Baby can only stay awake 1hr - want to start PU/PD - help please

[fruity]

Hi!
I am new to this forum so hello!

My baby is 21 weeks, was poorly for the first 10 weeks as she was lactose intollerant and screamed 12 hours non stop then slept 20 mins in a cycle for those first 10 weeks. Things improved when she was put on formula but it has taken 8 weeks for her stomach to heal from teh burn caused by lactose so we have really struggled to get a schedule established.

What I need help with is getting her to a 4 hour EASY schedule - her average day is as below:

E 7am - Wake her or she is awake - feed.
A Getting tired about 7.40 so back to her bed where she chats to herself until asleep at 8
S 8am- asleep
A 8.45 - awake
S 9.30 - getting tired, back to bed. Mumbles and groans a bit but falls asleep by herself
E 10.15 - awake - feed
S 11.00 - Back to bed
A 11.45 awake
E & A 12.30 - awake & wants fed
S 1.30 - asleep
A 2.15 - awake
S 3.00 - asleep
E & A 3.45 awake - feeds - now stays awake despite being tired until bath & bed
     6.40 - feed & bed, falls asleep herself
S 7.00 asleep
11.00 dreamfeed
7.00 - awake

I know I am lucky that she sleeps all night but she WILL NOT sleep if we are not at home resulting in her being overtired and so upset it's not true. She cries due to tiredness everyday from 3.45 until at least 5pm.

She can only stay awake for an hour at a time. Any longer than that and she has a meltdown, I would say she is a "Grumpy" baby. It means that she has meltdowns at baby classes etc if we don't leave in time to get her home to bed within the hour.

We want to start the PU/PD but I am unsure what to do as I know she can only stay awake for an hour due to needing more sleep and the only way to resolve it is to establish a good napping pattern and 4 hour schedule but i just could do with some advice on what problems I might face when I start this and any tips.

I can cope with her not slepping when we are not at home just now, my main priority is to establish a stronger napping pattern.

Please help!

[*Jo*]

hi there, to be honest I wouldnt be doing Pu/Pd, it wont actually work, you see she is going to bed too early therefore she is only sleeping the amount of sleep she needs for only having been awake that long, so she will be rested enough and therefore PU/PD wont work. what you need to be doing is gently increasing her A time by 15mins every three days. she is showing tired signs early because she is used to going to bed early. now because she is grumpy as you described her then you need to do it really really gently and to be honest, even my Angel baby has a meltdown at a baby class if he isnt home in time for his nap.
So heres what i suggest, when she gets up at 7am do what you normally do and at 8am take her to her room, start her wind down, whatever that may be, reading a book, looking at photos, something very low key, nothing stimulating AT ALL. then at 8.10am put her in her cot to allow her to fall asleep, she may still do a short nap because ideally she needs to start getting up to a 4 hour EASY, but let her sleep until 10.30 if you can get her to, otherwise just feed her around 10.15 and repeat the process all over again.

she is going to bed undertired at the beginning of the day and the result is that she is overtired by the end of it.

[fruity]

Thank you so much!
So far so good today. Well, it started off badly as she woke at 5am and chatted to herself in her cot until 6am when she was getting a bit grumpy. I fed her at 6 and she fell asleep at half 6 until 8.15. I kept her going until 10.00 when she fell asleep again (no crying woop woop!) and then got up at 10.40. I fed her at 10.40 and she's still playing now, will put her to bed in 20 mins.

I will keep you posted, thanks for replying to my thread.