16wk DD bedtime issues - waking half hour after going to sleep

[jazzym38]

hi there - my 16week old DD is a contented little thing -she pretty much goes exactly 2 hours during the day before needing a nap (not self-settling - but I put her down drowsy and she's OK...will do something about it soon...) This is what her day generally looks like...
E: 7.30
A: 8.00
S: 9.30-10.45/11

E. 11.00
A. 11.30
S: 12.30/1.00 -3.00

E. 3.00 (I wake her up to feed her as I have to pick up my son from nursery)
A. 3.30 -5.30 - and somewhere in between these times, she will get hungry and I'll feed her

THen it gets tricky...

She is NEVER tired enough for a catnap, so at 5.30, although i try to get her to sleep - it just doesn't work - she is just not tired - so I give up - and then I give both my DS - 4yo and her - a bath at 6pm ...but always feeling like she should have had a sleep...then, by the time I get her into pyjamas etc and feed her - about 6.45/ 7, she is really really tired and I think, doesn't have enough milk - and then wakes up 30 mins after being put down - without fail - every every night! And I spend the next hour or so, until 8, sometimes 9, picking her up and feeding her.

However, just in the last couple of days, my husband has been going to settle her - ie. not feed her - and she eventually goes down after being rocked to sleep by him - and then (as always) doesn't wake up until 1,2 or 3am. So, I think maybe she isn't actually hungry and is waking up due to overtiredness? on the occasions that she has had a catnap late afternoon, she does the same thing - so I'm not even sure it's that.

But I can't really bring her bedtime forward because I've got my DS to consider and he's still having his dinner at 5.30...what do you think my solution should be? Sorry if this sounds muddled!

Thanks x

[amayzie]

Ah- things do get more complicated when there's another LO to consider!! I think the waking may be from her being OT as she isn't getting that nap in... at 16 weeks generally you still need a cat nap in there.. Have you tried putting her in a carrier or something at 5 or 5.30 or so to see if she'll have a short nap?

I'm also wondering if by waiting to 5.30 you are actually pushing her too long and she's OT. If she's not had very long naps in the day she may need less time to that final nap of the day- so say 5.15 or even 5pm?

[jazzym38]

hi, thanks for the reply.
I have tried everything to get her to sleep in the afternoon - the only thing that works is when I'm in the car - but then she ALWAYS falls asleep in the car! And that is just not really practical.
And I've tried an earlier cat nap time too  - but she just isn't showing ANY signs of tiredness and I spend an hour trying to get her to sleep!
Her first nap is usually 1.5 hours and second nap can go on forever as she's in her buggy, so can go from 12.30/1 to 3pm...I would have thought they were long enough?
tks

[amayzie]

they are probably ok for a few days- but it tends to build up and they can get OT... Could you try offerring a third nap every few days instead just to keep the OT at bay?

[Ima shel Alon]

I want to second Katy, she really needs to be on three naps at her age.

Many babies fight the CN at this age. My DS was never settled in the afternoon, went to sleep grumpy, woke up grumpy, bless him. But I really insisted on the CN, she simply can't get to her BT ok without one, even if she is taking two really good naps right now.
Have you tried a sling or a carrier? When you try putting her down for a CN for how long are you trying?
I don't think she doesn't show any signs of tiredness because she is not tired, but because she is OT or OS,yk?