Sleeping/Naps

Re: Sleeping/Naps

• Lisa Frank member

  July 2011

  Firstly, I wouldn't worry about the swing and naps. Tackle one thing at a time right now, and I'd say you want to tackle the night sleep first.

  Have you tried putting him down in the crib and seeing what happens? It might take some getting used to for him to fall asleep there originally, but he will get the hang of it eventually.  If you know he can sleep in there from 10-2:30, you know he can do the crib, so that's a great start.  

  Does he take a paci?? How much is he eating at the 2:30 feeding? Are the 2oz being taken at the 5am feed? I might feed at 2:30 (as long as he is still taking a full feed then) since your LO might still need a MOTN feeding, but then at 5, either hold him off with the paci or stick him in the swing until your desired waketime.  I would try not to feed him though until you are ready to be up for the day. 

  My LO likes to wake about 5am too, but our waketime is 6-6:30. There are some days where I hold her off with the paci until then, and some days where I put her in the swing until it's time to get up. I keep the room dim, though. Eventually, she will start realizing that 5am is not time to eat It's exactly how I did it with my DS and it worked perfectly (except he didn't take a paci so it was more swing time than anything).  

  Get Tracy Hogg's Secrets of the Baby Whisperer. I highly recommend it!
  

  
  
  
  

  Report0 Reply
• Loading the player...
• estrandt

  July 2011

  Hello.  I have also been a lurker for a long time, this is my first post!  I have a similar issue with LO.  We are trying to get her used to sleeping in her crib (has been sleeping in a small bassinett type thing since birth).  She gets up every 3 hours or so and eats a couple of ounces.  She doesnt eat large amounts at feedings, just snacks (2-4 ounces) every couple of hours.  We put her down around 930 or 10 and in the night she wakes up between 1230 and 2, eats a couple of ounces before falling back to sleep for a couple of more hours. . I am looking for any input from you ladies on getting her to eat more at a time/sleep longer!  : )

   

  

  Report0 Reply
• KateandKevin

  July 2011

  I do try to put him in his crib first. He squirms and grunts for 45 mintues before he falls asleep. Maybe since he isn't crying I should just suck it up and let him be for that 45 minutes. He's not unhappy just kinda fussy about it. He doesn't mind his crib.  He has been in it for 2 weeks now. So the crib isn't the problem. He's not a fan of the pacifier. I try but he just spits it out. I feed him at 9:30 -10 and eats 6 ounces. Then again at 2:30 he eats 5- 6 ounces. Then at 5:30 he just snacks and takes 2 ounces but there is 6 ounces in the bottle. So I don't think he's really hungry. Just wants to get up for the day. I've thought about not feeding him at 5:30 and putting him the swing but I'm worried the swing is a bad habit to get into.

   Thanks I'll get that book. I just finished. healthy sleep habits, happy child. Thats where I got that the swing isn't good to get used to and I should turn it off once he falls asleep.

   Thanks for responding!

  Report0 Reply
• KateandKevin

  July 2011

  I read in the healthy sleep habitls, happy child book that the earlier you put the baby to bed the longer the baby will sleep.

  I was noticing that my son was getting tired at 8:30 but I was trying to keep him up till 9:30 -10 with the thought that the longer he stays up the more tired he will be and the longer he will sleep but my way wasn't working so I  decided to try what the book says.. The book says if I let him get to the over tired state that he was in that he won't get into the deep sleep that lets him sleep longer. After I stopped fighting him he did start sleeping till 2:30. It hasn't fixed the 5:30 wake up but he's no longer waking up at 12:30 like he used to.  Try putting your daughter down a little earlier. The book says to try 20 minutes earlier every 4 days.

  Report0 Reply
• Lisa Frank member

  July 2011

  HSHHC is another favorite book of mine. 

  Sounds like you and your little guy are on the right track.  And if he's not upset, I would totally leave him be. You suggested below to the other poster about moving back bedtime. Have you considered trying that with him?? I think once you get a nap routine in place, that will happen on it's own too.

  So, regarding the 5am feeding. I would definitely use the swing!! Eventually he will learn that he won't be eating then, and there might even be some days where he settles himself back to sleep. We had a lot of 5am wakings going on a few weeks ago, but being consistent about trying the paci/swing has really paid off.  I've had to use the swing maybe twice in the last week, otherwise, she's starting to sleep through that time. I have a swing in the nursery, so that helps as far as the morning transfer goes.
  

  The other option is to feed him and put him right back to bed. Treat it as a middle of the night feeding.  Since his bedtime is 8:30ish, that would put your a.m. waketime sometime between 6:30-8:30am (you want 10-12 hours between bed and waketime, I think Weissbluth mentions this as well).  I'd see if maybe he will sleep to 7 or 8 and then take a full feed?? 

  Good luck!
  

  
  
  
  

  Report0 Reply