenly started taking 3 hour naps.  Those didn't come until he dropped down to one nap and got in that groove (which started at 11 months and took until 14 months to really work for him).

Good luck!

Which book did you find most helpful?  I have seen a couple on the 9- min cycle... 

I'm thinking that's where we're at - the 90 minute schedule. I'll take book recs, too!

 

futrkingsley

I borrowed this book from the library because it's what they had and I found it useful enough to help me.  The 90-Minute Baby Sleep Program: Follow Your Child's Natural Sleep Rhythms for Better Nights and Naps.