Wonder week/ SA/ A times too long?

[newkidontheblock]

Are difficulty going to sleep & EWs normal behaviour during Leap 5 of the wonder weeks?

For the past 4 days, DD has been needing a lot of help going to bed. In a surprising turn of events, she is going down for naps independently, which she has not done in a long time but now is not going to sleep on her own at bedtime, which she has always always done! her behaviour is also odd -- she seems to be shouting and yelling more than crying. This stops the moment we pick her up but then her head just keeps swivelling in all directions until finally slumping down. But don't be fooled - she isn't asleep and starts yelling again if she is put down at this point. We have tried comforting in the crib too. The last 3 days, we tried putting her down every time she was calm and quiet for a while, which usually works. Today it has taken nearly an hour to get her to bed. This has happened only a handful of time since she was born. I am just very confused right now. Part of me wants to blame it on the wonder week but maybe something else that I am not seeing?

Another thing is that her A times have jumped to 3.15 -3.20. When she is put down at this time, she goes to sleep without fussing and sleeps for 1.20/30 without needing a resettle. Do you think the A time is too high and that is causing this? Our routine today was
6.30 - WU crying and yelling  (she usually wakes up at 7. Even if she wakes early, she happily lies in her crib chatting)
10 - 11.20 = nap 1
2.40 - 3.30 = nap 2 (could not resettle in crib) 3.45 - 4.40 = nap 2 part 2 in arms
BT - PD - 6. 45 (usually asleep in minutes) Finally asleep -- 7.50

Total day A = 9hrs   Total day sleep -- 3.05 hrs

Thank you for having a look

[Haribo2012]

Hi hun, definitely yes WW played havoc with moods and sleep in this house.

Is LO on brink of a new skill? Could be a tad UT a BT as although you held for 2nd part of nap it was still a decent length then only a couple of hours till putting down for bed.
Just thinking out loud x

[newkidontheblock]

I thought UT also but in the past (past being just a week ago) she would go down with even 1.45 - 2 hours A till bed. Could you advise me on how to handle it though? DH and I honestly feel prop like. She is yelling more than crying, stops when picked up and then just yells some more and doesn't even seem to be falling asleep or getting drowsy on us. Do you think we need to do PU/PD? Ugh, I really don't want to do that to her. You don't think it is the A times though, right? Once again she was up at 6.20 this morning. I tried feeding her and putting her back down, another thing that always worked till 4 days ago but she was too awake and alert.

[Haribo2012]

Personally I'd extend A to bed if she's not even appearing drowsy while cuddling. I did do PU/pd but if LO UT won't work really.
If you get 2 good naps then I'd do a 13 hour day and if you don't want to do PU/pd maybe sit next to cot using sleepy phrase etc?
If it's a ww then it's just a case of maintaining routine and riding it out x

[newkidontheblock]

Thank you. I feel more and more that it is WW. I don't mean to imply that she has always gone to sleep without a hitch for bedtime but those times are few and far apart and it is easy to comfort her to sleep - hold till drowsy, put down and place hand. This is just something different. Today's marvellous day

WU - 6.20 crying her heart out. Could not get her back to sleep even after feeding
9.45 - 11.15 -- nap 1 (went down easily. no resettle)
play date - got horribly late. Took ages to get her down
3.30 - 4.10 -- nap 2 (could not resettle. Too much OT I think)
Bedtime -- PD at 6. 10 --she was exhausted -- started crying as soon as I moved towards the door. Had to hold for ages then PD and pat/shush in crib
Sleep - 6.30

The thing is -- if it was UT, it would be one day not 5 days in a row. I'm just scared that while riding it out, unwittingly we will become props 

It is mainly these early wakings that are making me suspect WW. OT early wakings were happening as we moved from 3-2 naps but could be settled back with a feed. Ho hum! WWs are just the gifts that keep giving :S:S:S:S

[jessmum46]

Could it be SA too?  Just noticing B is very clingy to me lately, he will burst into real tears with people he's not familiar with and reach for me.  I remember with DD when SA hit it affected BT rather than anything else.  She was already pulling to stand so we did walk in, put down, walk out (repeat repeat repeat) and it passed after a week or two x

[newkidontheblock]

DH and I were just discussing this. Because today she cried before light out and when I walked over to her, she was happy then crying again when I walked away. I tried humming while sitting out of sight - didn't work although it works for naps. Then I pulled up a chair and hummed there, later even put a hand on her. We ARE right under the cloud. If it is SA, did it just pass?

[jessmum46]

I don't remember it happening this early with DD, but yes the worst of it did pass in a week or two (I think she was about 8 months).  But then it does come and go on and off for months after that depending on developmental leaps, circumstances, change etc.  It's good to rule out discomfort, routine issues etc but if that's all considered and ok, then stick with your normal methods of settling and don't do *too* much if you see what I mean.  So if she normally self-settles, give her the opportunity, give extra cuddles or calm her down again if she gets worked up, but don't try to 'put her to sleep'.  Does that make sense?

[newkidontheblock]

Yes it does. Do you think it could be a routine issue? You know how tough it used to be to get her to nap. But since A time moved to 3.15, she is going down easily and sleeping anywhere between 1.10 -1.30 on her own. In fact, till we started week 26, after we figured out the day sleep amount thing, we had 3 nights where things were back to normal.

I was so very worried about ruining her bedtime. The one stable thing that just is getting hit with one thing after another since that silly illness. Right now the problem is that we can't see her eyes anymore as the room is so dark. So we try to put down as soon as possible without her falling asleep on us but it isn't easy

[jessmum46]

Dim nightlight which you switch off once you've put her down?

[newkidontheblock]

I tried the dim light yesterday -- even put a sheet over it --but she wouldn't settle with it on. I will have to figure something out. I kick myself every day for decorating the nursery. Thank god I didn't put the glow in the dark stars on the ceiling as my mom suggested! yikes!Who knew how distractible these babes could be

[Haribo2012]

Could you leave a hallway light on?x

[newkidontheblock]

Good idea! Tonight was torture and after all that, I couldn't even get her down. It took DH 3 minutes exactly.

[Haribo2012]

Good end result 3 mins  x

[newkidontheblock]

After crying with me for half an hour, so not really. Today I had to call him to rush home from work as she cried for 40/50 ish minutes with me. He got her down in 10. It is SA. I started a new thread for ideas on how to deal with it. All the posts/tips I have read deal with 8 + months

[jessmum46]

I would apply the same principles - there's no magic switch at 8 months that means you should do anything different xx

[newkidontheblock]

[jessmum46]

(((Hugs))) hun, it will pass xxx