Sleep Sense Support Group!

[TennisGal]

Morning all - Happy Mother's Day!

Another good night from DD - and she's just gone for a nap...in her cot! She likes to nap for a good while at this time of day, so fingers crossed. We have all the family coming over later, so it's ideal chance for her to have forty winks.

Foogirl, Polaris - thanks for the encouragement

PM hope you have a better night...things are really hard when our LOs are overtired, they are SO keen to sleep, but just can't get themselves to sleep! When I see DD yawn or rub her eyes (her key signals that she's tired) I pop her in her cot, and sit next to her. Works well, as I am catching up on plenty of reading, too. She grumbles at me, but like History_Girls says...it's not proper crying, more like a bit of a rant!

Polaris, I am with you on the night feed. I'm already like that with naps!! Am sat here wanting to go for a cuddle!! BUT, like Foogirl says, I know that her napping in her cot is the best thing. Will also mean that I can do jobs round the house when she is asleep, rather than when she is awake...so awake time is solely for playing.

Have you all got lovely days planned? DD bought me (with DH input, I suspect ) a lovely framed photo of herself, some flowers and a cupcake! We have all family - both sides - over for lunch...and I haven't started doing anything yet!!

 

[polaris]

Didn't have a great night last night really - he woke for a feed at 2 which was fine but then woke up at quarter to six and there was no way he was going back to sleep. He had done a poo which I think is what woke him and then he did another one about an hour later so not surprising he couldn't sleep I suppose. I even tried bringing him into my bed to see if he would go back to sleep for a bit seeing that it was Mother's Day but he was just wide awake and wanted to play. Just as well the clocks are going forward soon - I don't think I would be able for too many 6 a.m. wake ups.

Because he was up so early he is already on nap number 2! Going to bring him out in the pram for his next nap, otherwise I can picture us having to have about 5 naps to get through the day - which I don't think I could face!

PieMistress - - it must be very hard to stick with it when you don't feel that you are getting anywhere - I think we might have been quite lucky in our timing in that Thomas was just ready to sleep better developmentally and this just gave him the push he needed. I know it's not sticking to the programme rigidly but one possibility might be to concentrate on night time sleep to start with and then work on naps once he's sleeping better at night? (If you have a good way of getting him to nap during the day normally) I do think that if they don't get proper sleep during the day it does make it harder for them to sleep at night, so you are probably right that he had a bad night last night because of over tiredness. I also agree with Jacs - he might need to start the wind down earlier than 90 minutes at his age.

 

[TennisGal]

PM - you must have posted as I was writing my post. Big it WILL get better. I think if he has a nap now, it will be ok for his feed to go a little over...thirty mins late through a day is ok. I know how hard it feels doing those shifts, but I can promise it get so, so much better. Definitely easier when they are not over-tired, but that's easier said than done sometimes!! Still, he got himself to sleep...which is a BIG positive!

Jacs - that's soooooo true. The little sleepy face! It's so adorable. I love the big stretch, as if to say, 'ok, am ready for a bit more sleep now'...then a big grin, and then the yawn.
You are right, of course, DD always lets us know when she's hungry. I think sometimes I over-analyse...

 

[TennisGal]

I also agree with Jacs - he might need to start the wind down earlier than 90 minutes at his age.

Yes, I think this may helps also - definitely helps

Polaris - the poos are hard at that time of the morning, DD will always see that as a cue to start the day!

 

[TennisGal]

DD is awake!

 

[polaris]

Hi Everybody!

Loads of post to catch up on! Am losing track of how many we have on here now!

Has anybody actually emailed Dana with specific questions and got a reply?

Well, last night was a good night. Kyle didn't need any PU/PD - just some gentle soothing words from OH and resting of his hand on Kyle's chest. He was actually wide awake after his feeds (midnight and.45am) but as soon as he found his fist to suck on was happy and fell asleep himself. I think he slept so well as he had had 2 x 2hr naps (admittedly when we are out and about in the pram in the fresh air).

Tonight has been a different story but today we went to Ikea (2.5hrs drive there and back) so he was cat napping in the car all day and then was awake for 2hrs + before bedtime so was horrifically overtired. OH did PU/PD over 20 times until Kyle settled (45 mins) and was really upset by it all I have to wear earplugs when I do it now!

I am also dreading naps. Everytime I try and put Kyle in his crib during the day he just howls and will not go to sleep in it. He is also on a 3hrs feeding routine and yesterday I ended up taking him out in his pram so he would nap as figured it's better he sleeps rather then ends up so overtired he won't sleep at night?? One step at a time I think and as others have mentioned will be concentrating on the night-time first. My OH has been utterly brilliant in all of this though and really taken it all onboard and doing his best to help

I read somewhere that it's best to concentrate on the long lunchtime nap as this is the one that they will continue to have until they are 3 yrs old?

Does anybody else wake their LOs up from a nap to feed them?

Sorry, another question but when you see your OH start to yawn do you then just go and put them in their cot (for naps?)

How many of us are there now? Does anybody else have a LO around Kyle's age (11 to 12 weeks?)

Happy Mothers Day tomorrow everybody! OH is giving Kyle a bottle of expressed milk tonight so I can sleep on the sofa and maybe get more than 4hrs unbroken sleep!

We also need to now transition Kyle from his crib to a cot and also then into his own room. Not sure if this is maybe all too much too soon. Also, I forgot to mention - the second night we did PU/PD Kyle start 'head rolling' during the night which I found really disturbing and has been doing it every night since? It's horrible!!

xox

Only just saw this post, must have missed it yesterday!
LOL at putting OH in his cot for a nap - wish somebody would put me in mine every time I start to look tired!
What is the 'head rolling' like? I find that Thomas kind of thrashes his head from side to side a bit, I think it is part of his way of settling himself, although it doesn't look relaxing to me, LOL.

 

[polaris]

DD is awake!

Oh no! Clearly no one told her about mother's day either!

 

[PieMistress]

Happy Mother's Day Everybody!

Firstly, many thanks for all the kind words of encouragement. I really don't think I could go through with this without all the support I get on here (and also feeling like i'm not alone!).

Kyle only slept for 20 mins at his morning nap, the rest of the hour was spent crying by which time he was due a feed. I have just spoken with OH and said it's too much to do PU/PD for both nighttime and naps as i'm finding myself in tears quite a bit (like just now at the feed when he was being all smiley and big eyed at me and I felt so horrible for having him cry the way he did). I know if we go out for a nice walk we will both be refreshed and feel much better.

Polaris & TennisGal - not sure yet how I will feel about missing night feeds! I think this is a long way off yet for us! we still have 2 x night feeds a night.

Polaris & Jacs - you are right about the 90 mins awake time. I normally wait until he starts yawning then think about putting him down but I think I need to be more pre-emptive than this. It's hard as he would fall asleep very quickly before for a nap (ie/ he would yawn a few times and I would walk up and down the stairs with him, he would fall asleep, I'd put him in the carry cot and he would sleep for an hour!) It's hard going from this to him not being able to nap because I'm making him fall asleep himself (but I know good in the long run!!!)

The head rolling is sort of like a thrashing from side to side, almost as if he's looking for something. I did read it was a method of soothing but seems to be a very odd one!!

I have told OH to read the last few posts of the thread as these kind words will really help him too. x

How do you wind your LOs down for a nap? It's easier at bedtime because there is such a distinct routine for us (nappy off time, bath, massage, feed etc).

Love Pie xx

 

[PieMistress]

DD is awake!

How long did she manage? Did she get back to sleep? Mwahhhhh!! xx

 

[lyre]

hey everyone! happy mothers day! havent had a chance to catch up on all the posts, but just wanted to update you quickly. max is sleeping really well at night, wakes around 2.30 for a feed then goes back to sleep straight after from putting down awake in cot! its a miracle.

he wakes around 6, so i leave him and he falls back to sleep in under 10 mins, then wakes again at 7 so we get up then. he seems to have found a routine of pooing at just before his feed and again at 7. so strange doing it the same time every day! think hes taking this routine thing a bit far, lol

naps are going really well the past few days since i have been putting him down 2.5 hours after he gets up at 7, then just follow his cues during the day and get him up 5 or 10 mins after he wakes rather than 25 mins. he has been sleep around an hour for the first 2 naps of the day and 2 hours for the last nap. i really cant believe it. AND he falls asleep almost during the nap routine under a minute...its like he is so happy that he knows when he can go to sleep. have to say i never understood the importance of routine to babies, till i've seen it with my own eyes. lol

anyway, just wanted to let you know we are having some success with the programme. Enjoy the rest of your mothers day! x

 

[lyre]

PM, our nap routine is pretty simple. nappy change, then put sleeping bag on, then switch on tomy projector with lullaby for 5 mins and hold him against my shoulder, swaying and shushing to the music (same lullaby everytime), then put him down before the music ends ......he is usually asleep by the time the music ends. and because its so simple, my oh can do it. he did it for the first time yesterday and no problems.. need to work on making the bedtime routine doable by others, at them moment it involves bf.

 

[polaris]

Our nap routine is pretty simple too - go upstairs, put in sleeping bag, hum Brahm's lullaby while swaying with him for about 30 seconds, then into cot and give him his blankie and tell him 'sleepy time'.

I think it gets a bit easier once they start to associate the cot with sleeping.

So far today Thomas has fed at 6.15, 7, 9, and 11, and is falling asleep on my lap while feeding as I type. I was just thinking the other day that we hadn't hit the four month growth spurt yet - I wonder if this could be the start of it? Don't know how well the new sleep routine will cope with a growth spurt.

 

[lyre]

don't think we hit one, is there another at 5 months? get confused with them all..lol

 

[jacs]

Ah PM, I know consistency is the key to this, but how do you think it would be with the shushing/stroking method for 3-6months? Maybe the picking up is stopping him falling asleep to some extent. If he's crying a lot anyway, perhaps it would be no worse to listen to? I know you may feel it's messing him about, just trying to think of some options for you!


Our nap routine is simple too. Close curtains, put LO in sleeping bag, hold him and rock/walk about slowly for about a minute, into cot, put blankie on tummy and stroke head and whisper 'love you!'.

lyre - sounds great! I know, I still get amazed by it too!

 

[polaris]

Ah PM, I know consistency is the key to this, but how do you think it would be with the shushing/stroking method for 3-6months? Maybe the picking up is stopping him falling asleep to some extent. If he's crying a lot anyway, perhaps it would be no worse to listen to? I know you may feel it's messing him about, just trying to think of some options for you!

That actually sounds like a good idea. When Thomas learned to settle himself at bedtime, the only reason it happened was because he was clearly getting totally frustrated being in my arms and wasn't able to fall asleep being held anymore, I think it had just got too stimulating for him. He would just cry and fuss for hours when I tried to rock him to sleep as I had done till then. I just looked back on my diary and he was twelve and a half weeks when this happened so about the same age as your little one is now. I had to just put him in the cot and let him fall asleep himself, I just rested my hand on his tummy while he was crying and he actually fell asleep much quicker that way. Might be worth a try to see if it is any easier?

 

[Foogirl]

This morning's nap has been a disaster, started winding him down about 90 mins after waking and he has just howled ever since. This is such hard work !!! I now start fretting that he's just not going to get enough sleep during the day so will end up very overtired again!

I'd agree with others. At 2 months Abby was up, fed, changed and back down within the hour. She couldn't do much more than that.

need to work on making the bedtime routine doable by others, at them moment it involves bf.

Mr Foo does the bedtime routine. I just step in for the feed before she goes down. It works really well that way. And it also means others can do it too.

 

[history_girls]

afternoon! Glad people are getting there with naps.

We are not but no dummy again so far so that is a positive.

Mothers day has ruined all napping. going to have a mini rant - why do family not understand LO needing to nap in the quiet, in a cot and at home. told mum and sis needed to go to get lo to bed and all i get is 'oh you don't want her to be fussy about where she sleeps'. well it was bedlam at my mums so i stalked out and came home. lo so tired now she is asleep on me - managed 40 mins on her own.

why don't they get it!

 

[Foogirl]

afternoon! Glad people are getting there with naps.

We are not but no dummy again so far so that is a positive.

Mothers day has ruined all napping. going to have a mini rant - why do family not understand LO needing to nap in the quiet, in a cot and at home. told mum and sis needed to go to get lo to bed and all i get is 'oh you don't want her to be fussy about where she sleeps'. well it was bedlam at my mums so i stalked out and came home. lo so tired now she is asleep on me - managed 40 mins on her own.

why don't they get it!

"Actually mum, I do"

Glad you stuck to it. My family have been pretty good about it and are amazed that she sleeps as well as she does. But they were sceptical in the beginning. And even now if she wakes and cries they will look at me with a look of "you should go up to her" or say "that sounds like it needs attention"
I just stick to my guns and go with my own gut.

 

[geekone]

Hi

This sounds like a really good idea, please can you let me know what the best age to start it is, lo is not a bad night time sleeper except last night but I assume growth spurt) but really fights it during the day he is only wee so I am not too worried but I would like to try this when he is the right age.

Thanks

 

[flowers04]

Happy mothers day all hope ur having a good day

just a quick update as we are doing the md rounds

lo didn't have a good night yesterday - cried everytime we put her in cot -took ages to settle - ended up in bed around 4amish -

think its partly to do with cold

hope everyones naps are going well

will catch up on posts later

take care