think I need a routine tweak? restless NWs in 10 month old

[sherry lynn]

How's it going today Angela?

[{{{Angela}}}]

OMG this was the worst bedtime EVER!!!!!   It took 1h40minutes to get her to sleep!!  DH finally went in and patted her.  Our naps were great, she really does need them so I don't think she's ready to drop one. 

This was our day:
7:10am wake
10:17-11:10am nap #1
2:25-4pm nap #2
7pm into bed, but would not sleep

So I have a question about UT:  If she is really UT, would it take her THAT long to fall asleep?  If she needed an A time extension of 15 or 30 minutes before bed, why doesn't she fall asleep sooner - like 30 minutes after I put her down???  This is how she was acting: I put her down, she started crying right away, more of a whining cry...not really escalating...so I let her do that for 15 minutes.  Then I went in, straightened her out and left her.  Same thing...15 minutes later, I went in, tried patting her a bit to get her calm (didn't work), then I picked her up and she rested her head on me right away...I put her back down, didn't want to hold her to sleep...she started crying again.  Then I picked her up and sat down with her in the chair, in the dark...she wanted to play, all smiles, trying to stand up on me, playing with my hair  - this was like 40 minutes after I put her down.  If I stood up with her, she'd rest her head on my shoulder and do a lot of eye rubbing....so was she tired or NOT???  I can't tell.   In the end she was REALLY crying.   I was losing it a bit so DH took over, it took him about 20 minutes to get her sleep with the patting.

I don't know what to do??  Does it seem like she needs only one nap?  Should I decrease her 2nd nap?  Leave the 2nd nap and increase her A time...making a later bedtime?  HELP!!!

[{{{Angela}}}]

Okay I started a thread in the Naps forum since last night even though she went to bed around 8:40pm, she didn't wake up until about 4:30am for a drink of water and she went back to sleep.  So I'm not sure whether to extend A time in the evening or cut her nap shorter.

[*Nicola*]

Angela,

I was actually thinking about this last night whilst i was offline   andwas going to suggest posting in naps or EASY.  I think it is probably more of a routine issue you are having now, and we need to work out good A times for her. 

You've done so so so well sorting out the NW's, it won't be long until you get this figured out!

x

[{{{Angela}}}]

Meh, we are still having NWs.  Last night she woke up quite a few times, but DH went in only twice I think.  Very restless this morning, and yawning lots.  Can't figure out OT or UT...I posted on the Naps forums too but don't know what kind of issue this is.  Meh.  She wouldn't go to sleep last night so I brought her out for 10 more minutes so 3h35min A time total, then she took another hour to fall asleep, had to rub her back.  And she woke 2 hours later...and then 1 hour after that...then more.  *siiiiiigh*  Just need to rant a bit.

[*Nicola*]

*groan*

... groaning that you are still not getting good night sleep rather than seeing you back

What do you think Angela?  Does she seem OT to you? Before bed I mean?  The rest of the wakings are prob OT related as it takes her a while to go to sleep but I don't think the orignal refusing to go to sleep is OT driven. 

So ... we've tried extending A times, reducing A times, stopped feeding in night ...

Could it be a sign of the 2-1 switch? Fighting bedtime can be a sign.

x

[{{{Angela}}}]

Just wanted to report that she is still taking a long time to go to bed at night...around 4+ hours of A time, and needs help going to sleep - probably should shorten naps more but I'm afraid she would get OT.  But she is STTN for the most part (except this weekend, but we were out of town and she was really really OT).   Yay!

[charmie]

Glad you got your break finally 


xxx
charm

[*Nicola*]

Great news on the STTN Angela

ETA: Have you tried anything like a little lightshow/quiet music to keep her calm and still.  This worked for Ciara when she would roll/crawl around and she used it until she was about 2.

[sherry lynn]

Hey Angela - do you mind posting today's schedule. I think I'm going to try something similar tomorrow. Keep running into problems over here

[{{{Angela}}}]

Nicola - she has white noise and some lullaby music on when she goes to sleep...has had it since she was a couple weeks old.  Not sure about the light show...wouldn't that be more stimulating??

Sherry, this is what her day looked like:

6:20ish am - cry out, but I think she went back to dozing
7:15am - wake for the day
10:15 to 11am - nap #1
2:15 to 3:50pm - nap #2
7:00pm - bath, jammies, milk, good nights, stories, water, snuggles with mommy
7:40pm - into bed for the night
7:50ish pm - cry me a river!
8pm - asleep!

Sherry I meant to have a look at your post on the EASY board.  Will do that now.

[sherry lynn]

Thanks Ang

Just out of curiosity did you have to wake her for that second nap, or did she wake on her own?

[*Nicola*]

  Not sure about the light show...wouldn't that be more stimulating??

who knows LOL ... we got it for ciara when she wouldn't lie still to sleep.  It would project stars to the ceiling and would lie still and fall asleep

[sherry lynn]

Angela - I forgot to tell you (since Lyle and Z seem to be very similar sometimes) I've had a lot of luck with 3h40m in the evening. It used to be 3h15m, I don't know why I keep trying it - when it's not working

Lyle didn't go down for the first nap until 10:28, isn't that kind of late. What have you done in this situation.

[{{{Angela}}}]

Hee...I was trying 3h20min for a long time and it wasn't working but I kept doing it.  I think she needs more than 3h40...the earlier I put her to bed, the longer it takes...I will try 3h50 again tonight and see what happens.

When Z wakes later and has her 1st nap later, I still let her sleep 45 minutes and then give her the usual A time, so that means her 2nd nap is a little later too.  But I always wake her by 4pm, so sometimes it means her 2nd nap is only 1.25h long, but that's okay with me and her.