Can you help me tweak this please?? **Help needed please**

[**Clare**]

I think things are kind of falling into place here but I have decided after some thinking I would like Finn to be on an EASY routine.  In the last month we've been working on falling asleep independently and figuring out his usual feed times, now Id like to perfect the EASY routine fully!! The question is, Ive been taking note and his A time seems to be 2 hours long?? I always watch for his tired ques and act on those His morning nap is short and some day the other naps are short but on a whole they are 'ok'... his routine is sometimes more like EASA but from what Ive read this is quite normal on a 4 hour EASY?? So here what we've got so far.... can you tell me what needs tweaking??

Wake up - 6am

E - 6 am - 7oz
A - 6 - 8
S - 8 - 8.45 (He gets woke up here if hes not already awake to take Jake to school
A - 8.45 - 10.00

E - 10am - 7oz
A - 10.15 - 10.45
S - 10.45 - 12.45 (Estimate - but this is definately his longer sleep!)
A - 12.45 - 2.00

E - 2.00 - 7oz
A - 2.15 - 3.00 (Slightly later that we'd like but hold off until we go to get Jake from school)
S - 3 - 4.30 (Another longer nap)
A - 4.30 - 6.00

E - 6 - 7oz
A - 6.15 - 6.45 (Includes bathtime and wind down for bedtime)
S - 6.45

DF at 10pm and then sleeps until 6am

This is the routine on a good day!! On a bad day he gets woken by the other boys or gets disturbed to go out on errands etc A bad day is usually followed by an unusual day where he sleeps for hours on end 

[* Paula *]

From what you have posted, your routine looks great, does not look like it needs tweaking at all.  You have your cat nap first thing in the am and then two long naps.

Looks great.  We all have our bad days and then followed by some good days with nice long naps 

[**Clare**]

Really?? Thanks Paula! Thats great news!

The other thing I forgot to mention is that if he does get woken up from a nap, which is quite often, rather than attemp to get him back to sleep I get him up and he goes down again before his next feed... is this okay??

So say late morning he goes down about 10.45 then he gets woken up 30 minutes later he would then go back down around half 12/1 ish and sleep until his next feed at 2.  Now I think about it this happens quite alot Unfortunately with home life as it is I dont have the time to spend trying to get hm back to sleep when he's been woken up

[* Paula *]

I would say it is perfectly fine.  As long as your DS does not get overtired.

I know how hard it is when you have another lo/s in the house and it affecting naps.  I have stopped trying to keep DS quiet as it is not fair on him. DD has adjusted well, but we still have days - especially in nursery where she has a short nap, then a longer nap etc.

To be honest it is not uncommon for lo's especially when they have recently transitioned onto a 4 hour EASY to have EASASE etc.

[**Clare**]

Since posting were having a few issues at bedtime.  Not sure if its 'normal' or not...

Finn last bottle is between 6 and 7, after that we are attempting to get him to bed but he is not happy!! About an hour after the feed we have about half an hour to an hours full blown screaming (So unlike him ) until he finally cries himself to sleep (He then sleeps until 6 the next day with a DF)  Its happened before and I was thinking colic as its like hes in pain but now I'm wondering if he is overtired.  I am sure hes overtired the last few days as hes just not sleeping well in the day but maybe its colic as well?! I don't know.....

His cot is coming tomorrow and we are moving him into his own room.  Id really like to be able to put him to bed after his last feed and him stay there!! His bed time at the moment can be around 8 to half 8, ideally we'd like it to be 7.30 at the latest but is that expecting too much??

[* Paula *]

It does sound like OT to me.  Has he shown any other signs of colic when he was younger?  If not, I don't think that colic would start now, especially since he is at the age where it would be getting better KWIM?

I do think that 7 / 7:30pm is a good bedtime if you can aim to get him into bed then.  I know how hard it can be when you have other kids around.

I know that when DD is OT, I will generally take her up to her room and do her last feed in the dark, where it is quiet.  That way she is a lot more calm and more settled, and when I do put her into bed, she is not a jerky, and it does not take too long to get her to sleep, just a bit of pat / shhh.  Might be worth a try if you can do it.

[**Clare**]

Thanks Paula, he has had colic before but it never lasts long, he had it particularly bad at around 7 weeks.  This is slightly different, he sounds like hes in pain but doesnt look like hes in pain IYKWIM? So I think he prob is just OT.

His cot SHOULD be arriving today so maybe we'll start trying to put him down at half 7 and see how we get on.  It just seems looking back that his bedtime is 8.30 so not sure if ill be able to change it but will have a go.  He doesnt like pat/shh or anything like that, he just likes to lay with his dummy and his muslin, but he could well lay there for an hour before he goes off!! He could also just scream like he usually does but we can but try! 

Can you remind me what the 'normal' amount of daytime sleep is for a baby his age?

Thanks again Paula xxx

[* Paula *]

Good luck with setting up the cot.

We have a music light that we put on DD's cot.  Got it from Argos.  It plays for about 10 mins, but DD lays and watches it shine on the ceiling, and it relaxes her and she is usually asleep by the time it is finished.

http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3481059/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CBaby+and+nursery%7C9556510/c_2/2%7Ccat_9556510%7CNursery+toys%7C9556521/c_3/3%7Ccat_9556521%7CCot+toys+and+mobiles%7C9556522.htm

With regards to sleep:-

4-6 months                                                            Two naps, 2-3 hours each OR;
Gaining mobility                                                       3 naps; 2 2hr naps & 1 45min catnap
                                                                                10-12 hours at night

[clairemk88]

sorry to butt in on your post clare, just a quick qu for paula, what temperament is your baby?

our lo is mainly spirited and we also have a music light... the first few nights we used it,it worked a treat... most nights now it just seems to work her up - could possibly be cos she is a little OT!?

[* Paula *]

My DD is Angel / Textbook.

It could quite possibly be that your lo is overtired.  Can you post what your current rotuine looks like so we can have a look at it?

[clairemk88]

not been so good these past few days at jotting times down so this is from the last full day i did - last week..

A 6.50
E 6.55
A put down 8.15
S 8.18 w2s 8.50
A 9.40
E 11.00
A put down 1.00
S 1.30
A 2.15
E 2.50
A put down 3.26 - dirty nappy 3.40
S 4.27
A 6.00 woke her up
E 7.00
S 7.35

[**Clare**]

Well cots up!! I'm definitely going to look into that light!! Looks lovely!! He'd love that!!

So last night he showed all the tired signs at 7.30, he was led in my arms just staring at me, looked like he was about to dose off so I took him up quietly and led him in the cot. I really thought he'd go off straight away but it took an hour!! Half past 8 on the dot he fell asleep (His usual 'bedtime' that he set himself!!) But he was SO obviously tired at half 7 and the whole hour was spent desperately trying to self soothe himself.  Now I'm confused!! I did use abit of pat/shhh in the end and he seemed to quite like it, it was more shhing the patting though!!

So not sure whats going on, would really like him to go to sleep abit earlier but he seems set on 8.30.... the routine isn't looking as good anymore, hes just not falling asleep as easy as he used too which isn't helping with the OT!!

[* Paula *]

clairemk88, your lo seems to be having a lot of A time in the afternoon, this could defintely cause a lot of over tiredness.  From waking from her first nap to going down to sleep for her second nap she was awake for just short of 4 hours.  I would aim for about 1.75 hrs - 2 hours between naps.  Rememer A time includes the time they spend eating, it is all the time awake.

Clare, you say he is trying to self soothe.  Does he have a dummy?  Is he swaddled or does he have a lovey?

[**Clare**]

Hes not swaddled no... I have tried but he is so wriggly and so strong he usually breaks completely free!! It may work if I was to buy a bigger sheet that I could wrap him up tight in! Do you think this would help?? He has a dummy and a muslin cloth that he holds on to but hes happy to hold anything really, we use the muslin as he likes to pull it over his face and its lightweight!

The weekend went to pot with 2 parties to go to and 2 late-ish nights. So we're trying again from today, routine is not going very well at the mo...  He was doing so well, he's just finding it really hard to settle down at nap times and bedtime, his arms and legs fly everywhere and he just chat and chats and chats!! (Just found his voice the last week or so!!)

Not sure where to go from here, him not being able to get himelf to sleep is causing late naps and OT!! Sometime hes still not asleep by E time so he end up falling asleep on the bottle which he never used to do

[* Paula *]

I defintiely think that swaddling will make a difference.  I only started swaddling DD at around 8 weeks (I think) and it made the world of difference.  I ordered the miricle blanket off e-bay and it was fantastic.  I would send it to you if you like (it is pink though) let me know.

I also found that if DD was OT, that when I swaddled her she would start to cry, I would put her on my shoulder and pat / shhh for a while until she calmed down, and then try to put her down.  This did help her to settle and help her relax more easly.  DD also has a dummy and I used the muslin cloth to keep it in her mouth when she was doing the frantic suckig so that it did not fly out of her mouth.