How do I stop 5am wake up?

[marlowsmom]

We get firecrackers twice a year here; at the beginning of the year and on July 4th.    Our old neighborhood allowed firecrackers so everyone was setting them off.   Our new neighborhood doesn't allow them but we are surrounded by neighborhoods that do.    Although, they are not right outside my kids windows.    How about a radio that plays static?   You could turn it up loud enough.   I don't know if she would fall asleep with that in the room though.   
The one I have is kind of like this
http://www.amazon.com/HoMedics-SS-4000-Classic-Machine-Projection/dp/B0001W01L0

[Tweakster]

We are disastrous here.  MIL is visiting from UK and DH is on hols for this week so it's great to have extra hands but we are on some kind of holiday schedule, really bad naps, terrible NW (to the point both DH and I crashed out this afternoon and told MIL we can't do anything today...we are both dead) and teething up a storm.  I can *finally* see that whitecap under the left side of the front top.  It's taking agggeees to come through and he is not handling it well.

Monday he's 7 months and it's back to BW for us.  I have no idea what kind of A time he is at.  He's been awake for many hours this week while we are out doing stuff...trying to keep naps intact but still be flexible so we can get out of the house.  He has not wanted to nap in the car probably because MIL is in the back seat and he's a Touchy so it's a distraction. 

You'll probably see a million posts from me next week about how in the heck to get back on track. 

MM agree I am over teething.  It's worse than I really thought it was going to be.  Mainly because the bottoms were no real sweat but the tops seem to be causing great angst.

Richa sorry about the fireworks...doesn't help matters does it!

[okinawamama]

hey ladies,

Sounds like things are crazy...as always!

We are still short napping 85% of the time, and truth be told, today I feel like that's just how it's going to be. If he wakes happy and sleeps consistently through the night, is short napping really a problem? I was reading a post the other day about whether  napping is really that important  in the grand scheme of things? It's something they do for such a short time in their life, that unless it really affects night sleep, is it really all that important?

Usually our day doesn't seem to have that big of an affect on our night, but today we will be putting that theory to the true test (2 twenty minute naps and then one hour nap). Today we went out to a apple picking festival, and it was fantastic...and you know what, I didn't think about his skipped naps for one second, and it was so freeing!

I know that if I have a million NW's tonight, I will be back here in a heart beat eating my words trying desperately to get things figured out. Maybe I've just kind of hit a "wall" of sorts, I have been fighting short naps consistently for 4 months, and I truthfully feel I'm in the exact same spot I was 4 months ago. Is it possible that some kids are just short, happy nappers?

Vent over.... thanks for listening

[marlowsmom]

I think you all should take a look at the advice given in this thread.   It makes a lot of sense.   Go down to Peek-a-Boo's response.
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=157710.0;topicseen

[okinawamama]

MM, thanks so much for posting this. I feel like maybe that's my son as well. He sleeps between 11-12 hours a night and then will usually take maybe two hours worth of naps a day. We also went through a period of night wakings with him where he would just happily play for an hour at night. Last night was pretty normal,hHe went down around 7:15 and woke at 6:15 and played happily in his crib until 7.

Because we are trying to move his bed time back a little at a time for daylight savings (which is NOT working) he's getting slightly less sleep, which might help our nap situation, we'll see. Like I said, I'm just trying not let it consume me.

My mother and all of my older friends think that all the books have created more tightly wound parents who really are no better off. Sometimes I whole heartedly agree. I have found MANY of the BW concepts great, don't get me wrong, it's just also contributed a ton of stress to my life. I feel sometimes like I've spent his infancy stressing about sleeping problems that he may never have had!

On another note, has anyone else started (if you're planning on it) the slowlly later bed time to get a later awake time? We've done it for about a week and moved the bed time back from 7ish to 7:15, and so far we've had two days of 7:00 or later wake ups, but not super successful yet. I plan to start the 7:30 bedtime this week. I'll let you know how it goes.

[marlowsmom]

Oki have you dropped your CN yet?   I've got a thread I've been on ( http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=155917.75   read page 7 only)  and I recently had another Mod come in and tell me I REALLY have to drop my CN.   She also thinks my EW (530am) is due to the CN and me pushing her bedtime.    I wonder if me not dropping the CN + pushing her bedtime + her getting the right amount of sleep in a 24 hour period is her issue.   Oh and teething of course.   Can't forget the teething!!!
Listen Oki, IKWYM about stressing over sleep.   Yes, BW has brought more stress into my life b/c I think about her sleep every day.   I stay at home a lot to keep her on schedule but I also know it will only be about a year and a half.   My first DD didn't do BW and as a result (or so I think) she could not put herself to sleep easily and she was a pacifier baby.   In fact, up until this last month she would lay in bed for up to 2 hours and play in bed.   We finally got through to her to just close your eyes, keep them closed and think happy thoughts to fall asleep.   Up until April of this year, I used to put her to bed with a bunch of pacifiers.      So yes I do think it is a lot of stress right now but I also think it will pay off as she ages.   

[okinawamama]

I am in the exact place you are! I too have to do the cat nap it seems. Today he had a nap from 9-9:30, then a long nap from 11:15-1:15 (woke part way, but resettled after 10min), but wasn't tired until 4:20, and even the it was an AP nap in the stroller. I'll be watching the thread in hopes that they have a good suggestion.

I know I have made some great habits with my little guy, and feel truly blessed to have found the BW, I just wish that I could find a happy medium between having the knowledge and obsessing over it!

 I too am doing the delayed bedtime in hopes that when daylight savings hits we'll be somewhat on track, but it's not working. He is waking earlier, which I was prepared for, but I thought it would get better!

[Eythi]

oh sound like a lot us have the same problem. i'll be back to read all the great advice on this topic.. for now gotta run. DD is awake

[MommytoJashn]

I agree marlow's mummy some times the stress really gets to u.
Hope this really pays in the long term