6.75month old horrible sleeper

[jzozmom]

I will try to extend A again.  Problem is school schedule and she is tired.  The longest I could extend so far was 2.5 hr.  But it ruined her naps.  On this schedule she actually takes 1.5 to 2hr nap consistently.  This week I have resorted to a short catnap around 4 if she is tired.  School drop off and pick up really kill the whole schedule.  If I extend her A time she falls asleep in the carpool lane and wakes as soon as we are home, so she only gets a very short catnap for her second nap.  And her first nap is usually shorter too, seems OT.  I guess i need to find the fine line here. 

[jzozmom]

 Went backwards last few days.  Naps messed up and waking 3 times a night again.  And would not settle unless I fed her every time.  I was up every 3 to 4 hrs after she went to bed.  She wouldn't take a paci.  I could pick her up and she would scream at me but then fall asleep, but the minute I put her back down she was up screaming again.  She would only go back to sleep when I fed her.  So after over an hour trying to settle her all 3 times, I gave in and fed her 3 times last night. 

[becj86]

Big hugs xx The holidays can mess up naps. When you're able to get back into the swing of things, stick with the last A time that worked and then increase again as needed.

[jzozmom]

I hope it is just the holidays.  Last night she was up again I know I did the wrong thing but after almost 2 hrs of trying to settle her, I gave in and fed her.  She isn't hungry because she calms down if I pick her up, she will cry at first but take her paci and calm down but then the minute I try to put her back down she is screaming again.  I tried to pat her in the crib but she escalates her screaming.  After feeding she goes right down.  I just can't imagine she is hungry since I fed her when she woke up at 10 and then I gave in around 230.  I am going in to her room right away because in the past few weeks if I did she would go right back to sleep with a paci.  But now she is getting mad when I try the paci, pushing it away and yelling at me.  I am just so tired after almost 8 months of broken sleep.  I gave in just so I could go back to bed. 

[becj86]

But now she is getting mad when I try the paci, pushing it away and yelling at me

This would suggest either she is hungry or you feeding her is a prop and she needs that to get back to sleep.

[jzozmom]

Thanks Becj86,

I hope you all don't mind my trying to work this through with my frequent updates.  All your feedback has been helpful and I am able to go back and look at what I've written to try and find patterns.

So I have the last 2 nights moving in a better direction for you to help me to interpret.  After our hard night up for hours where I gave in and fed her, I worked on just letting her get 2 good naps since I figured she was OT.  I also tried to make sure she did a better job BF during the day and topped her off with just 2 oz of formula right after my last BF before bed.  Bed both nights at 7.  First night she woke at 3am so 8 hr stretch!   Even though I didn't get the whole benefit of it.  Well she was just fussing so I stood outside her door instead of going in.  After 15 mins she fell asleep but only for 15 mins and then she woke really crying.  So I fed her since she slept 8 hrs and it had been almost 9hr since her last feed.  She then slept from about 350 to 820. 
     So this day I tried to extend her A times a bit. 
     She went down for a nap at 1045 so about 2.5hr A time. 
     Woke at 1215 for 1.5 hr nap. 
     She was tired and rubbing her eyes at 230 so only 2hr 15 min A. 
     Woke about 410 so 1hr 40min nap.
     Last feed at 630 with added 2oz formula and then bed at 7.
So this night she wakes crying very hard at midnight.  Her dad tried to settle her for awhile but every time he would put her back in the crib she would scream.  It had been about 6hrs since her last feed and she was not letting up so I fed her.  She went right back down after a full feed and slept until 830!  This time I actually got sleep too!  Yay! 

Ok so I am thinking that since she is taking a full feed and not just falling asleep right when I nurse her that she is actually hungry.  I take her off when she slows down and put her in her crib barely awake, she might protest and I give her the paci and she is out.

Or maybe I am APOP, hopefully we can see a trend in next few nights.   

[becj86]

Those are good long nights - should help her recover from the OT and hopefully allow you to get some reasonable A times in. Keep at it - 7 seems like it suits her as a bedtime

[jzozmom]

My poor baby, just when I thought we might be getting somewhere, we had an ok night with 2 wakings after my two good nights in a row.  But last night we were at a friends house and she started projectile vommitting.  We were up all night puking and then this morning diarrhea.  She is still so pleasant though despite this, she just seems really tired.  I guess I am going to have to just follow her cues and hopefully she will get some rest even if it turns her days and nights mixed upside down.

[becj86]

Yep, just follow her cues - she'll be more tired because she's sick. Hope she feels better soon!

[jzozmom]

ER on new years for dehydration but the next morning she was dong better.  Vomiting stopped and diarrhea remained.  Unfortunately one of my other kids and myself came down with it last night.  By the grace of God, little one decided last night she would STTN.  I was up all night being sick but at least she was not needing my help.  She slept from 730 to 5, I fed her and then she slept til 830. 

Aside from the obvious that she needed sleep, it is interesting that I only nursed her yesterday, took away solids.  Wonder if she is not getting as much milk as she needs when she eats solids?  I always nurse first though.  I might cut back a bit as I reintroduce them to her and see what happens.

[becj86]

Wonder if she is not getting as much milk as she needs when she eats solids?  I always nurse first though.  I might cut back a bit as I reintroduce them to her and see what happens.

Quite possibly. They really only take a very little bit of solids at this age. Another possibility is that she has some digestive discomfort - were you giving solids in the afternoon/evening? Or she may be reacting to something she's eating?

[jzozmom]

I was giving solids 3 times a day.  Some meals I added formula to her food per her doctor because she was small for her age.  I have cut down on that a lot though. 

[becj86]

Milk is higher calorie-wise that food - that's why they get you to add milk to food... better maybe to stick with milk as the main source of food and do solids for fun and tasting.

[jzozmom]

Oh ladies, help!  Last 3 days little one won't go down awake anymore, just screams in her bed.  She pretty much will not take a nap.  She really won't take one even when i hold her.  Back also to 3 wakings at night and only feeding will stop the screaming.  Today she started projectile vomiting again at her second feeding.  She had been completely better since last Thurs in terms of stomach flu.  Now my normally sweet girl is grumpy and clingy.  I assume because she doesn't feel well.  But she did have normal non sick days where she started the sleep strike. 

[becj86]

She could have been feeling ill before she started vomiting...

She's not a refluxer, is she?