f/u to nap help needed (super long again!)

SanHawaii08 · July 2011

first off, thanks for all the ideas/commiseration! I haven't had a chance to post lately, so i've been lurking when I can.

when we left off Wink E was so overtired that he basically couldn't sleep well at anytime anymore. naps were 33 min long, and he started waking up a lot at night. I think it was a combination of separation anxiety, developmental milestones (army crawling, pulling to standing, getting up on all fours and trying to crawl), and teething! to combat the overtiredness, we tried a *super* early bedtime and put him down at 4:10pm(!!) one day. he still woke up several times that night, but ended up sleeping way more overall. we did 4:45pm the next night, and back to 5:15-5:30 after that. things have been much better since then. i think it was a combination of breaking the cycle of overtiredness, and also just waiting out the other issues. oh, and we also started swaddling with one arm out and introduced a lovey, which he seems to like! he's still getting up at 4:30, but at least he'll hang out in his crib quietly until after 5. next step, pushing is wake-up time back to 5:30 (or some day, 6! dare I dream?)...

vanilla15 - at bedtime, we do diaper, nurse, book, bed. we used to to nurse, book, diaper, bed, but diaper would wake him up too much. he often still falls asleep nursing, but book is enough to wake him just enough to put him to bed drowsy. maybe you could try something like that?

eacerna - good point re teething and clinging-ness! maybe it wasn't separation anxiety at all, maybe it was just teething! no top teeth yet though, but i do think his gums are swollen, and had to give him tylenol the other night b/c he was waking up every 35-45 minutes. i hope your E is starting to sleep better too!

sanae78 - E's always had a super early bedtime, between 5-7pm since he was about 3 months, and it's been at 5-5:30 ever since. Sad I keep wanting to push it back, but there always seems to be something that gets in the way - dropping MOTN wakings (after sleeping the same total amount, he'd wake up earlier), dropping his third nap, then this. before this, he did have a few days of sleeping 5:30-5:30, but now it's consistently 5:30-4:30. i'm determined to start pushing his bedtime back now! it's just so hard, b/c he can barely stay awake until 5:30 as it is, he's a terrible napper and is usually up from his second nap by 1pm. sigh. your "consistently inconsistent" comment made me laugh - that's exactly how i feel! and as soon as i feel like there's a bit more consistency, it all falls apart again, heh.

mauiwedding08 - yes, that is a consolation!! haha. E's always been a better nighttime sleeper, but with the poor naps, he usually doesn't get the "recommended" 14 hours of total sleep. when he did a few 12 hr nights, i was feeling pretty hopeful, but it seems we're back to 11 hours. it's pretty common for him to take 2 naps for 30-40 min each, though sometimes his first nap will be 1-1.5hr. I hope as he gets older, his naps get longer and more consistent!

mrspresley - i did try pu/pd - for about 5 min. hah. E is heavy!! my arms and back were about to give out after just a few Stick out tongue and he would start screaming on his way down, before he even touched the mattress. so I was basically was doing bicep curls with him was that not the case with miss A? I never really understood how pu/pd works, and after reading in the baby whisperer that she's done it 100+ times before baby went to sleep, my only thought was, i bet that baby wasn't close to 20lb!

inamra - that's a good attitude to have. i really need to loosen up about sleep, b/c i stress WAY too much about it!!

eacerna · July 2011

]

SanHawaii08:

I think it was a combination of separation anxiety, developmental milestones (army crawling, pulling to standing, getting up on all fours and trying to crawl), and teething!

What a deadly combination!!! lol

I am glad to hear things are slowly looking up :-). My E is back to her normal self, sleep is better (back to STTN) but she has runny nose and isn't drinking as much milk. Same exact thing happened before she cut her first tooth so I still blame teething Stick out tongue . I have not given my E any baby tylenol as I am not a big fan of drugs especially for babies. Not sure if it really works but I have LO wear an amber teething necklace when she's sleeping (around her ankle). Worth giving it a shot?

i can just imagine pu/pd a 20 lb baby! at least you get a good workout Stick out tongue

wow 410 pm is kinda early for a bedtime. sometimes when i p/u LO from daycare (~530-600p), she falls asleep on the ride home. I just let her nap but make sure she does not sleep past 8 pm. if she does wake up, we play a lil bit. if she's cranky then we do a quick bath and then last bottle for the night.

inamra · July 2011

Good to hear things are getting better! and that everyone's gradually getting more sleep overall

Haha, I think I was just as stressed as you were (if not more!) over napping and I still am sometimes but I didn't really decide to just let things go--it was because I had no choice and everything I tried failed =P

Hope things continue to move uphill for you guys!

vanilla15 · July 2011

that is great that things seem to be improving for you & E in the sleep department. I have no improvements to report on my front, but I did order No Cry Sleep Solutions today! I have high hopes for this book!! (and my will to follow through) Stick out tongue

sanae78 · July 2011

SanHawaii08:
he usually doesn't get the "recommended" 14 hours of total sleep. when he did a few 12 hr nights, i was feeling pretty hopeful, but it seems we're back to 11 hours. it's pretty common for him to take 2 naps for 30-40 min each, though sometimes his first nap will be 1-1.5hr. I hope as he gets older, his naps get longer and more consistent!

K has never gotten the "recommended" amount of sleep. EVER. For her age now she should be getting around 13 hours and I'd say she typically gets 11-12 total. She was doing well sleeping 11-12 hours straight at night for, oh, maybe a week. And now she's back to about 10 hours. And about a 1 hour nap.

But then again, the "recommended" amount differs, depending on where you look. In the Ferber book it says a 9 month old should get 12 1/4 hours total sleep (9 1/2 night and 2 3/4 day). Baby Center says 14 hours total. So maybe E is just getting as much as he needs. FWIW, our pedi said that smart kids sleep less. Guess they want to be awake and learning. Stick out tongue

mrspresley · July 2011

SanHawaii08:
mrspresley - i did try pu/pd - for about 5 min. hah. E is heavy!! my arms and back were about to give out after just a few and he would start screaming on his way down, before he even touched the mattress. so I was basically was doing bicep curls with him was that not the case with miss A? I never really understood how pu/pd works, and after reading in the baby whisperer that she's done it 100+ times before baby went to sleep, my only thought was, i bet that baby wasn't close to 20lb!

glad things are getting better!

yes when we did pu/pd she would cry the instant she felt me putting her back down but you're supposed to just keep putting them down and then pick them back up so I'd do that. she wasn't 20 lbs when i was doing it though LOL it was really hard, esp since she kept crying but after a gazillion times she'd start to settle. I am just glad I did not have to do it for very long! and she got better with each subsequent time... first time was over an hour and then after that each time was about 30 min until it finally started to taper off

every baby is different so you do what you have to do and what works for E!

Want a personalized experience?

f/u to nap help needed (super long again!)

Re: f/u to nap help needed (super long again!)

Choose Another Board

Search Boards