Please help us get some sleep

[Claire Anne]

All I wanted to say is good luck and I really hope things get better. I have no more advice than anyone else really! So good luck!! It's very hard to survive on so little sleep. 

[mella]

thanks Zoey, I've just got him down for a nap without his dummy My little man was really angry with me, it was horrible.  Theres only 2 types of soya milk available here (i think) and I've tried both. Spoke to my Health Visitor today, and she said the GP wont prescribe anything other than gaviscon, and the ped would have to do this. I cant see that being for another 4 weeks or so yet though. She did say that the rusks we give him may contain Lactose ( checked the pack and they do) and that could give him tummy ache and cause the wakes.  I think that schedule looks great, but how on earth do i get him to nap for that long?    I'm lucky to get 1 1/ hours in the morning, an hour at lunch and an hour at tea time (4-5pm), these are becoming shorter, normally 30 - 45 Min's.

[Claire Anne]

Where do you live? I have a girl with a lactose problem too - she was ok to sleep but never really ate much till I got her on lactose free milk. Once she was on it though, it was like someone had flicked a switch and she ate all around her and slept like a log THROUGH THE NIGHT!! We just found out by mistake - are ye going on a diagnosis or trial and error (that was what we did!!!)?
In relation to getting him to nap more than 35 mins or so, I had to do pu/pd at certain stages with both mine to correct that. Also sometimes 'forcing' a longer sleep by for example a long car journey for a couple of days in a row can get them used enough to a longer sleep, so that when you decide to brave it at home (!!) the pu/pd at nap times can be a little easier. I know it’s not ideal to be using the car as a prop but I used it a few times when desperate for that reason!! Just to break what I used to call the 40-minute barrier!! But have a nice destination in the end too though!!! Not just a long drive around in circles just so your DS gets some sleep!!
 

[mella]

I'm in Lincolnshire. The lactose was diagnosed by GP as normal formula gave him diarrhea. He does sleep really well in the car, but unfortunately it doesn't swap over to when we are at home. I think i need to sort out his naps first, before tackling the dummy issue, if he needs it to sleep, so be it for a while.

Zoey, i love the schedule , but can i just check the night-time, i feed at 6, then bath and to bed, no feed immediately before putting him down?

[Zoey]

Yes, Tracy always said to adapt her ideas to fit our own individual babies.  Definitely do that!  I always used to put Owen down earlier at night cause he was dog tired.  In fact I did exactly that, feed at 6pm, bath, bed - just like that.

I also had many weeks of 5 45m naps!  So the idea in it all is to keep baby from getting overtired, how ever you can without creating new props.  He is at the perfect short napping age.  It most often is developmental due to brain growth.  So sometimes we can use Tracy's method to get past it faster.

[mella]

I think i will try putting him down earlier tonight, as i can see he's tired by 6.30 normally, so by the time he goes down at 7.30 he's probably past it, and I'll feed him before the bath. He doesn't normally take much after the bath anyway. I don't think he gets anywhere near enough sleep, so working on naps it is.  I have to keep reminding myself, work on ONE thing at a time. I think i will stay in next week at nap times, as he seems to do better at home than when he's out.
It will all get better at some point wont it? Sooner rather than later if possible

[Zoey]

Lol I PROMISE you it will all get better.  Until about 1, then you battle sleep again with the 2nap to 1nap swtich - but then that gets better too LOL.  Its really such a roller coaster.  Can I tell you, I used to OBSESS about all this sleep and routine stuff.  It made me a crazy person.  The best thing I did was watch Owen and take notes.  Sadly I didn't realize this til he was 8m. 

Babies often tell us exactly what they need, its learning to read their cues that can be a battle.  So, whenever he seems sleepy, put him down.  Ideally you should see a pattern, and then you can try and get him in the crib BEFORE the sleep cues hit.  This will help him associate the crib with feeling sleepy and helps out a bunch.

Is him room darkened?  We used tinfoil over the windows to make it dark.  Also white noise - Owen (ok and I) use a fan on high facing the wall.  Helps out a ton for us.  In fact I can't sleep without my fan lol.

Im going to do some research about formulas where you are. 

Loves,
Z

[mella]

We've got blackout blinds in his room. I can just see DH's face, coming home to find i've wrapped Lucas's room in tin foil LOL.  I could try the white noise thing. Do you leave it on all night?

[Zoey]

Yes all night and all naps.  Ive had the same fan in my room for me for YEARS LOL.  The people next door thought I was insane with the foil, but oh my goodness was it dark in his room LOL.  I weaned it off, piece by piece and now we just have a darkening curtain in there and its good.  LOL my Dh thought I had lost my mind... maybe I had!   

[mella]

Right, he's was bathed,fed and in bed by 7. Had to feed after bath as wouldn't take before. Put 'un-tuned' radio on quiet, as fan is in the loft,(not much call for a fan in England  )Came down and cooked tea, DH came down and said he was asleep so turned radio off!!!!! Stupid man!!! I'll have to go and put it back on, hopefully without waking him. He slept for over 2 hours this afternoon nap, and still looked tired when he woke up, poor little man is shattered.

[Zoey]

A two hour nap is fantastic Mel!

No worries lovie, it'll work out. We will chip away one day at a time.  Hugs.  And a kick in the pants to DH lol

[mella]

DH turned it off again about 9pm, as he said he couldn't hear it anyway. Stupid man.  We it didn't help, was up a dozen or so times. But, todays a new day, and today we start to properly work on extending those naps.Thanks for all your help Zoey, sending you a big thank you hug
Mel