Screaming at naps all of a sudden

[grace annes mommy]

Glad your day turned out not so bad! Hope today goes well also. I dread appts. as they always seem to be at naptime!!!

I agree with Mashi - I've got a hunch there's some discomfort going on here. I was thinking teething as well. It could also help explain that random EW you mentioned a few posts ago. And didn't realize Caleb was having dairy troubles, but that will definately affect sleep! My DD is MSPI and has reflux, so we've had our share of tummy troubles and terrible sleep!!!

About the swaddle - we also weaned at 7 months, and it was one of the best things we did. It was at this time that I introduced a lovey and I'm so so glad I did! I think it would be something to work towards. We did it really gradually. I'm not a cold turkey kind of person, so we did it literally one arm and one nap at a time! But in the end, I think she was happier to be out of it, and her sleeps definately improved!

Mashi - I didn't know about the nap version of Pantley's book!!! Woohoo! Something new to read! We are having a terrible time with the 2-1, so I can't wait to read! Thanks!

[Tweakster]

Just wanted to add that we gave Finn a lovey (little bunny head with a small organic blankie attached) at around 3 months on the advice of the ped...it has just been in his crib this whole time.  We would often cuddle it with him so it would have all our smells on it - both DH and I.  Now at just over 5 months he has suddenly discovered it is 'there' and has it in his arms almost all the time.  He rubs it all over his face to go to sleep at night and kind of sucks on the blankie bit. I think having it has really helped him self-soothe (he would never take a paci).  We have had several NW in the past few days but none we actually had to intervene.  I think it could be part of the reason...

[*Jo*]

well Caleb isnt swaddled as such, he just has a sleep sack where the hands are covered so hes got something to suck on and also keeps his hands warm on cold nights. He has a Safe-T-Sleep which is a velcro wrap. hes been out of his swaddle since he was 4 months old

http://www.safetsleep.com/

We had the Ped appt this morning and hes really happy with Caleb, but thinks he might have dairy allergies so hes sent a recommendation off for a scratch test but says it will be a few more months before that actually happens.

When Caleb wakes in the early mornings if he is on his tummy i cant do anything to help him fall asleep again, ive tried putting my hand on his back and saying "its time for sleep" but that doesnt work, it used to work when he would sleep on his back and i would put my hand on his chest so im at a loss as to what to do there. ive tried putting him back on his back but he just cries harder.

Ive tried putting a lovey in his cot but he is distracted by anythign and everything (even the blanket he is sleeping under which is another reason to have his hands covered or he just plays with it and never actually falls asleep) if anything is in his cot he just wont fall asleep!

[*Jo*]

well he went down fine for his afternoon nap (had two short naps in teh car this morning going to and from dr appt) so heres hoping things are starting to calm down??

[Mashi]

When I said unswaddled, I didn't realise that the safety sleep wasn't a swaddle - just took a look at it now.  Why don't you try weaning that from him?  He's old enough now and strong enough to push himself from front to back if he rolls in his sleep, and now that he is pushing up, rocking on all fours, and so on, it could be that he is a bit frustrated when he gets these urges to move in his sleep and can't, and so it prevents him from staying sound asleep.  It may be disruptive for the first week or so when he has some new found freedom, but once he can move around freely, crawl into a corner of his cot with his face buried in his hands and his bum in the air he may actually start sleeping loads better!

[*Jo*]

sorry, i thought i mentioned, hes been off the safe-t-sleep for about five days now, started sleeping on his tummy straight away and slept through again the first night, it was naps we were having the issue with, for some reason it was taking longer for him to get used to not having the safe-t-sleep on for those. this is when the screaming also started, very first nap without it and we had the uncontrollable crying. He hated being put on his back cos he didnt have the safe-t-sleep BUT if i tried putting him on his tummy he would just cry and cry and cry, it was like he had to be put on his back first and then he would roll over to find the tummy position he liked best but he was struggling to make the connection. For his nap today i checked on him and he was on his tummy (after i had put him into bed onto his back) so perhaps hes sorted it out now, i sure do hope so. Its funny he used to HATE sleeping on his tummy, in fact thats the whole reason we put the safe-t-sleep on the bed in the first place, he was rolling over to his tummy and hated it and couldnt roll back (still wont) and would wake up throughout the night and I would have to keep coming back in and putting him back on his tummy, first night wiht the safe-t-sleep and he slept through again but i guess he just outgrew it.

so i think its been a number of things: dairy reaction, learning to pull to stand and get on all fours and rock in one day, learning to sleep without the safe-t-sleep, new A time jump, 3-2naps transition. PHEW! no wonder he was hard to read!!! lets hope we are headed back onto the right track again!

[*Becky*]

Just wanted to say hi as we seem to be going through the same stuff i.e. trying to drop the catnap and having problems with naps. I am going to get that book mashi! It is a total nightmare and we have been through it since DS was 3 months old - now 10! Please tell me it gets easier.....bx

[nevinsmama]

Wow, so glad I found this thread!  Calebsmummy, I could have written your first post for about the last week now! Grrrr.. managed to fix a 5:37 EW over a few days of increased catnap ( all the while had 2 beautiful naps, lovely winddown and into bed awake and nice drift off to sleep with no or little help!!!! ) and then all heck broke loose and good gravy, the screaming! Hope you don't mind if I lurk for ideas! Glad of course to share any thing I figure out. One thing that has come up is I think Nevin is in a growth spurt. He is BF at nearly 7 months, well adjusted about 6.5 months, and I think he is so busy during A time he might be a bit hungry when he goes for a nap and then HUNGRY part of the way in?? Not 100% sure but clustering right now and chugging water, eating, and drinking Mother's Milk Tea.

Don't see any teeth yet, and he has been on applesauce ( homemade, nothing but apples) banana, and sweet potato for 3 weeks. Bedtime has gotten rough too, the screeching just makes me feel shattered, the little guy needs his sleep and I just can't seem to tweak the right thing. I guess take care of hunger first to be sure and hope I find the right routine adjustment??? Good luck!!!

[*Jo*]

well we seemed to have conquered teh screaming at naptimes, i still dont know what it was but thank goodness its gone! Good luck to you both at finding out what is really going on, like i said, i still dont know what happened!

[nevinsmama]

Well we are still screeching here:( thought yesterdays routine might help if anyone sees anything that jumps out, keep in mind this is not our ideal, it is just where we are right now. this is really getting to me but trying to just be open and consistent.

A-Awake at 6:20
E6:30
E 8:30
A6:20-8:40
S8:40- woke at 8:40, resettled in 2 minutes with hand on chest.
A 10:00-12:35
E BF10:30
E-solids 11:30
E12:30
S12:35 woke at 1:20 resettled in 5 minutes ( BIG improvement over yesterday, it was screech,screech for 30 minutes and then we got up.)
A 2:00-4:30
E BF 2:30
E  solids 3:30
S CN 4:30-4:55
E solids 4:55
A 4:55-8:00 includes bath and winddown, wanted to get him into bed at a bit earlier but to bed went pretty well, not too much screeching, but then up at the below times:(
E 6:50
S 8:00
woke at 9:35 screechy needed help to settle
woke at 10:20 screechy needed help to settle

SO there it is, sometimes I feel like putting my hand on him, especially at night when he is in his sleepsack instead of his Woombie makes things worse. So I try to put hand on lightly on and take it off and just make SURE he knows I am there for him. Have done PUPD when things accelerate more. Thie has worked for some naps. And have done this for early AM wake up which was back this morning, our day began at He woke at 5:20 and I settled him until 5:50. Then did hand and then PUPD until 6:20 when got up and fed him. sigh. So GS aside,  if anyone sees anything I would really appreciate it. I also have a post on his eating in Solids. Thanks so much. Oh, I don't see or feel any teeth yet.

[*Jo*]

Nevinsmamma, how long has he been hungry like this? i dont think a GS goes for more than a few days. perhaps hes become used to snacking? im not really sure as I dont BF

[nevinsmama]

Calebsmummy, yesterday was the 3rd day. I am going to try to trim back the clusters tomorrow, I don't foresee any problems with this, he has been sort of playful and VERY easily distracted about eating and with other growth spurts he has easily resumed a typical feeding schedule. Hope the 3 days was enough to boost the supply, if that is part of the problem we are dealing with! How long did your screechy "phase" last, I am getting a bit frazzled:( ? I may also trim the last A a bit more and lengthen the 3rd one, may help with the occasional EW but we'll see

[*Jo*]

If i remember rightly it lasted about 4-5 days, like i said i have no idea what it was or how i even fixed it, i hope it goes away for you soon

[*Jo*]

Hey if 30min naps are OT then why the heck did my LO just wake at 30mins after doing 3 hours A time, he does 3 hours A time all the time without a problem. crumbs, now this means i have to do a blinking catnap! 

[nevinsmama]

Just erased lengthy post about how Nevin went for first nap with no screeching, am really quite confused as he was so receptive and relaxed for his nap after only 1 hr 56 minutes ( out at 2 hr 4 minutes) and then only asleep for 32 minutes, just did  40 minutes of trying to settle and then PUPD and don't know where we are or sense of a plan!!!:( There is just no way he was OT!! He even had an 11 hour night, even with short grumblings at 4 and 5:30. He is back asleep now...

Should I just put up with the screechies in exchange for a less choppy longer nap? That doesn't feel right to me, he was so relaxed and snoozy!! SOO much easier to be with than the awful screechies. Wonder if this means I will have an EW tomorrow, since nap was so close to waking, I am getting so confused here.....ANY suggestions are welcome here. Oh, we are back on regular feeding schedule, hopefully having uumphed the supply, will see how that goes.