6 mo. old EASY - can't get it right

[Mjaz]

I have a feeling that a lot of your EW has to do with that last A time - I don't know why - but could it be too long?  I think your day looks pretty good, though!  And kudos on the 2 hour nap.  I know, I never feel like I can get it right for more than a few days.  Actually, we were in a great routine around 3-5 months, so I shouldn't say that.  But lately?  Oy.

Sounds like a tough morning!  Sorry   But I'm proud of you for going for the set nap.  I did 2:45 and can't believe I didn't see a single cue out of the child.  He was just lying in his crib smiling and babbling.  I fully expect a 30 min nap, but am crossing my fingers I'm wrong.

Let us know how it goes.

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

Maybe he really does need a big push in his A time, then?  Cues are so unreliable at this age, though, so we'll just have to see what he does.

It was not our best morning, that's for sure.  He's usually so cheery and happy, so it's particularly sad when he's not himself.    I also fully expected the 30 min nap but he's been down for 1:40 already!!  I can't believe it.  Now, if this can break the EW then it'll be even better.   I wondered about that last A time from yesterday, too, but I've had a lot of success on days where we had to do really long last A times, like 3:45, because we were traveling or whatever, so now I'm totally confused about that one! 

Hoping E stays down for you!!

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

Oh, and Melinda - my sleep sucks these days, too.  I'm always half awake, waiting for him to wake up.  I hear that's pretty common for moms.     I get my best sleep earlier in the night so I've really been trying to go to bed early.  I love the Olympics, though, so it's hard!!

[Mjaz]

Hello from the land of APOP.  I am so *DONE* with these naps!  I thought it was supposed to get better at 6 months? 

He woke after 55min - but this time was crying a little - I shh/patted for 10 minutes - and he literally just laid there - still - with his eyes open a little.  I thought maybe he was sleeping with his eyes open (??) so I eased up on the shush/pat and he woke up completely.  I APOP'd another 30 minutes, but then I had to go to work :/

I always thought a 55 min nap was UT - but this sort of seemed OT?  He went back to sleep *on me* very easily.  SIGH. 

So - tomorrow - do I stick with 2:45 and see what happens?  Do I push?  Do I start set naps? 

Kate, I am SO jealous of your nap!  UGH.

Here are the A times I've tried for this first nap in the past 2 weeks:

         A       S
2/26  2:45  55
2/25  2:36  55
2/24  2:22  103
2/23  2:18  1:16 (after a very rough morning)
2/22  2:44  30
2/21  2:40  1:10
2/20  2:30  1:15
2/19  2:29  50
2/18  2:36  1:06
2/17  2:32  1:14
2/16  2:34  1:28
2/15  2:35  1:13

Do you see why I am losing my mind?

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

Oh my, Melinda.  Not fun at all!  I totally see why you're going insane.  These kiddos, what are we going to do with them??   

I agree that that nap sounds OT.  I always figure with Austin when he wakes up crabby like that that he's OT, regardless of the exact length of the short nap. 

What time is he waking? Still early?  You might think about set naps again and just going with that for a few days.  Worked well this morning for me, although Wendy told me that I needed to wake him at 1.5 since the tricky little man was still trying to catch up from his night sleep by taking such a long nap!  So you live, you learn.  I'll do that tomorrow.  But I'd say it might be the answer for you since all your tweaking has just left you banging your head against the wall. 

Hugs....

[Mjaz]

Yeah.  No, he woke at 7am again.  Yay.  I tried to figure out what the difference in the last few days has been - and I see nothing - except MAYBE a little bit more day sleep - like 30 minutes.  I don't know!  What else is new!

I am going to stick with 2:45 for the next 2 days, unless someone has another idea about an A time.  Trying to stick with the increase for a few days before tweaking...

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

Sounds like a plan.  Resisting the urge to keep tweaking is so hard but you can do it! 

[C_mother]

I agree - the worst is lying awake at night waiting for a call, or having your own EW because you expect an EW from the LO...not good at all!  I REALLY hope that part gets better with time (please, please). Do you leave the monitor on? 

I wonder if maybe he just doesn't like a long morning nap?  Maybe it would be worth striving for a 2 hr PM to compensate for the 1hr morning nap?? Do you think that would be possible? I agree about keeping the A for a few days to see what happens.  I definitely would not increase it.

I think that if the last few days he has been getting 1/2 hr more of sleep, that could be the answer. 1/2 hour is quite a bit when you think of it (in addition to the extra night sleep as well). Together all of this extra sleep could have straightened him out? 

Kate.  Just brainstorming, but could your LO be off track because of the trip? Did he sleep in the same room with you while away?  We got into trouble with the once.  Combined with snuggling in the mornings the last couple of days, maybe you now have a bit of a prop issue?  It is so had to know what is going on I find!!

We had a short PM nap today and I couldn't extend it. Not looking forward to tonight - DS ALWAYS has NWs when his naps are bad.  And after three nights of STTN. grrrrr.

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

Interesting thought about going for a long PM nap - wonder if he'll do that for you?  And also a good point that maybe as his night sleep gets better his naps will start to improve, too, since sleep begets sleep.  Hoping, hoping for you!

Austin only slept in our room on the trip on the last night, the only night he STTN the whole trip!  DH did say he thought it was b/c we were close by, so you might have a point!    I think I was moving towards being a prop but I'm hoping I didn't get us there.  Last night seemed like a fairly standard night until the EW, at which time he was happy and babbling not crying for me like I'd expect if he just wanted me in there.  Sigh.  But who knows!  I'm not sleeping in there now, though, so hopefully if I did develop a prop issue, I'm already weaning it.

Bummer about your PM nap!  Fingers crossed that DS surprises you with another night of STTN!  Ah, that does sound lovely!  Sleepy vibes to all.....

[Yazzie]

Hey there Melinda,

(((((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))))

I'm sorry I'll have to be quick, am away for the weekend & don't have much time online, just wanted to tell you that I was very frustrated as well, when 6 months came & went & naps didn't improve much, actually from 6 to 7 months was more of a month of agony..!!!...but by the first week in 7 months, things remarkably turned around, so please do hold on, I had many moments when I just wanted to give up, but it really is worth it in the end...

[Mjaz]

After one of the worst nights we've had in many months and an awful morning - I am more than frustrated, I am really quite angry.  If I knew what giving up looked like, I'd be there.

Elijah went to bed at 7pm.  Fought bedtime.  Was up at 10pm.  Ate.  Back to sleep.  Then he was up at one - same thing.  Up at 3:30 - settled himself.  Up at 5:30 for the day.  I spent 45 minutes feeding/rocking him at 5:30 - he fell back asleep for 45 minutes.  So we started our day at 7ish.  After 2 hours of A time he started rubbing eyes/yawning/whining.  I tried to push through it, but at 2:20 A time he was falling apart.  I figured he was OT b/c of the rough morning he had.  So I laid him in his crib and he immediately started crying hard.  I had to pick him up and rock him.  He fell asleep on me immediately so I decided - yes, OT.  He woke 50 minutes later.  Wide awake, looking around the room.  Shh/pat wasn't doing anything, so I tried to rock him again.  Wide awake, looking everywhere he could.  So then I'm thinking 50 min/happy - UT?  It took 30 minutes to get him back to sleep.  He slept another 35 min. 

I don't know what's going on.  Could this all be blamed on a growth spurt?  DH just took him for snow-shoeing in his backpack so that I could have some quiet time as I have spent much of the morning in tears.  I don't know how to help him and to help us.  I was pretty much awake all night as I was so frustrated every time he woke.

I'm not really thinking clearly, for sure.  Would you think our night and morning was UT or OT?  Do you think it's possible that his bizarre crying is because he's UT and upset that I'm putting him to bed?  Is it possible he needs more than 2:45 A time?  Or am I just back in a loop of OT?  If so, how do I get out of it if I can't get a good nap in?  Should I APOP the rest of his naps today? 

I don't know what I'd do without you guys   Thank you.

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

Oh, Melinda!!  I'm so sorry you're having such a tough time.     I've totally been there with the frustration and the tears.  Sometimes the hardest thing for me is that I just feel so angry, almost at Austin even though I know it's not his fault.  It's just so hard.

Huge hugs for you!!   

I'm definitely wondering about a GS.  IS he asking to eat more during the day, too?  Being so unsettled at night makes me thing GS or pain.  Is he teething?  Have you tried some ibuprofen just in case?

I'm no expert, of course, but with everything going on I'd lean towards built up OT.  I might just put him down at the first sign of sleepiness for the next day or two, even if that means 4 short naps a day and/or a lot of APOP, and then early bedtime to try to clean things up.  That's just my thought and where I would go from here.

Lots of hugs.  Glad you're getting a break at the moment.  Maybe a hot bath and some chocolate might help, too Let us know how we can help at all.  You will get through this!!! 

[JLSPAS09]

Ok, Melinda. You've sucked me in I know I'm late joining this thread but I figured I'd follow this one with you.

I'm so sorry that you had such a terrible morning. If I were closer, I'd come give you some relief so that you could take a NAP and go to the spa!

I agree with Kate- I think he's stuck in an OT cycle. Since last night was such a tumultuous night, it appears that his sleep was NOT restorative enough for him to do 'normal' A times, so you were doomed for OT from the start. :/ I hate that! How was the rest of the day?? Thank God for Matt. See, you are lucky Imagine doing it on your own (LOL) and you'll feel better immediately.

HUGS!!!


Keep us posted!!

[C_mother]

Oh no   So sorry to hear that he had a relapse!! I will cross my fingers for a better sleep tonight, and try to come up with some good ideas for when I am online tomorrow. In the meantime, my plan would be to try keep trying to get him about 3.5 hrs of day sleep on a 12 - 12.5hr day as much as you can. It seemed to work. And for us, there is ALWAYS regression when we are getting back on track, ALWAYS.  Boys are stinkers for sure.  Took us a good 10 days to get back on track after our Christmas holidays, and I was an absolute train wreck with the NWs and insomnia. I hope that reflecting on the last few days keeps your spirits up -- he did get a lot better. All signs point to him being on the road to recovery!!

If it reassures you at all, I always get awful feelings when DS goes though a rough patch too. I like the chocolate and hot bath idea    

[Mjaz]

It is reassuring to hear that others have the same tough times.  Thank you.  And thanks for sticking with me through this.  Hi Jamie - nice to have you back here   You couldn't resist when I told you I had met other type A BW moms, huh?

So - we had 3 good days with past week.  I've asked Matt (DH) to look at them and try to analyze what was different.  Maybe he'll see something I don't.  He had 3.5 of day sleep yesterday and a 6pm bedtime.  He was up at 8pm screaming (what is this?) then at 1:15am and up for the day at 5:30.  Which, of course, stinks, but I'm glad with the early bedtime that he had least had a 11.5 hour night. 

Kate, I tried ibuprofen last night - didn't see a difference, really.  I don't think he's teething anymore.  I *really* feel this is routine related - and that he's changed it up on me and I can't figure out how to adjust.  I think the key is finding a way to getting our naps back.

I appreciate all of you hanging in with me!  Thank you!