Rant - Feeling so hopeless about sleep!

[NotNic]

I think that if they stop crying completely then teeth probably isn't the main reason for them being awake. That said, sometimes a niggling pain (not enough to make them wail) is enough to stop them from settling into a deep sleep. If F cries in the night I tend to go in and tuck him back in and give him his dummy. If he doesn't calm down straight away or cries quite soon after, I repeat twice more. Third go I add teething gel. If after these few goes he still won't calm down, I give him medicine and maybe teething granules too to get him out of the tizz. If he's had a bad teething day I tend to use the gel sooner and give him nurofen before bed.

 

[stephie_corin]

Thanks NN! Really appreciate it xxx

 

[Twister]

Ok, so I've just put her in her cot. She's quiet right now, so that means I don't go in right? Only when she's crying? The only thing is that she keeps flipping over and removing her dummy, can i go in to flip her back and reinsert dummy or do i stick to the intervals? Sorry for the dumb question.

 

[Boo44]

Good luck twister and stephie. I too am totally nervous tonight about bed time after last night's epic fail. I actually feel nauseous as bed time approaches. What a drama queen!!

Twister, I have never done CC but I would say that if she's not crying, don't go in. If she's upset by the flipping she will begin to cry and that's when I would implement the 3 minute start.

Thank you for posting that today. I have memorised it as I'm preparing to need it if this phase turns out to be separation anxiety....

 

[bananaz]

Ok, so I've just put her in her cot. She's quiet right now, so that means I don't go in right? Only when she's crying? The only thing is that she keeps flipping over and removing her dummy, can i go in to flip her back and reinsert dummy or do i stick to the intervals? Sorry for the dumb question.

Don't go in unless she's upset, even if she's flipping over. Stick with the intervals

 

[Twister]

Thanks boo and bananaz. She started crying shortly after so I started timing from then.

Another question: is it ok to use a dummy? Considering I'm not doing it for the purpose of dummy weaning. And when lo wakes in the night simply popping a dummy in doesn't work. Or is it best to not use one? I just went in after the first 10min interval, reinserted her dummy and now she's asleep. Did I do it wrong?

Completely forgot to ask about this earlier I hope I haven't messed it up

 

[Noelle610]

Two schools of thought on the dummy. Some say it's fine and others say ditch it. I think it's fine. During the day I'd try teaching her to re-insert it herself.

 

[Boo44]

We have a dummy. In fact I put 4 in his cot on a night! Works fab for us and like noelle says, he has been able to find it and put it in himself for ages now x

 

[Boo44]

Girls can I have nap advice (again sorry if I'm boring you now!)

This is our schedule currently:

7 ish wake up
10.30-11.30 nap 1
3-3.45 nap 2
7.30 bed time

I have a few issues - I am waking him at the end of both naps to cap them. I get the feeling he'd sleep for much longer. It feels a bit wrong to prematurely wake him, especially at 11.30am each day.
He's not very tired at bed time. On a good day he will take 10 mins to fall asleep. Not that long, but again, I feel he's happy to be awake and playing at that time and I'm almost 'forcing' bed time onto him.

Should I stick with it as it is?

PS - update re tonight - he seems to have gone down with only approx 30 seconds of crying. I am so happy! I gave him both naps at home today to reinforce self settling, and he managed it both times, albeit with 10 mins of crying at nap 2

 

[Noelle610]

Girls can I have nap advice (again sorry if I'm boring you now!)

This is our schedule currently:

7 ish wake up
10.30-11.30 nap 1
3-3.45 nap 2
7.30 bed time

I have a few issues - I am waking him at the end of both naps to cap them. I get the feeling he'd sleep for much longer. It feels a bit wrong to prematurely wake him, especially at 11.30am each day.
He's not very tired at bed time. On a good day he will take 10 mins to fall asleep. Not that long, but again, I feel he's happy to be awake and playing at that time and I'm almost 'forcing' bed time onto him.

Should I stick with it as it is?

PS - update re tonight - he seems to have gone down with only approx 30 seconds of crying. I am so happy! I gave him both naps at home today to reinforce self settling, and he managed it both times, albeit with 10 mins of crying at nap 2

Hey hun. I would tweak you're schedule a bit. Try putting him down for that first nap earlier - try 10am. Wake him at 11am. Then do your second nap at 2:30pm and let him sleep no later than 4pm. Perhaps try around 7:30/8 for bedtime and see how it goes. If he's falling asleep in ten minutes, he's likely just at that magic moment where he is tired, but not fussy and overtired. That's a good thing! But I think you could try what I've suggested if you want to let him sleep slightly longer during the day.

 

[Tess.ie]

Twister I used CC with Chloe and unless something is really bothering her like teeth, or I let her get overtired she now goes off to sleep with only a minutes grizzle. Naps and bedtime. It was hard to hear her cry, but now so worth it. I hope it goes well for you, just be consistent. Fingers crossed

 

[Boo44]

Ok I may give that a go thanks Noelle. I think the 10.30 came from (historically) learning that the longer you push that first nap, the less likely they are to wake early in the morning. However I think we've proved that not to be the case haha. 10am may be a good thing then I can get his second nap earlier which will suit his child carers better too

What is charlotte's nap routine these days? X

 

[Noelle610]

Ours looks something like this

6:30am wake
9:00am-10:00am nap 1
1:30pm-3:00pm nap 2
7pm bedtime

I'm loving this schedule!

 

[bananaz]

Ours looks something like this

6:30am wake
9:00am-10:00am nap 1
1:30pm-3:00pm nap 2
7pm bedtime

I'm loving this schedule!

Wow she'll go down after only being awake for 2.5 hours? I would LOVE a schedule like that. Right now our schedule looks like this...

6:00am wake
???? totally random
7:00pm bedtime

Damn these nap transitions

 

[Tess.ie]

Noelle our day is much like your schedule, except for a 6.30ish bedtime, but Chloe keeps waking every 20-45 mins after she goes to bed and does that till her first feed round 10ish. Not necessarily having to go to her each time she cries but she is maybe waking between sleep cycles. Would 6pm bed be better?

 

[polaris]

DS's schedule was very similar to Charlotte's, except that he was always awake by 6 a.m. at the latest and usually in bed by 6.30 p.m. Naps were 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. so far as I can remember (but maybe 1.30, not sure now).

DD's schedule is similar except that she tends to sleep later in the mornings.
At the moment at 8.5 months:
Wakes: usually between 7 and 7.30.
Nap 1: 10 to 11 (if she wakes earlier than usual she will nap 9.30 to 11)
Nap 2: 2 to 3.30
Bedtime: 7 p.m.
What happens after that is totally unpredictable from night to night! But at least she's in a good routine in the daytime now!

 

[seaweed eater]

Good luck Stephie and Twister. Boo, so glad tonight went better

I hate that feeling of being nervous about bedtime. I've been feeling that every day lately.

Stephie, I can't say for sure that the Monday night fiasco was due to teething pain, although it seems likely given that the tooth cut the next morning -- but Munchkin did settle when held and then scream when put down. So I don't think the pattern you are describing is inconsistent with teething. But I think it is consistent with a lot of other things as well. Sorry, that's about the least helpful response I could have written, maybe?

Last night wasn't bad. We gave a dose of ibuprofen at 7:30 and LO woke once before 3:30, but then every 45-60 mins. 3:30 is when the dose was supposed to wear off, so I'm thinking it may not be a coincidence? I don't know how to tell whether to give him another one. He was actually not difficult to put down, just, as NN said, never seemed to really sleep deeply afterward. Will probably give a second dose after 8 hours tonight.

 

[Noelle610]

Ours looks something like this

6:30am wake
9:00am-10:00am nap 1
1:30pm-3:00pm nap 2
7pm bedtime

I'm loving this schedule!

Wow she'll go down after only being awake for 2.5 hours? I would LOVE a schedule like that. Right now our schedule looks like this...

6:00am wake
???? totally random
7:00pm bedtime

Damn these nap transitions

I know, I know. The experts would say I should stretch that first awake time to at least 3 hours but this just works well for her. And I like the break, honestly.

 

[Noelle610]

Noelle our day is much like your schedule, except for a 6.30ish bedtime, but Chloe keeps waking every 20-45 mins after she goes to bed and does that till her first feed round 10ish. Not necessarily having to go to her each time she cries but she is maybe waking between sleep cycles. Would 6pm bed be better?

Try 6pm. Since she's younger she may need a shorter wake time

 

[Noelle610]

DS's schedule was very similar to Charlotte's, except that he was always awake by 6 a.m. at the latest and usually in bed by 6.30 p.m. Naps were 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. so far as I can remember (but maybe 1.30, not sure now).

DD's schedule is similar except that she tends to sleep later in the mornings.
At the moment at 8.5 months:
Wakes: usually between 7 and 7.30.
Nap 1: 10 to 11 (if she wakes earlier than usual she will nap 9.30 to 11)
Nap 2: 2 to 3.30
Bedtime: 7 p.m.
What happens after that is totally unpredictable from night to night! But at least she's in a good routine in the daytime now!

A good routine during the day is great... You can have some predictable alone time!