Hi there...
My DD2 has always been a great sleeper and she was a sleepy baby, she was on the classic 4 hr easy although getting her to stay awake for 2 hours was hard, especially in am. I know for a 7th month old she was probably having too much sleep but it worked, I just followed the signs and she slept for 2x2 hrs and a catnap with one or no NW so we did not bother changing anything. She was also wrapped, settled herself and everything was great up until about 8 days ago.
Now, putting DD2 to bed is a real hassle. I am not sure what has changed!
I realise that some tweaking is due but at the moment due to her not settling well, DD2 is becoming OT and OS (over stimulated). She seems to do this all by herself in her cot because she won't stay still anymore! She has rolled for a long time so I did not think that this would have caused the sudden change. I thought that maybe it could have been the wrap but she has had one arm out for about 4-5 weeks now so that really could not be it
At the moment the only way DD2 settles is if I hold her firmly so she does bloody move. If I catch the sleep window, it does not take much but the worst is at night...it takes upto an hour and by this time she is really OT and OS. I thought she might have been too OS before bed so we have tried winding down for upto an hour and yes the settling is better but not like before! Can teething cause this?
I have thought about just leaving her until she goes to sleep but honestly she gets more OT and more OS, she rolls on her tummy and kicks about and talks. Oh there is never any crying..only when I try and get her to be still which to me would suggest OT? I really don't know what to do or try...its really frustrating, what has changed this?
NW have not really been effected as of yet. I might speak too soon though. Tonight I tried both arms out her wrap to see if that was the problem. No....did not make a difference so I just left them out. See what happens with that.
I don't really know if she is teething, sometimes I "think" I see signs but who knows, there is nothing there and its been 8 days and this has happened 95% of naps and bedtimes. This OT and OS has also caused some short napping but I have started using sshh/pat when I think she will wake, I can usually tell by how long it takes her to settle and jerk about IYKWIM.
Is this caused by her major routine tweak needed? Like I said, I know a tweak is needed but have not been successful with increasing A time because in the past week she is just getting too OT from not settling? Had to take a step back just to try and get her to catch up. There really is not much of an EASY at the moment, its more EASAE..short A times mixed with short naps and OT and OS....its been a bit of a struggle.
Like I said earlier, at 6 mths she was still on a 4h easy but could not really stay awake for 2 hours. Since then, I have started solids, taken one arm out of wrap and thats it but that was all about 4 weeks ago....I have also tried to start extending A times but not getting along very far with that. To be honest her routine is all over the place, its really frustrating. Some times her bottle times are near her sleep times and solids times can't be consistent because she is not hungry enough! At the moment her routine is pretty much.
6:15am wake (DD1 wakes at 5:45-6am)...EARLY RISERS
6:45am bottle
8:05-8:10 nap for 1.5 hours ...I am pushing it for this long...have to pat and hold firmly for her to settle
9:35-9:40am wake
10:45 bottle (an hour after waking! I really don't like this but she is not hungry earlier! Was normally giving solids after bottle but not hungry enough or enough time before next sleep time)
11:35-11:40 nap for 1.5-2hrs
1:05-1:35 wake time and give solids
2:45 bottle
3:00-3:30 nap for 45 minutes if I am lucky
wake at 3:45-4:15...have been trying to give a bit of solids around 4:30ish
bottle at 5:30-6pm and bed straight after.
Her last awake time is the longest and she seems very OS by this time. I really feel like I am missing something or like I am not doing something right?
Sorry for the book, any ideas or thoughts would be really great.