Re: 10 week old wakes up 30-45 minute after every nap

[JulietB]

I am having the exact same problem with my 10 week old.  He does have bad reflux but he has been on Prilosec for weeks and a probiotic.  He will sleep for a long stretch in the evening usually from around 6pm to 1 am, but his naps are awful.  He will sleep for 30 minutes and then wake and cry.  When patting doesn't work I pick him up and he fall right asleep.  I put him down and he is crying 5 minutes later.  This goes on like clockwork all day with his naps especially his first morning nap.  I am trying so hard to do the easy routine but it is difficult when his naps are so short and he won't stay asleep.  The amazing thing is that in the middle of the night after his night feeding, he is wide awake and I lay him down and he puts himself to sleep.  He self soothes himself at night but cant do it during his naps.  PLEASE help me someone!!

[Kellyjs]

Hi and welcome to the forums! 

I've split your post off to start a new topic if that's ok?

Could you give me some more info about his reflux? Do you feel its well managed?

Could you also post your easy for me to have a look at? I know it won't be consistent but if we can have an idea as to how your day is going, we can make a plan xx

[JulietB]

Thank you!! I loved Tracy's book and I have read it several times!! I think her concepts are amazing.. I want to say that I am trying to do EASY so bad but it gets very frustrating when we eat, play, and he only sleeps 30 minutes then won't go back to sleep.  In that case I am playing with him again.. then waiting my 3 hours to feed him, but by then he is so tired he does not want to play after eating again because he has been up so long... so I put him to sleep and it messes up my schedule!   I am pulling my hair out!!!  I will give you an estimated schedule of our days..

E 700 AM
A 7:30-8:30
S 8:30-9:00

E 10:00
A 10:30 - 10:45  (HE IS SO OVERTIRED AND CRYING)
S 10:40-11:10
(ROCKED AND PATTED AND WOULD NOT GO BACK TO SLEEP)

E 1:00
A COULD NOT.. FELL ASLEEP
S 1:30-2:10

E 3:45
A 4:15- 6:00
he would not sleep

E 6:45
A 7:15- 7:35  so cranky and crying because so tired
S 7:40- 2:00 am
E 2:00- 2:30
S 2:30-6:30 am

This is my second boy and for my first I followed EASY and my son took to it very well.  He was sleeping through the night at 9 weeks.   I know that my second son has reflux but I feel that at 11 weeks he should be learning some kind of schedule.  The strange thing is is that when I feed him at night, he eats and I hold him for a bit and he is wide awake.. but I put him down to sleep wide awake and he goes to sleep on his own.  That's why I cant understand why he wont nap during the day.  Please help me.. I am so frustrated!!  Also, I feel his reflux is being treated well.  He has a hard time eating, but he is on the best formula, Prilosec twice a day and we also put a small amount of cereal in his formula to help keep it from coming up.   

[Kellyjs]

Sometimes it goes go a bit like EASAE or EASEA for a while. It's a case of rolling with it and reading your LO's cues at this age. They sometimes need feeding more often during growth spurts and/or wonder weeks mess things up a little (have a google about the ww, it really helps through the tough times!).

Also a tiny 5mins A after a feed is perfectly fine too. You'll find this later on when A times increase too. S and E get all a bit messed up in the A. As long as you try as much as possible not to feed to sleep all the time, you're setting a great basis to work towards.

The reflux could really be playing up wrt to the sleeping. That being said, the A times are a little on the high side. Average A times- BOOKMARK ME!

Shall we see if reducing that first A by 10mims makes a difference? Also, I wouldn't keep him up for the entire length of normal A time after a short nap. Maybe again, reduce this by 10mins.

Have a go with the shorter A times and let me know ok? I just want to see if this helps first, we'll need a couple of days to see if it works. Good luck xx

[JulietB]

Thank you so much for your input.. I will let you know how it goes!

[JulietB]

I have tried shortening and lengthening the activity times by several minutes and  he still wakes up 30 minutes into every nap..  It is almost 30 mins to the minute!!  Sometimes I can rock him back to sleep or turn the hairdryer on to comfort him back to sleep but it only lasts for 10 mins at the longest. I am so frustrated.  It happens with every nap!!!   I'm not sure what else I can do.

[Kellyjs]

Sorry, but that's brilliant. A hair dryer?! 

Ok, how's his mood when he's waking hun? You say there's sometimes a chance of getting him back to sleep but is that often?

Usually we have to stick to the new A times for at least 3 days to see if they settle  into it. What A times are you working atm?

How's his reflux atm? Do you feel it's well controlled or do you think discomfort could be waking him? Xx

[JulietB]

When he wakes at 30 mins he is always crying/ screaming.  I can usually get him back to sleep initially but then he will wake every 10 to 15 minutes and I go in again.  I was initially adding one tsp of rice cereal to 2 oz of formula but yesterday I changed it to 1 tbsp. for every 2 oz. of formula.  After that feed, he slept for 2 hours!  He woke at 30 mins but went right back to sleep after crying for a minute.  I thought I found a cure!  But, then the next feed, he only ate half of the bottle and did not nap well again.  It has to be the reflux.  I have since read how cereal in formula early is bad for an infant and can cause allergies and asthma..etc.. Now I have something else to worry about!  It is frustrating because I don't know if he is crying because he is still hungry.. reflux.. or tired!   Again, I just don't understand why at night he sleeps but his naps are a mess?  Maybe I should quit trying to schedule him so much??  Like you said, as long as he is having activity after eating and not going right to sleep Im on the right track..right?  His activity times are about one hour to an hour and 15 mins.. unless he didn't nap then they get all messed up! 

[Kellyjs]

I'm going to get some eyes on her about the reflux for you hun. I'm afraid I don't have much experience about that one xx

[*Liz*]

Hi,

It sounds as though your LO has quite significant reflux, and if that is the case then short naps are to be expected really. Young babies struggle to transition sleep cycles, and for a refluxer they tend to feel discomfort as they try to transition, so wake and cry instead  . Although you will read posts of people who had control early, my experience has always been that the reflux is very unlikely to be fully controlled until later on.

Cereal in bottles is a potential help, but is also a bit controversial as you said in your above post. I imagine in second bottle was just pretty thick and your LO goy tired trying to feed. I've never used cereal myself so can't comment on quantity really, but it sounds like a lot. It is also often very constipating at such a young age, and can cause tummy cramps as their systems are not really ready for all that starch.

What formula do you use? Would a specific reflux formula be a better option? I know there are no hypoallergenic versions though - but other options do exist to thicken that don't involve 'food'. I'm based in the UK, so over here you can use carobel, or thick'n'easy. If you are elsewhere in the world I will have to stretch my brain and try and think of the names. They are usually based on carob, and are a calorie neutral way of thickening. You usually need to change the bottle teat for these though. Formulas like aptimal reflux, or enfamil AR are great for some babies though.

Regarding sleep - is your crib elevated? A wedge is best, and it can really help having their upper body above their tummy. Some refluxers do struggle with back sleeping, but obviously SIDS guidelines still do recommend back sleeping for refluxers now. My DS2 sleeps on his left side though - supported in a sleepyhead when he was small, but now independently as he is older.

I used to allow my DS to sleep upright on me or in a sling when he was younger to get a decent nap into him once a day.

Overall - with significant reflux I do think you will have to accept some day to day variability. It just depends how they are feeling yk? My 8 month old ended up back on 3 holy bottles yesterday as he puked so much, and short napped today due to trapped wind. Its just the way reflux goes. With time they do tend to start longer naps regardless, so yes, just try and establish the habits you want and things will slowly improve.