HELP!! naps have gone haywire!!!

[brookmom]

Just when you think that things are on track........

LO is just under 4 months(19th she will be 4 months). This past week, she put herself to sleep independtly 2 times, and appeared to be sleeping through the 45 minute nap monster. She has also been sleeping through the night for the past 7 nights (10-12 hours).....we were very happy! also she moved to the 4 hour easy quite well. She is exclusively breast fed on demand.....

This weekend, however = complete change!  She has been waking up at the 30 or 38 minute mark, We couldn't get her back to sleep with pats and tried for the past 2 days for about 20 minutes to got back to sleep. When that doesn;t work, we have gotten her up.

This morning, we tried to put her down for the first nap and she was so upset. Tried shush/pat for 15 minutes with no success.  Did a diaper change, she then ate for 8 minutes. I took her off and she was already asleep.....


We are at a loss. The nights have gotten way better but the days have totally fallen apart.......Help!!!!

DO we try pu/pd??

[ZacsMumme]

Huge huge GS at 4 months for a lot of LOs - do you suspect this could be at play....plus there is a lovely WW (developmental leap) at 19 weeks...this one is a biggie and can mess with sleep and personality a bit http://blogginaboutbabies.wordpress.com/2009/04/08/wonder-week-19/

Can you post your EASY as well hun?

[brookmom]

Here is our last 2 days

sat:
Up at 0630 e
a 710-0815
s:0830. Settled well but really rough 45minute transition.
E: 0920
S: 945-1030

e - not interested
a1030-1230
e:1230
s:130-2pm tried for 20 min to repat - didn't work

went out at 230. She snoozed for 35 minutes in the car. home by 4

Bedtime 7pm, nursed to sleep
Stirred at the 28minute mark and the 38minute. I patted until just before 8pm. She slept untill 0710 this am

Today:
E:0715
a:745- 0830. Yawned and seemed sleepy...
s:major battle to sleep.Ate again at 0900 Finally settled at 0930. up at 1000. would not go back to sleep
(reflection: we think we let her go down waaaaay too early for the first nap)

E- not hungry
a:1000-1230 (out seeing grandparents)
E:1pm
S:130. DH resettled her 3 times. She finally slept well from 2-4.

E:4
A:4:45
Bath at 530
E 6pm and 715
Bedtime: we sat in the dark room for 15 minutes, then put her down at 0745.

Basically, I think we did too short of activity time before the first nap. I have recently moved her to a 4 hour easy (last week) which seemed to go fine. She seems to handle being up well for 2 hours except for the 1st go round. So, i was putting her down between the 1.5 hour to 1 hour 45min range. This worked last week, but not this weekend.

I try to pat her before she really wakes in the naps. SHe doesnt jolt, she just rouses. Its the same at bedtime, she gets through the first sleep cycle and then once she is resettled, she will sleep. generally it was at the 38 minutes, this weekend we were lucky to hit 30 minutes.

[ZacsMumme]

Okay so those afternoon naps look OT, probably from the long A after the short nap in particular (day 2) Your ENW are likely to be OT NW.

So...I think if you get a short first nap, then you need to offer more naps as you will likely get them for the rest of the day. Each time you get a short one drop the next A time to prevent OT. I think at this age when Z short napped I was offering 4 30-45min naps ie.

WU 7
A = 2hr
Nap 9-9.45
A = 1hr45
Nap 11.30-12.15
A = 1hr30
Nap 1.45-2.30
A = 1hr30
Nap 4-4.45
BT 6.30/45 (longer A to BT if your LO can cope)

Have you tried W2S or APOPing her back to sleep if she wont do it on her own?

[brookmom]

ok so a summary of the day.......

up at 515 for feed (slept straight from 8pm the night before) settled back to bed with a little patting.
Up at 740. Went down at 0940. I tried stroking her cheek at 32 minutes. Slight stir. She then woke up at 36
tried to pat - 15 minutes and she was not happy.

out for errands.
Back to feed at 1215 (up 1 hour +15). into bed and kept eating her hand, ate some more. into the crib and then needed a diaper change. Settled again, and then really eating her hand..back on and then she clunked out on the breast. By this point,  she had been up for 2.5 hours. She stirred again at 37 min mark, but found her thumb and between that and the patting, she settled and slept (1330-1530, where she stirred, and found the thumb again.) i got her up at 1545.

No cat nap - seems she sleeps better at night without one. Took 2 tries to settle her so far tonight......waiting for the 38 minute stirring again........

really hoping tomorrow is better.....i feel a little better that she resettled in the afternoon. I was starting to worry the pat was broken!!!

[brookmom]

So this am nap was a total bust again. I nursed her before she went down and she fell asleep as soon as she was down. I tried the w2s again but at the 30 minute mark(earlier than last time)and she still woke up at the 37 minute point. Tried to pat Her back to sleep in the crib but did not work at all she was wide awake. Tried to get her thumb going but that didn't work either. Now I am adop -ing. Took her out and patted and rocked in the chair and she is now asleep again. We have a physiotherapy appt for her at 1030 so I really wanted her to get some sleep, but am getting worried I am making things worse. I really want to stop nursing her to sleep. It's seems like its happening more often the last few days. It's so hard to not get upset that I can't settle Her through these sleep transitions. Help!!!!

[ZacsMumme]

Hugs Hun. if she wakes at 35 ish mins try the W2S closer to 20 mins. 22 worked for us. Then be ready to HTTJ if need be.

I had to do a lot ofAPOP between 4-6 months to keep on top of OT. If you can try not to feed to sleep every nap and BT you can slowly remove the breast dependency.

[brookmom]

thank you soooo much for your support Zacsmumme...........I put her down for the afternoon with the shush/pat - had to do it in my arms as she got worked up (but i didn't breastfeed her down!). I tried to stroke her head at 20 min - nothing. no response at all. tried again - nothing. I then rolled her whole torso a little and that got a deeper sigh sound and a couple fingers to wiggle.....she still stirred at the usual time BUT i was able to resettle her. We are now at 1 hour!!  will keep you posted....... hugs back from Canada!

[brookmom]

eeekkk another rough day...went down well for early nap, not able to settle back to sleep. ended up feeding for an hour and half before the afternoon nap.....think we are now dealing with the 4 month growth spurt on top of the bad napping......

[ZacsMumme]

I may be best to go with the flow for a week while you get through the GS, it's a biggie!
There is also a wonder week at around this time.

http://blogginaboutbabies.wordpress.com/2009/04/08/wonder-week-19/

[brookmom]

little update - yesterday was bad. 2 x 38 minute naps and then would not go down for a 3rd. she was up from 1330-1800...very tired little lady...woke up from sleeping screaming....i think some teething could be coming.....

anyhow, today i thought i would push her am activity time.. up at 0740, down for a nap at 1020. she stirred at 38 minutes but went right back to sleep....been down for an hour and half now.....i am shocked! i wonder if we were doing an undertired then got into the over tired in the afternoon.......we will see how the rest of the day goes!