Hey -
i just wanted to say this sounds SO MUCH like what my dd is doing - naps and everything. She'll be 16 weeks tomorrow. We also have dropped that last catnap (i too was confused about this, but we just couldn't get it in by the end of the day, and others on this site encouraged me to drop it). Sometimes we have trouble going more than 1.5 hrs awake time - like this morning b/c she was awake on and off again last night, she's tired. So i'm trying to just watch her cues and put her down when she's tired. Otherwise it contributes to the overtiredness. I bet you're dealing w/ some of that too, if she's awake on and off in the night.
I will say too i've quit making sure we're feeding at the exact times (3.5 hours or whatever). If she has a nap that is 30 mins (that's when she wakes up), and then fusses for 30 mins and then goes back to sleep for an hour, then I try to wait until she wakes up - i just feel like it's better to let them wake up naturally. But i also try to not let her have over 2 hours at any nap. So sometimes we get up to 4 hours b/c her naps are broken like that. By the end of the day, i try to lay her down about 12 hours after i feed her in the morning (not necessarily after she wakes, cause sometimes she's pretty much awake from 5:30 on). DOn't know if that would help you know when to put her down. Lately, we've been doing 6:30 or 6. And the last feeding has been around 6 - with a dreamfeed at 10 or 10:30. Total day sleep has been about 4-5 hours. Some other people on the boards thought over 5 might be too much, contibuting to the night wakings... Not sure, i think sleep begets sleep, and sometimes i feel like her napping well is how she's going to break out of this overtired mess she's in. So i let her nap as long as it's not forever, you know?
Yes, and our nights have been sporadic as well. Sometimes she's up on and off at random times - sometimes we notice she'll wake at exactly 3:32. This has happened several times. Have you noticed any kind of habit w/ the times she wakes? So we have been setting our alarm for 2:30 to do wake to sleep. A few times it has worked, but not always, cause sometimes she wakes before that.
We tried for a week or more to go to her shortly after we heard her and try to shush pat. But we found it wasn't helping - maybe making it worse cause she was getting used to us putting her to sleep again. And it was wearing me out. I think it can help when her cry escalates, but most of her cries, when she wakes early from a nap or in the night are sort of a wimpy mantra type fuss. She's my second, and I know this cry is more of a "oh no, i'm awake!" I feel like she's struggling with resettling and self soothing....and in my opinion, i feel like she's not going to learn if i rescue her all the time. Since i've started this, i feel like her fussing is less. And of course if her cry is desperate or if she's hungry.
I too have struggled with whether or not to feed her at night. She slept through from the dreamfeed until 7 or so for about 3 weeks, so i feel like she can do it. And i don't want her to get used to having her calories in the middle of the night. When i do feed her at say 5 am, i can tell her first 2 feeds of the day are not as good. Sure she usually goes back to sleep after that, and at least she's sleeping, but i feel like i'm only band-aiding the problem.
How does your baby sleep? We've experimented w/ how we're laying her down...she does ok w/ side sleeping.
Is yours swaddles? Our still is, she freaks out if i leave an arm or two out. I wish she'd find her fingers or thumb. My first did and i think that's partly why she didn't do this. We've also had our baby in a moses basket/bassinet thing (the 2 year old is still in the crib). And i think it's time to move her out. Who knows, maybe she's uncomfortable? We're going to do a pack n play for a while.... Is your baby sleeping w/ you or in their own room? Some have said getting them into their own room helps....
Babies are all different, i'm learning...and i'm also trying to ease up. I've been so worried that she's not getting enough total sleep for her brain to develop, etc. But this will pass. I, like you, am hoping it will get better once she's on more of a 4 hour routine.
Well, don't know if i've said anything to help you....but i'd love to keep chatting since our scenarios are so similar... If nothing else, i feel like maybe there isn't anything wrong with what's happening with our girl, maybe it's normal if someone else is going through it too!
Sarah
