Any idea what's causing my 10 month olds wakings?

[skatty]

My DD is just getting used to a new routine of short am nap (45 mins) and long am nap (1hr20 - 2hrs). We have had great success with it and have eliminated her evening wakings but now have an hour every night usually between 11pm and midnight but last night between 1 and 2am where she will wake up about 3 times. Sometimes a back rub and a "ssh it's sleeptime" will work but sometimes she needs a hug out of the cot. I don't think she is OT because when she is we have NW from about an hour after she went to bed until about midnight and early wake ups when in fact this morning she slept until 6.45am (normal wake up between 5.45 and 6.15am) and that was after an early bedtime of 6.30 due to shortened naps. Her favourite thing to do at the mo' is hold our hands and walk continuously and we have also seen her crawl 3 times though she is  not doing it regularly for some reason. She may be teething but not horrendously. We just can't work out what it could be so any ideas will really help.

TIA, Katt

[momofclaire]

It could be milestones.  When she wakes does she need you or can she settle herself?

[skatty]

At these times within this hour window she calls for us but other times throughout the night she cries out between sleep cykles and just finds her dummy and goes back to sleep. She has been climbing like a monkey today so I am also wondering if it's milestones 

[momofclaire]

It sounds like she is waking at night and feels like practicing her tricks.  Are you sure she is getting enough sleep during the day?
Can you post her routine?  Maybe there is a little tweak we could do...
That avatar is perfect!  It really just makes me smile!

[skatty]

Hi and thank you  Thanks also about the avatar, I love that pic, it was the first time she had blackberries and as you can see she loved them!!

Here is the schedule we we follow though it changes a bit depending on what time she wakes

6.00 ish wake
9.30-10.10 nap
13.30ish nap for 1hr20-2hrs
7pm bed (short pm nap early bedtime)

I am not sure she is getting up to practise skills as last night she woke at 01.35 and was wide awake and playing with her dummies, hitting them against the cot railings on her back (she's a tummy sleeper). She called and called until I got up and then looked really excited! I left her in her cot just saying ssh and sleep and she carried on playing but whenever I tried leaving she'd scream. I finally just sat by her cot and she got angry throwing her dummies and hitting her legs against the mattress because I wouldn't get her up. I eventually let her hold my hand through the railings and she finally after 50 minutes got bored and turned over and went to sleep until 06.20. She never tried to sit or stand, in fact I don't think she can manage it in her grobag, other recent wakings she would rock on her hands and knees but didn't do this either. I have had this problem before and have done the same as what I did last night and she finally slept through again but I really want to know the cause of the wakings, what does it mean when they are wide awake in the middle of the night? I have to admit my DH has been dealing with the NW while he has been on holiday and he will always get her out of the cot for a cuddle but he is back at work tomorrow and its up to me again and I am not getting up in the night and then getting up at 6am!!

I really appreciate your help, Katt 

[momofclaire]

Have you tried putting her to bed a bit earlier, maybe her A time before bed is too long.
I would also consider that the grobag might be restraining her to much. Could she be ready to be out of it?

[skatty]

Hi!

She LOVES her grobag, we have put her to bed without but she seems to associate it with bedtime and doesn't settle well without it. The evenings here are also quite cool, we are in Denmark by the coast and she wont keep a blanket on.

I think you could be right about the A time before bed, do you have any idea what might be ideal? I think she could go fo her pm nap a bit later. Today she napped from 13.30 and woke up after an hour and 5 minutes  She would not resettle and got straight up and started pulling up on stuff and asked to be taken around the room walking!! She definitely needs an early bedtime tonight, what time do you think we should aim for? Also if she keeps a 6am wake up time and her naps go well do you think we should make her bedtime 6.30pm regularly? Thanks so much for your help 

[skatty]

Hi, I'll just add Leorah went to bed early and was asleep just after 6pm, she was very tired. I am hoping she wont wake tonight but if she does I will try and repeat last night and not get her out of the cot. I've just worked out she only had 10 hours of sleep last night with her hour waking so I am sure bedtime needs a tweak if she is going to have 1 x 45 minute nap and a 1.5hr nap during the day. If I try and get any longer naps out of her I will be spending my whole time fighting her lol! It was only last week she was refusing to nap so Layla suggested the short am nap and we have had great success - just this one NW compared to multiple wakings and EW!! The problem is she is now happy and wants to play at this waking 

[momofclaire]

I do think you should continue with the early bedtime. She really needs 11-12 hours of sleep at night.  The transition to one nap (which is what she is doing by taking a short am and longer pm nap) can be tricky.  You are doing well. 
I would give her plenty of time to practice the pulling herself up as it seems to really entertain her.  Once she gets it down she will not be as apt to try in at night.

[skatty]

Thanks so much for the support 

Do you think we should aim for a bedtime 12 hours after she woke in the mornings? She's getting so tired at the moment and is so happy to go to bed 

[momofclaire]

YES!

[Layla]

Hey , I also wanted to say that you might want to give her the full 45mins rather than 40mins in the morning. 5mins doesn't seem like much but at least she is sleeping part of the full cycle

[skatty]

The problem is she always wakes at 40 mins and then also at1hr20, it's like she has 40 min cycles?

Well I think the NW are definitely a lot due to her increased mobility. We left her grobag off last night and she went to sleep fine but between 9 and 10pm she kept waking up crying sitting up in bed  We put her grobag on and she slept until 3am, I was with her 30 mins while she played and she fell back asleep so a definite improvement.

Today even though she never crawls (though she can!) she has crawled to the tv and pulled up on it 3 times and seems to be sniffing out mischief from great distances lol!! I feel better just knowing what is probably causing the NW and know it wont last forever especially with all the wonderful advice I have been getting 

[skatty]

I just can't believe it!!!!! Leorah slept 12 and a half hours!!! She woke at 12.24am and I went in and patted her and said shush and she went straight back asleep! We had to coax her awake at 6.30am so the whole days routine wouldn't be off. I was so worried she's have a bad night after another 1.05 min pm nap but she was asleep by 6pm and has slept the whole way through.

Mom of Claire and Layla, I just can't thank you both enough, Leorah has NEVER slept this long at night. I hope it continues, we are all so fresh this morning. You ladies are wonderful, your help you do for others is life changing, honestly you and the other mods and the other regular advice givers are doing the work of angels, big hugs from my whole family including my dog who normally gives me moral support through the NW!!!

 

[Layla]

  Thats amazing!!!!

 

[momofclaire]

That is really great! 
Thank you for your kind words as well.  Keep us posted.
See you around.