Rant - Feeling so hopeless about sleep!

[seaweed eater]

I am busy!!! Lots of work this week. Things are ok, not awesome (yet). Will post a proper update/response soon!

 

[polaris]

Stephie, I'm so pleased you had another OK night. Although 5.30 is just way too early to start the day. When Clara gets up very early and has a very early first nap, I always get her up after about an hour so that she will be tired again for a second nap. Whereas if her nap is later then I let her sleep and either have a one nap day or try to get her to have a cat-nap in the buggy in the afternoon if necessary.

Amy - not to worry about the change of plan. When this happens to me, I like to call it being responsive to baby's changing needs, instead of just indecisiveness. LOL. She's not going to feed to sleep forever and neither will Clara. Also schedules work brilliant for some babies and not so well for others. Thomas was a real routine baby, he was in a very tight routine with naps and feeds and meals. It was great in one way but on the other hand it was quite restrictive because he would go into total melt-down if we deviated from the routine. Clara is much more relaxed about nap-times and routines which is great because she is more flexible for days out etc. but annoying because she doesn't do things at the same time, e.g. bedtime varies by as much as 2 hours depending on how the day has gone.

Lysh, I'm glad you are feeling less overwhelmed. Don't feel bad about your LO getting unwell, this has happened to me sooo many times. I think it is because they get so clingy and cranky and demanding because they are becoming unwell. Once you know they are ill obviously you can deal with this behaviour but it can be very hard to deal with when you don't know the reason for it.

SE - how are things going now with your new plan? Looking forward to hearing your update.

We have had a couple of pretty good nights. She is still waking frequently but I think she has been doing some longer stretches and she has been easy to resettle when she does wake. She has also been sleeping in the side-carred cot for the second half of the night! Up until recently the cot has been totally ignored by both of us, I never try to put her in it. But just over the last week she has begun going into it of her own choice and for the last two nights she has slept there for most of the night. It's quite nice because it gives me a lot more room to stretch out without worrying about squashing her!

 

[AmyS]

Stephie - 2 hour stretches are great! We haven't had another motn party, thank goodness, but I know to expect them with everything she's trying to learn! That is so cool that Cully is working so hard on his new skill - I love this age!

SE - Can't wait to hear!

Polaris - I like that, "being responsive to baby's changing needs". I know she won't want me to feed her a bottle before bed when she's 12. I hope. That's a whole new thread if that happens! Glad you are getting in some good sleep stretches too!
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For the past couple of mornings, she's been waking up at 4:30 - I try to put her back to sleep, but hubby and the dog get up, she hears them and then all she wants is to see daddy! I got her back to sleep at 6:30 yesterday for a nap before daycare, and then today we had to drive around for 45 minutes to get a nap in!

I've stopped asking daycare about naps. I can see from her sheet that she took a half hour in the morning yesterday, and then an hour in the afternoon. Good enough for me!

 

[stephie_corin]

Melly, walking will be so much fun! I can't wait for it!

SE, really looking forward to your update too. I hope things are getting better each day.

Polaris, I wish I read your post before now! I let him sleep for 2 hours and 15 minutes ("let" = helping him back to sleep when he wakes cranky - I could have got him up sooner but he seemed to want the sleep) and then he was awake from 11.45 - 6.45. He was in good form but had a meltdown when I put his sleeping bag on. Poor little man! I did try and put him down for a nap but he wasn't interested! I'm nervous about his first wakeup. When he's not overtired he's pretty calm and just calls out to me but when he's overtired it's hysterical wakeups every 45 minutes in the early evening. I think when he does take an early nap your advice is spot on. Thank you!

Wonderful news that Clara is sleeping better too! I'm so pleased for you. That's a great sign she moved into the cot too! It definitely sounds like she is becoming a more independent sleeper!

Amy, 4.30 is so early!! You must be exhausted! I'd count 4.30-6.30 as a MOTN party! What time did she go to bed the night before? Do you think if she didn't hear daddy she would go back to sleep?

Well, Cully has surprised me and become 10 x more awesome than he already was. I think the MOTN parties actually were a sign of a huge mental leap. He's communicating now with gestures and waving and clapping and today he seems to have nailed standing! He's been letting go for a few seconds here and there for weeks but today he did it for at least 5 seconds on numerous occasions, including standing up and banging his block and picking things up from the coffee table which took a lot of balance and coordination. Exciting stuff!

 

[AmyS]

Yay Cully!!! That is so amazing! I bet he's taking steps soon!

She went to bed at her normal times, I think it was 6:30 last night. She would definitely sleep if she didn't see daddy! He is so much fun though, that all she wants is him in the morning. He tried to hand her back to me yesterday, and she kept reaching for him. Very cute, and it made him feel very special!

 

[stephie_corin]

Thanks Amy! Chloe and her daddy sound so cute. It's early but at least you were both in good spirits about starting the day before the sun comes up! I guess when you have nice moments like that, it's easier to take

 

[iwantabub]

Hi ladies this is my first time posting in this thread...:

Lo is waking every hour or less!!!!

He used to sleep in four hour stretches...

I've just hd the flu types coughing bug and I'm just starting to get better but I'm so exhausted!!! I feel like ill never sleep again

 

[AmyS]

iwantabub - Have you had him to the doctor to make sure he doesn't have an ear infection or anything? Possible teething? I'm not sure how early the 4 month regression can start, but possibly you are already beginning that.

Do you have any help so that you can grab some extra sleep during the day? On weekends? That was a huge help for me when we started the regression.

 

[iwantabub]

He is dribbling loads.... But he hasn't had a fever and is a very happy baby ... He's not waking crying or anything he's just tossing and turning etc...

And being awake by reli upset as such..

 

[AmyS]

My baby never had a fever with teething either - can you see anything coming through the gums? Are they swollen?

If he's not crying when he's waking - this makes me think it's the regression. Or maybe too hot or too cold at night?

There's so many things, sorry for all the questions!

 

[iwantabub]

Well his gums aren't any different from normal as far as I can see... But about a week ago all he wanted to so was chew on stuff not suck and was dribbling heaps and grizzly so that's what we thought the but he's seemed to have sopped that and just still been dribbly...

I just have him some Panadol incase he is teething and in pain and he's just fallen asleep again so will see how long it lasts...

He's double wrapped coz he gets out of one ... The room is 20 degrees but he only has a sleeveless suit under that and he feels ok... Maybe a tad hot so maybe if he wakes again ill take off a layer and see how he goes ...

Better to he cooler than hot right?

But I just felt his chest and he feels not hot at all quite normal.

 

[iwantabub]

Thanks for trying to help... I don't mind the questions. .

Lo is back down so I guess I'm gonna try and sleep for a bit... But it's that fear of sleeping now coz I'm scared ill be woken up again and ill feel worse haha

 

[AmyS]

I understand the fear of sleeping! In fact, I had insomnia for a bit after LO started sleeping good again!

I think it's definitely better to be cooler than warmer.

 

[seaweed eater]

Just a quick update since you all said you're curious

The good: bedtime consistently at 7 after two naps (!), sleeping well during the night (STTN last night, and the previous three nights, one waking around 2:30 and resettled easily), doing fine with no milk 7 PM - 6 AM.

The bad: still getting really upset before bedtime. Still unhappy while falling asleep, too (about 20 min nights 2-4, and tonight about 7 minutes, so hopefully getting better). And we're not able to be at all consistent about the early mornings. We don't give him milk until 6, but he's been up around 5:15 the past three mornings and will not stay in bed, or sometimes even his room, without screaming. So we take him out.

Going to do things the same way for at least a couple more days and then see if it feels like time to change anything.

Hope everyone is having a good night

 

[polaris]

SE that sounds like amazing progress - but not good that he's still getting upset at bedtime. Could I ask what is your daily routine now? I am amazed that you are getting him to bed at 7 after two naps!

Clara is getting a cold so that is the end of slightly better sleep for us for the moment! Awake every sleep cycle last night until I gave her Calpol after which I think she managed a bit longer.

 

[seaweed eater]

I'm sorry about Clara's cold! Every cycle is so tough! I hope you get some rest today and that tonight is better!!

Munchkin's first nap is pretty early, for an hour starting around 8 or 8:30. Then his second nap is at daycare usually around 1-2. He's rubbing his eyes by 6:15, in bed around 6:35...so last night he actually went to sleep even earlier than 7 because he cried less!

I don't know whether the early nap is encouraging him to wake up early. I'm just hoping that without milk he will learn to sleep later. This morning he actually seemed to go back to sleep for about 10 minutes, but then he pooped and was awake. But hopefully it's progress. Oh and a new first: two STTN in a row!!!

 

[polaris]

SE, that is so funny, that is an almost identical schedule to Thomas's schedule when he was on two naps! Thomas was a very early riser too though. Clara often doesn't wake up until 7.30 and it does make it difficult to fit two naps into the day. And it just goes against the grain to wake her any earlier than that, especially given that Thomas doesn't get up until about 7.45. Although sometimes I do wake her earlier so that she can take an early nap.

 

[seaweed eater]

So funny. I remember your mentioning that Thomas started waking especially early after you dropped his last early morning feed. I just can't imagine having a baby who naturally sleeps later! Babies are so different!!

 

[lysh]

Hey ladies- I have not had a chance to catch up much. This happens when I start work....a bunch of sites are blocked at work and when I do have a break I am running around anyways like a lunatic trying to get stuff done.

Plus I am fighting a cold right now.

DD has been doing better with her sleep, usually now 7:45-5:45. This morning she was up at 4:30 though, hopefully not a trend!!!!

I will try to respond more over the weekend!

 

[seaweed eater]

Sounds like a busy week for everyone! I hope you feel better soon Lysh

NO crying tonight. Extra weird because the naps were so off today...first nap 8:15-9, and second "nap" 3:50-4 and 4:10-4:20. Now in bed at 6:30. I have a feeling tonight is going to be a bad night...he also didn't want to eat much in the evening so I don't know how he'll make it to 6 AM. But either way a good bedtime is really encouraging!!!