Author Topic: Early waking and 30 mins catnaps - 4.5mo EASY gone mad! What do I do???  (Read 1434 times)

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Offline lst

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My little boy was on a pretty good run at 3mo - he learnt to sleep on his own and swaddling was no longer required. This however took a steep turn two weeks ago. I am not sure to attribute this to his second set of needles but everything seems to be going down hill from that week on.

He started to catnap - would only sleep for 30mins at a time and could not get past the first sleep cycle. I could force him back to sleep by patting him in my arms but it takes a lot of crying and I fear this would take me back to the days when I had to rock him to sleep. He is sometimes contend with the 30mins nap but at times wake with a yawn. He gets tired after 1.5hrs requiring another nap. He could only sleep a good two hour if I have him in a pram and walk him to sleep.

He also needed assistance settling before he falls asleep. I have to hold his hands and legs down to prevent kicking and hand movements (biting his fingers and sometimes getting over tired chewing on his lovey). The lovey used to help him settle but now that he's got better hand coordination, he could over tire himself playing with it. He hates being swaddled and I'd hate to have to go back down that path.

He is also waking earlier and earlier. I put him to bed after his bath and last feed just before 8pm. He would always wake for a feed at 1am and still does and would wake at 7.30am which was great. It's now getting earlier and earlier and this morning woke up at 5am! My husband had to rock him back to sleep when he started crying at 6.30am.

I am at a total lost! His routine is no longer an EASY routine. I can't even list it now. It's such a mess starting with a EASAS-E and now to sometimes an ESASA-E! I can guarantee you that I don't overtire him, always putting him down to self settle for a nap the moment he shows tired signs. Sometimes leaving him to self settle gets him overtired. What do I do  ???

Offline empowered mama

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Re: Early waking and 30 mins catnaps - 4.5mo EASY gone mad! What do I do???
« Reply #1 on: September 14, 2010, 20:31:27 pm »
hi there,

It is sounding to me as if your LO is getting OT somewhere in the day.  What is your A time before that first nap?

I know that tired signs can be a bit unreliable for some LOs, and others it can be too late by the time you see a yawn and you may have missed the window.  I think if we give a little tweak to the A times that we might be able to better sort the day.




Offline Jiinx

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Re: Early waking and 30 mins catnaps - 4.5mo EASY gone mad! What do I do???
« Reply #2 on: September 15, 2010, 00:23:39 am »
Hi there,
Just chiming in with the wonderful EM...

Hi there,
 So sorry you've been struggling for a couple of weeks. It's really tough when things are going so well and all of a sudden things change.

This however took a steep turn two weeks ago. I am not sure to attribute this to his second set of needles but everything seems to be going down hill from that week on.

Sometimes needles can make babies fatigued. Their immune system has gotten a weak form of a virus and their bodies are busy making antibodies for it. they may need more sleep following shots, and their A times would be less than usual. same goes for teething..anything that causes their bodies to work harder, requires more sleep. Is he going through a growth spurt?

* http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=68057.0

Please do share with us whatever you have for your routine, my dear. Don't despair...
*Sarah*





Offline lst

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Re: Early waking and 30 mins catnaps - 4.5mo EASY gone mad! What do I do???
« Reply #3 on: September 15, 2010, 04:50:54 am »
Hi Jiinx

Thanks for the support.

I stumble upon this page - Naps>FAQs>Teaching Sleep to Babies of 3-5 months (and the 45 min nap) - this morning and I think it's a life saver! I stayed by his crib throughout two naps and it worked! He napped for an extra 40mins the first time and is now still asleep after 2hours for his second nap :)

My back is aching but it's worth it. I have a few days to make the change as he starts at the childcare next week. I am hoping that he'd pick up on this new pattern soon and is able to carry it through.

He may be going through a growth spurt I am not too sure. He usually just feeds on one side and has two weeks ago (coincidentally) started feeding on both sides per feed.




Offline Jiinx

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Re: Early waking and 30 mins catnaps - 4.5mo EASY gone mad! What do I do???
« Reply #4 on: September 15, 2010, 16:21:51 pm »
*hugs* Hope it continues to go well...glad you found some threads to help you out.

Keep us posted..
*Sarah*





Offline lst

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Re: Early waking and 30 mins catnaps - 4.5mo EASY gone mad! What do I do???
« Reply #5 on: September 15, 2010, 22:31:07 pm »
Hi empowered mama

My little one woke up early again today (around 5.30am) and that got me thingking about your comment. I think you may be right in saying that he may be OT for his first nap.

Regardless of when he wakes, I only put him down for his first nap of the day at around 8.30am. I read another thread and I think I am taking EASY as a schedule instead of a routine which I think a lot of people do too. A schedule is important for me as I will be heading back to work in 2 weeks.

Is there anyway I can make the two work as one? Perhaps I wake up when he does and try to get him back to sleep (like I would now with his day time naps forcing him past the first 30 mins) and make him sleep till 7am at least?

Offline empowered mama

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Re: Early waking and 30 mins catnaps - 4.5mo EASY gone mad! What do I do???
« Reply #6 on: September 15, 2010, 23:49:51 pm »
Yes, you could essentially treat the EW as a NW and see if you could get your LO back down until the start of the day.  Some people have success in doing this so it's worth a shot.

Good luck hun and stay posted!



Offline lst

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Re: Early waking and 30 mins catnaps - 4.5mo EASY gone mad! What do I do???
« Reply #7 on: September 16, 2010, 08:57:14 am »
Okay... Two days of it. Had a couple of successes but not without a lot of crying. I am committed but at times I just feel like I am loosing myself. Going insane just hearing his cries for up to an hour at times.

He had a good afternoon nap today but when I put him down to settle for his last nap, he talked to himself for a little and then started crying. I went to pat him and he slept and in less than five minutes started crying again. This just went on and on for more than an hour. It was driving me insane I had to walk out of the room leaving him to cry to take a breather. I felt so terrible.

I know it takes perseverance but what do I do at times when he just keeps crying and crying way past his nap time?! I know he is overtired by the first or second cry but he wasn't when I put him down to settle. How do I persevere through this? Please help me get my sanity back.  :'(

Offline empowered mama

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Re: Early waking and 30 mins catnaps - 4.5mo EASY gone mad! What do I do???
« Reply #8 on: September 16, 2010, 15:58:34 pm »
Can you post your routine?  It's really hard to tell how to adjust things without seeing his A times, nap lengths, etc.  It is sounding like he *might* have been UT (then turned into OT after a while) for the catnap - I've heard people say that if they wake 5 min after falling asleep that it is indicative of UT, unless there is something else like teeth going on.

Maybe the amazing Sarah has thoughts on this? ;)

*Hugs* hun - I know it is really hard, but hang in there - it will get better.



Offline Jiinx

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Re: Early waking and 30 mins catnaps - 4.5mo EASY gone mad! What do I do???
« Reply #9 on: September 16, 2010, 18:03:27 pm »
Hi there,
 Does he have a lovey? Is his room dark? How is his wind down?
Also, do you know his personality? Sometimes with spirited and touchy babes, they require short wind downs. Some mothers even put their babies in the crib first and do the wind down (i.e. closing blinds, reading stories...).

 I agree with EM, we do need to see some sort of A times...

 If things are getting out of hand, please don't feel guilty to use some APOP. A swing, a car ride..anything you need to do to get him to sleep. Sleep training WILL come when they're not in pain or OT..it's so difficult for them to respond to shush/patting when they're so tired or not tired.


Some links!
* http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=64747.0
* http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=64402.0
* http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=64277.0
* http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=52283.0

Anything happening with him? Milestones? How is his eating? teething?
*Sarah*