Please help with dd's naps!

[Michaela's Mom]

I am having such problems with dd napping during the day, which of course ends up with me having a really grumpy baby at nightime who is so overtired and then wakes up 3-4 times during the night!

I have just read the W2S thread, i havn't tried this, but i see that they say it is not always suitable for babies older than 6 months (dd is 8 months). She naps for 20-30 minutes twice a day - she will not go down for a third nap and fights me tooth and nail if i try. If she's only sleeping this long, surely she is not even reaching her deep sleep cycle? I have tried EVERYTHING to get her back to sleep once she stirs, but she just won't - she sits up, cries, screams, throws tantrums - anything not to have to go back to sleep!

She's also waking 2/3/4 times a night - she doesn't need a feed and i've eliminated all kinds of nightime distractions so she should be sleeping through.

I'm beginning to think she's NEVER going to sleep through. Any advice awould be greatly appreciated! 

Sharon

[maxysmum]

I'm really sorry Michaela's mom I haven't got any advice only {{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}} and sleep vibes,

Love

[cassidyJamiesmom]

well all i can say is, i am in the same boat as u, dd is 7.5 months and is a vary short and` inconsistent napper.  sometimes 20 mins off and on thruout the day, sometimes 45 min, and i am almost always dealing with a crabapple in  the late aft till bedtime.  Somenites tho she sleeps righ t thru or has 1-2 wakings resetlled by paci.  I do have ore to say on the subject but guess who is up?

Hang in there, there are other los out there like yours who fight sleep, and other frustrtated and tired moms too.  Like me! 

BBL

[Zoey]

Is she using a paci and some other prop?

[Michaela's Mom]

Zoey, she sometimes goes to sleep (! sleep - what's sleep?) without a dummy and other times with the dummy. I think it's more of a security thing with her and less of something that she NEEDS (as she can go to sleep without it). If given the dummy, she will usually spit it out a few minutes later - she tends to want a dummy more with night wakings than with day naps.

Yesterday she had 2 naps, the first was about an hour (8.30am - 9.30am), the second 45 mins (1.30pm - 2.15pm) she would not nap again after this. I put a very tired lo to sleep at about 7pm last night and she woke up twice during the night, the second time from 3am - 5am!!!

Needless to say, i am writing to you today as a very tired mommy ...

Sharon

[Zoey]

Hey Sharon!

Dare I say.... I think you should think about getting rid of that dummy

I think perhaps she is waking, and she can't get back to sleep without sucking.  She may have a mild suck to sleep association perhaps?  Also are her A times long enough?  Are you doing a fabulous wind down?

Also you can do ws2 for her.  I wouldn't use the pressure method, but I think the stirring one would work - lemme get the link...  Here it it:

2)Stir them 5-10 mins before they tend to wake. You go in the room 5-10 mins before they tend to wake up and gently rub their cheek, head etc until they BARELY stir and then you let go.  You are attempting to pull them from deep sleep to then start a new sleep cycle. You do not actually wake them up.  If you are not totally sure if they moved, wait a min or two and do it again. This is better then doing it too much and waking them fully.  A bare movement usually works.  If your baby still wakes up you can try doing the wake to sleep a few minutes sooner.  You really have to experiment with the timing.  A few babies have a hard time stirring.  These moms have had some success with just turning them over or moving their entire body in some way.

You need a really dark room, and also - less is more.  Barely stir her, and the I rec ducking out of sight - then after a few mins leave the room.  I find if I leave the room right after I stir, it wakes him more and then he fully wakes!  So, stir and duck like a goof!  Lol

Good luck and if you wanna send the paci to the paci fairy come on over to pupd forum and we can help you!  Oh and Never say Never!

Love,
Zoey