What is up with these looooong NWs???? Please help! (6 mo old)

[aimeeL]

So DD2 has never been a fab night sleeper.. decent, but not amazing... Since the first wk, she's done about 4-5 hr stretches... and that's still where we're at.  I finally resigned myself to bfing 1-2x/night still - I know that's par for the course for many LOs... HOWEVER - for a long, long time, we've also been getting these ridiculous 1-2 hr NWs at one of the NFs... The way it goes is - she fusses, I feed her, but she just lays there awake as she eats.. and then is in no mood to go down after she's done.  Sometimes she's fussy, but rarely is she all out screaming... Usually just "complaining"... and then finally, finally after 1-2 hrs, she starts getting tired and falls asleep.

I've been figuring that it's a routine thing... you know, the 3-2 limbo...where 3 naps is too many and 2 naps is too little?  So have been WAITING for the day where her A time was long enough to go to 2 naps...  Well, yesterday was day 2 of 2 naps and I thought it was a picture perfect day.

6-ish a.m. - wake
9 a.m. - Sleep (2 hrs - we woke)
11 a.m. - wake
1:50 p.m. - Sleep (1 hr 50 min - she woke)
3:40 p.m. - wake
6:30 p.m. - bedtime

By bedtime she was OT; 3 hrs A time is very, very new, so I want to get her down earlier for bed, but it's hard with dinner, bath, etc. 

Anyways.  We did a similar routine the day before, except her naps were not as long - 1.5 hrs ea... and she had a very good night... up 2x to BF, but went right back down, sound asleep, each time.. and we haven't had that in a long, long time.

LAST night, however, was h***llish.  Down at 6:30 p.m., up at 10:20 p.m.. I didn't want to feed so soon, so DH tried to settle... but it was a no go.  I fed around 11:30 p.m.. but she STILL wouldn't settle and sleep... she - WE! - were up until 1 a.m. when I finally brought her to bed and nursed her there... She slept wtih me until 5 a.m. and then was up for the day!

So WHAT'S THE DEAL!?  Were the 2x2 hr naps too much???  But the first day - the day with 2x1.5 hr naps, she was just a disaster by bedtime because not only were her A times pushed, but her naps were that much shorter, ykwim?  I thought that yesterday was a MUCH better day for her... she was happier, more rested, etc. 

So am I still in this crazy limbo??  Where she needs too much day sleep for her own good??  What should I do?  Go back to 2 naps and a CN?  Just keep pressing on?  Do you think these NWs are UT??? 

She was pretty happy through most of last night's NW and this morning's EW... we tried rocking her with a blanket over her head, but that was actually when she got the angriest... was most pleased when the sun finally came out and we stopped "trying"...

Ugh.  Sorry so long.  I was just SO excited that we were finally here.. and that yesterday was such a FAB napping day.. I had such high hopes for last night...

[scucci1979]

OMG Aimee. Lots of hugs. I wish I knew the answer. I can tell you that now that Alyssa is almost 7months she is giving me longer stretches at night. We still have a few rough nights. (3 nws at least).  I only feed her once and don't feed before 2am. Clearly, she does not need that feed and knows how to sleep longer then 6hours.  I plan to start weaning that feed this month.  I don't know what is wrong with these los. Could be teeth? OT? etc.....
Just wanted to offer hugs.

[aimeeL]

Thanks for the hugs, Sabs.  I feel like I was hit by a bus today.

K has one tooth, and I gave pain meds at some point during the NW last night, but it didn't make a difference, I don't think.  She was just so darn...happy.. the whole time..

[Tatumsmom]

Aimee I feel your pain...Logan is still not giving me great stretches at a time...maybe 5hours and he is  8 months. I was going to come on here and post the same post   My first lo was giving me  9 hour stretches  at 3months but she was almost 18 months before she gave up her early morning feed.And 5 years later I'm once again dealing with nightfeeds and nightwakings the only difference is that Logan dosen't do long stretches and he likes to stay awake for hours at night.

Big hugs!!

[scucci1979]

what is with these second los? Why are they so difficult to figure out?? 

Alyssa does the same thing during the night. Not sure if it is b/c she needs more A time or if it is just those darn teeth.
She is already doing higher A times.

Following along.

[mmom]

Aimee, on those nights that you want to do an early bed, skip the bath. Just get her down.  It can be very stimulating and if she is already OT, it can make it worse.

If she feels rested on 2 - 2 hour naps, then it can work.  But for some LOs it can be too much sleep.  It is hard really.  Often LOs need to drop the CN to extend the night, but they aren't ready.

Long NWs can mean pain though.  Have you tried medicating?  Are there teething coming in? 

[aimeeL]

OMG - we are STILL here.  I'm getting so, so frustrated.  (I was going to start a new thread, but stumbled across this, and since it's basically still the same topic, I figured I'd just continue.. but let me know if I should start a new one.)

WHAT is going on with this kid??  She's so mellow and easy and sweet during the day.. naps fabulously.. but is TERRIBLE at night.  These long NWs have been going on for months now, and I keep thinking it'll pass because it's just whatever developmental stage we're in.. but it's NOT passing, and DH and I are sooooo over this. 

Okay.  So yesterday was:

7 a.m. - wake
10 a.m. - sleep

11:20 a.m. - wake (1 hr 20 min; she woke herself...although that was pretty much when I was going to wake her anyways..)
2:10 p.m. - sleep

4p.m. - wake (1 hr 50 min; I woke)
7 p.m. - asleep

We had to resettle 4 times before 9 p.m., but they were quick and she was practically asleep as soon as we picked her up.  So that says OT to me.  Fine.  I'm okay witht hat.  But then she was up from 11:15 - 1:15 a.m.  I fed her, rocked her, left her in her crib - nothing.  When I'd rock her, her eyes would be closed, but she was very restless and fidgety in my arms, with the occasional complaining/fussing.     

We've had no CN now for about 2 wks.. and again, I thought having that CN was what was causing the NWs... but apparently, that's not it??

She has one tooth in, and you can see the thin white line for the tooth right next to it... but I gave her meds at bedtime, and since it didn't really seem to help - given the 4 resttles - I didn't give meds at the NW. 

She had a ton of purees yesterday, and did have some gas last night, but not enough to be The Cause, ykwim??

Any thoughts??  I'm fairly certain it's routine related, although for the life of me, I can't figure out WHAT the tweak needs to be... I don't even know which directin to head... Please help..

[mmom]

Just out of curiosity, why would you want to wake her at 1 hour and 20 minutes?  I bet if you flip flop her A times to slightly shorten the first one, you would get a 1 hour and 30 minute nap.  Then for the 2nd A time, you would make it the full 3 hours.  I can’t see how your LO could be OT come bedtime with that routine.

What pain meds are you giving?  Ibuprofin works best for teething.  Also, sometimes another dose of meds are needed in the middle of the night if they are in a great deal of pain.  My LO is teething right now and if I give him Motrin at 6, I know that come 3 am he needs something else.  Also, some LO’s are bad teethers in general and if they are cutting numerous teeth, still struggle with meds.  The fact that your LO won’t settle even with you holding her, signals discomfort to me.

Does she go to sleep easily at bedtime?

[hjrmom01]

Aimee, this may be a long shot but I recall in my cobwebbed head of mine that when H was having long NW's but she'd lay in my arms with eyes closed and be fidgety, she was UT.  Now, for the life of me I can't remember if it was too much day sleep or not enough time to bed.  I know those early wake up usually mean OT but...how is she going down at night?  Also, H was VERY (still is) sensitive to teething and I do recall many nights where she would settle with me but not in her crib.  Maybe K is like that?

So, have you tried chamilia or teething tablets? Orajel? If it were me I'd think towards discomfort first. With H, no matter what I did with her routine if she was teething....it's game over, I know we're out of luck until those teeth are in. 

[aimeeL]

Thanks for brainstorming with me, ladies...

Kara - the only reason I was going to wake her after 1 hr 20 was it was just another nap length to try...   A couple wks ago - well, when I started this thread, actually - I did the 2x2 hr naps, and got that horrid NW which I *think* was UT... so since then, I've gone the other extreme, I guess, and tried to do a shorter a.m. nap and longer p.m. nap.. 2 days ago, I did 1 hr a.m. and 2 hr p.m. and still got a bad night.  I KNOW that I need to stick with something, but I just can't figure out WHAT she needs and therefore don't know what to stick with.  Anyways - so yesterday I wanted to try to balance out her day a bit more, doing the 1 hr 20 min am nap and 1 hr 50 min pm nap - aiming for 3 hr total - which, again, is a bit arbitrary.

She's a great napper - knock on wood - so I feel like I can manipulate the naps a bit..

Anyways - today I'm going for 2x1.5 hr naps...

Last night, she was out cold when I nursed her before bedtime.  Usually.. well, usually, bedtime isn't great.  Some nights are better than others, but it does usually take a bit of rocking and patting in her crib... lately, it's been better, though - so maybe...10-15 min?

Okay.  So we'll go with discomfort first.  And if she wakes tonight and is a mess, I'll give her meds right away.  I had been giving ibuprofen, but ran out, so did tylenol last night. 

Erin - UT.. sighhhh...  DH totally thinks so, too....

'K - time to get her from her first nap.. will be back later....thanks...

[mmom]

If you are trying to get her down, do you think maybe she is UT then?  With a 3 hour A, after almost a 2 hour nap, she can't be OT and she should go down easily.

The other thing and I know I keep going back to it, is teeth.  They can cause so much discomfort and effect all aspects surrounding sleep.