Sleep training - is this a normal relapse or something else???

[LucySol]

Well done you!!! you are doing really well,that was a gr8 nap!!!! maybe thts the magic time 4.5 A !!!  good choice on bedtime xxxx

[beckygatt]

Thanks!  Thing is if I have a 4.5hr A time then 1.5-2hr nap it doesn't tend to leave space for a 2nd nap without a very late bedtime. What should I do then?

[LucySol]

Early bedtimes untill she can handle a bit more A time.once she is established on 1 nap you can beging to gradually  push that first A time till you can get a lunchtime nap and a decent bedtime.
some lo's alternate between 1 and 2 nap days for a while so you may find she needs to do that.on 2 nap days you may need to go with a little later bedtime for a while.

Really hope she sleeps well for you tonight.keep us posted!!

[beckygatt]

Hi ladies!

Well she slept right through from 6.30 till 6.15 which means I'm feeling nice and refreshed for once! I'm still not going to hold  my breath as she never STTN more than 2/3 days in a row. But I'll try to aim for something like yesterday in terms of naps. One thing I've noticed is that in the morning after about 2hrs A time she  does get very cuddly and she'd doze off if I let her. If I gently encourage her to play a bit more she'll then handle 4hrs plus A time. Does this sound normal?

I've nearly reached the door now with my chair. How do I actually get out of the door without having a screaming fit?

I'm so pleased with our progress so far, never thought I'd see the day! Thank you all so much for your help and support!!

xxx

[LucySol]

that is so good!!! id try and get her to hold to the 4.5 A like yesterday if you can and pray for a good nap!!!

id move to the other side of the door and use your voice if needs be,hopefully that will help.

my lo would happily doze off a few hrs after waking but i would only get a short UT nap if i let her,so perfectly normal!

well done you

[beckygatt]

Thanks! This morning she was really fussy by 10.15 (4hrs A time) so I put her down for nap at 10.30 (4hrs15mins A). Unfortunately she only napped for just under 1.5hrs (until 11.55) so I guess I'll put a little nap in somewhere this afternoon....

Should I try to insist more on 4.5hrs? Don't want to get an UT nap either :-/

[Shiv52]

I would insist on at least 4.5 and help her manage the last hour...so walks around the house/garden, playing then 20 minute quiet time singing, reading books.  Sounds like she needs help to consistently stretch her A time but needs at least 4.5 hours to get a decent nap.  Once she's consistently managing 4.5, you can decide whether or not you want to up it again if you are going to try stick to one nap.  I think that was an UT nap today! 

Can you AP a CN if necessary on shorter nap days to get you through to a normal bedtime?  A few time in switch over we APed a 20 minute CN in the car or buggy just to get us through to bedtime.  Although early bedtimes here just meant wake up 11.5 hours later, would be different if she made up for lost day sleep in the night and gave us a 12 or 13 hour night.  I was always afraid of encouraging an early wake up so tried as best I could to keep bedtime fairly set.

Glad the GW is going so well!  Amazing!!  Agree with Lucy, stay outside and used your voice if you need to and go back in if she's upset but then back outside and soothe with voice once she's settled.

[beckygatt]

Yes I'll try to get a catnap in the car later. Should ALL A times be 4.5 hrs though or just the morning one before nap?? How about afternoon A or evening if she has a catnap?

[LucySol]

not after a catnap cos she has had less sleep so wont manage such a long A time without gettting OT.at that age my lo could only manage 3/3.15 A after a 30 min catnap.

what did she manage after nap to bedtime last night? That was quite a long one wasnt it?

[beckygatt]

She was awake from 1 till 6.30 but she was very tired by 5.45/6; gave her supper, quick bath and put her to bed. She did fall asleep quite easily though and STTN :-)

[beckygatt]

So here's the update!

She had a 15 min nap in the car from 4-4.15 and then bedtime at about 7.30. Woke up very briefly at 9.30ish (just needed help with paci and right back to sleep) and then again at 4.45. This time she cried a bit - gave her some water and helped with paci and she settled back within a few mins. She woke up at 7.30.

Now the 7.30 wake up would seem ideal because she can theoretically have her nap after 4.5hrs A from 12-2 and then a reasonable bedtime. Unfortunately though we have a family thing this evening from about 6.30-8.30 so we'll have to put in a nap 

I feel a bit annoyed and guilty about it as I'm worried it will disrupt things. The thing is although generally we're very careful to keep to her bedtime and routine, here in Malta we do have social commitments quite often, especially in summer. We've already cut out a lot (used to visit parents a couple of evenings a week etc; now we tell them to come here) and when we're invited to friends in the evening we often get someone to babysit so we won't upset her routine. But there are a few occasions here and there that we can't miss out on, or that we go to if they won't finish too late. Is this OK or will it cause major disruptions? Will it be OK to just put in a little extra nap on these occasions (they're not too frequent; I feel really guilty when we take hwer out after bedtime) 

Don't know how it is elsewhere, but here not many babies have routines; a lot of them have bedtimes at 10/11pm, so I'm often considered paranoid and fussy and overprotective!

What do you think? Don't want to ruin the progress we've made! I know I got into this  AP mess by being too lax with the routine when she was young 

Thanks all for your support! x

[LucySol]

im sure it will be fine.1 time isnt going to make a difference.you might find her night is a bit off or shorter but just make sure you get straight back to it tomorrow.we know she can do it now so it wont be a problem!

enjoy!!! Oh and by the way people think im nuts too with routines and bedtimes but im the one with a happy,well rested lo!!!

[Shiv52]

Sounds like a good night.  Great to get that later wake up.

Tonight will be fine.  We have commitments that often mean our bedtime is later at times maybe a couple of times a month and it doesn't upset things overall.  I am conscious to get back on track the next day and have a few days of consistency and I find it works grand overall. 

[beckygatt]

Today I put her down for nap after 4.5hrs A but unfortunately she only slept 1.5hrs today. Am wondering if the 2hr nap was a fluke. Still I'll keep at the 4.5hrs A time; perhaps she needs a few days to settle?

Thanks! x

[LucySol]

a lot of mums find the nap starts to lengthen as you get into doing just 1 nap,so give it time. x