Ever shortening A times...

[skatty]

Woohoo, baby steps of improvement  Today Leorah woke 5 minutes later at 6.45am, I put her down at 5 hours A time and she took only 40 mins to be completely asleep with the last 15 mins very quiet (if she was in a cot in her room I would have thought she was sleeping), hardly any squealing today  The milk was a great idea as she went into the pushchair calmly, I realise I have to take whatever stimulation I can away so no shoes and then she just takes off her socks, no lovey and the pram hood has to be right down the back so she can't pull it to the front and play with it, as soon as I strapped her down and gave her some bonjela she went quiet and relaxed so maybe I need to let her have 10 or 15 mins and then go and recline her and strap her in. No NWs last night either so improvement all around 

[lesorl]

Yay Leorah!  I find the same with M re: stimulation.  She can't have anything in her hand when she goes in her crib, otherwise it takes forever to get to sleep.

[Vicku]

Hi Katt,
Just caught up on this thread and realised I never told you I was going away for nearly a week Sorry! I'm back now and very pleased to read about the improvements. Hope they continue!
From what I've read it really seems L thrives on her routine, and sticking to that and getting her body to 'know' when to expect sleep sounds like a great idea! My advice would be that you could either stick to a 'set schedule' with set times, or you could go with A times for a while but still do a set routine order and then work up to fixing the times when you know what suits best. I guess when you get more regularity it's easier to fix times as you then will know what she will do, sleep wise. Eventually having fixed times (that can be varied if needs be of course) would be easier IMO and stops the day from getting gradually put out over time.

We're just back from our summer cottages again. Have had good sleep for most of it but routine out the window eating wise, so will see how we settle back in this time.

Big hugs to you both! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[skatty]

Hej Vicku, good to have you back, I thought you'd gone a bit quite  I'm glad you had a good time and sleep was ok but it is funny you should mention food, we have never had set food times and L's appetite varies but for 2 weeks she hardly ate a thing! I don't know if it was teething or just the whole tired thing but I actually started getting worried as she seemed a bit thin around the belly but the last few days she has been eating again.

I am so happy today  Leorah took less than  25 mins to settle  She was asleep by 12 and I don't know how long she had already been asleep as I was cooking. I put her 5 mins early because she got a bit OT yesterday after napping just an hour, I realise now that she needs 2 full cycles to manage 4½ hours or more in the afternoons, she took nearly an hour to settle to sleep last night and was awake crying after exactly 3 hours  She then woke in the middle of the night and DH thought it was her teeth (which still aren't through  ) so gave her medised and she went straight back to sleep until 6.40am which is still too early in my book! What my aim is is a 7am wake, 12 nap up by 1.30 and then 6.30 bed which I know will vary slightly but I am hoping to at least have that fixed morning. One thing all this has taught me is that I should never stray too far from L's routine or at least not for too long, we have only been back on the routine for a few days and even her change in behaviour is obvious, I have learned a big lesson!

Anyway good to have you back 

[Vicku]

Hi again Katt,
Hope she had a good nap! I'm sure things will continue to improve now once you're back in your routine and even more so when these nasty teeth come through finally. Did you darken the conservatory and do you think that helped too?
We have an eating schedule but don't always follow it, especially lately 

[skatty]

Well I have to say I have my daughter back  The last few days she has been going for her nap at 11.30 regardless of wake up and she is not squealing or playing and is asleep within 8 minutes!! She is definitely a bit OT still even though she managed an almost 1½ hour nap yesterday she was a monster before bed (just 4½ hrs A) and didn't even want stories  We are having very early wakes for her, around 6am now, I'm not sure if it's a case of that's all the sleep she needs now or if teething is playing a part as she has all the symptoms but for now I have decided to just go with the flow and I don't turn her light on until 7. Yesterday she was crying when she woke but I went and laid her down and she had another 20 mins sleep before crying again. If the EWs continue I will know she has had enough sleep and will push her day on slowly but I am going to wait until I know she isn't OT. Vicku, I think the darkening of the conservatory helps when she is in there because it is so bright, when she is outside she is in the shade but with the weather we are having now it doesn't matter because there is no sun! Another thing I think made a huge difference is giving her the cup of milk instead of Tinky Winky, she doesn't always drink the milk but cuddles the cup but we don't have her tuck it in with "sshh" and "night, night" or walking it
around singing "lalalala!" for half an hour! I have also been warning Leorah that her nap is coming up, when we sit for sa snack and dvd I tell her that it is nap time in half an hour (not that she can tell the time!), I then tell her 10 mins before and near the end of the dvd I tell her it is nap time when the dvd ends, I think it has helped that she doesn't suddenly have a nap annpouncement and is then strapped in pushchair within minutes! Oh and I don't need to super strap her down anymore 

Vicku can you have a look at Rachpem's post, help I need a plan? I have been trying to help but it seems her DD will only sleep a 10 hour night regardless of day sleep etc and I remember you have the same with Lois so I recommended she talks to you, I know you wont mind 

[skatty]

I can't believe it, Leorah is now napping 1½-2hrs a day, falling asleep almost immediatley  She is acting like her evening A time needs to be shorter and it just occured to me today that it probably means she needs a longer A time but needs me to push her so she has just been put down at 5hrs15 so I hope she'll still do the 12-12½ hours she has been doing but will wake up closer to 7. Her teething has also calmed for a few days, we have the poos and dribbling but no whinging, no NWs and no need for medicine, it's good to have a break!

[Vicku]

That's wonderful to hear my friend! Sounds like you're on the road to full recovery of Leorah's sleep These things can take a while to figure out but it sounds like you're on it now. She'll probably be ready to slowly push her day fwd again now the OT is easing, just take it slowly though and keep listening to your instincts.

I've pm:d Rachael back as she sent me a message, but I'll also take a look at her post when I get a minute.

[skatty]

Hi again Vicku  We had an 1hr15 min nap today but that was after a very busy and stimulating morning, I don't mind that length nap as that is what I am used to and I just love the fact she naps and is asleep within 8 m ins everyday now! She woke a few minutes to 7 today as well so things are going exactly where I want them to  Her Great Gran visits tomorrow so another exciting day but at least I know she will nap now!

Thanks for helping Rachael out, I hope you don't mind me mentioning you but she is having a very hard time and it sounds like she has similar sleep needs to Lois. Thank for all the support you have given me in this challenging time 

[Vicku]

I don't mind at all hun! I'm just happy to help where I can I'll pop on her thread now.

Thank for all the support you have given me in this challenging time 

That's what friends are for right?