it's all fallen apart. advice needed

[Fenella]

Ds is nearly 8 weeks old.  Been on 3hour easy since week 1.  All has been running smoothly during the day apart from the odd hic-cup however yesterday it has all fallen apart.   it has become a real struggle to keep him asleep during daytime naps.  i'm sure he has become   overstimulated but why all of a sudden is 60 mins A time too much.  Presumabley because of the bad day we had a bad night.  waking brifly at 9pm awake 1am till 2.45 then up off and on from5-6.15am.  Today has been pretty much the same.  i managed to get him to nap for 1 hour at first nap by putting him down sooner than usual.  obv this then threw easy as next A time went till next feed then tried to put back to bed but can't do more than 20 min before needing to be resettled.  The annoying thing is i know i can get him to stay asleep if i hold him i have only done this in extreme situations when we have been out or getting desperate but i refuse to get into the habit.  he has until now been able to sleep independently when being put into the cot awake..  i don't know what tonight will bring i am exhausted i also have a toddler.  What should i do differently tommorow.  i suspect less A time after the first nap might have helped but had to keep him awake for 65 mins till next feed.    I really do need help as i cant see why things have gone backwards.
 

[Caroline-Charlies Mummy]

Hello,

If I'm reading this right, you're having trouble with over-tiredness due to a couple of bad nights?

Firstly you need to sort out what's happening at night - do you know, or has it just come out of the blue?

Secondly in the day, you need to worry less about the times, and put him down for naps as soon as he's giving you the signs - if he's overtired he needs to catch up. Don't, however, go overboard on the amount of naps he gets, as that'll then affect the night. So I think your instincts are right that the A time needs to be shorter. This is only for the next couple of days or so, though, to get him back on track again.

Can you give us a bit more information please? Such as his routine, is there anything medical upsetting him, what's your wind-down, is he swaddled, etc?

[Fenella]

I think we had the bad night due to the bad day. Though yesterday could have been bad due to bad night.  vicious circle i guess.  though last night was much better.

our routine has looked like this for weeks now give or take wake up time first thing

6.30 awake &feed
7.30 head to bedrrom darken room, swaddle, dummy sit still in chair wait for him to get to stage 3 with occ pat sh
lower into cot sometimes becomes more alert and will need a bit of pat sh other times can be left and will go to sleep on his own
7.45-9.30 sleep

cycle then repeats like this throughout the day

bedtime routine starts at 6.30 pyjamas, bottle bed, same wind down routine into cot usually by 7pm sometimes takes 1/2 hour to drift of completely.  we are not cluster feeding. He is taking 5 oz until bedtime when he has a 7oz bottle.  sleeps till DF takes 4oz.  seems to wake through habit 3hours after dreamfeed but we seemed to have sorted that but have now reverted to waking just 2hrs after df.  I know he can do longer stretch as doesn't really need feeding till 4am.  and has done this stretch a few times.  i do not know what wakes him during the night but it certainly isn't hunger and takes between 1 & 2 hours to get back to sleep

[Caroline-Charlies Mummy]

Hello again, how have you been getting on?

It does seem to be the nightwakings that are putting a spanner in the works, I know they affect my ds like that when they happen. Have you checked out the Nightwakings forum, believe me, they are not a speciality of mine .

I actually think that you are doing the right things in the daytime and you should keep listening to your instincts here. And also remember that he's only 8 weeks old, you have both done SO WELL to get him sleeping as well as he does, even with a few hiccups here and there. Hang in there, and let me know how you are going