6.5 mos old sleep mess-still

[Buttonbobs]

Don't worry about the short naps for now, like Katherine says you've done well to start with naps at the right time. Stick with it - you'll both get there!

[jessmum46]

I'd call that a success for day one . Well done, stick with it, hope the night went ok xx

[jcsmom]

Last night
Wu 8pm cried for 5 mins
Wu 10 fed
Wu 4 fed
Wu 6 left in crib til 6:30
S 9:45-10:17 back to sleep for 10 mins from 10:45-10:55

This is not easy. I feel like I am sleep depriving her.

[jessmum46]

It's not easy honey but you are doing GREAT! Stick to it, I know you can.

Remember when it feels so tough, your responsibilities are to give her the atmosphere and opportunities to nap, and you are totally doing that . Her responsibility is the sleeping . And she will, given a nice consistent routine. It may take a few days for her to 'get it', but be strong, you're doing this for both of you.

(((Hugs))) for today xx

[Buttonbobs]

I echo Katherine's sentiments, you are doing all the right things and it will take time but if you hold firm she will re-set her body clock to the more appropriate times and sleep better. Be strong! Hugs xx

[Ima shel Alon]

I agree - you are doing GREAT! Keep up.

[jcsmom]

Thanks ladies! Every day is an new day.

[*Kara*]

Hugs hun   I am back to cheer you on now!

As always, you are being given wonderful advice!  I did set naps at 6 months as well.. it's tough, but it will get better with consistency.

[jcsmom]

So I am looking over old logs from when she was STTN. If she slept 12 hours her naps were all 30-50 mins. If she slept less, like 11-11.5 she always had one long nap over an hour in the day or if she was up in the night she had one nap over an hour. If I extended naps I would get an EW or a NW. Can someone look back at my logs? Could she be a low sleep needs baby? So even if I do set naps with a 6:30-6:30 night her naps will never be long will they? Am I imagining things?

[*Kara*]

I have a LSN kid   I have always found that it is a really delicate balance with day/night sleep needs.  Just like your DD now, 7 months is too little to not have decent naps (2 each day).  That said, some kids can get through a day with little day sleep and manage a good night.  Personally, I am a huge believer in naps.  They do need them to assimilate all that they learn over the course of a day.  For us, this meant that a 12 hr night (or even 11hrs) was a very rare occurrence before the move to one nap at 11 months (LSN will drop naps earlier than other babies typically).

For us at this age, we had 2 naps of 1 hr 30 (PM was sometimes 1 hr 45) and nights of 10 - 10hrs30.  If I capped naps to go for a longer night, we got OT NWing before midnight... I spent months trying to get a longer night and nothing changed what she biologically needed at that age.

That said, she was always super happy with her sleep as it was... this was my indication that it worked for her.

[jcsmom]

It has been a disaster really. Yesterday she slept until 6:45 (with a waking at 1 and 5:45) and had 2 29 minute naps. Last night she was up screaming from 9:30-10 then back to sleep for 20 mins then up again until 10:45 then up at 3:30 then up for the day at 6:10. I wonder if she even went back to sleep after 3am


Ladies, I am at a total loss here. She was so miserable this morning. I felt like there was no way to keep her up after yesterday and getting so little sleep. So at 8:45 I put her down and she slept 15 minutes. I tried to nurse back to sleep and she was off and on but not really sleeping.
I just don't get it, I really don't.

[jessmum46]

(((Hugs))) and sorry you are finding this so tough.

Here to listen but really in all honesty I'm really struggling to know how to help you   You know what I'm going to say.......consistency.  She needs it.  Did you read the chapter in BWSAYP? 

Have you seen your doctor with her recently?  I can't quite shake the feeling that discomfort has some role here.....though I may be completely wrong.

We all want to help you get this sorted out, but it's you that ultimately has to take charge of this and stick to a plan.  There is no magic that is going to fix this in a day or two.  From my perspective I don't mind at all what plan you choose - honestly you could go for co-sleeping/feed to sleep/baby wearing instead! - and we would completely support you in that too if it was what worked for you and you could stick to it.  But you need to stick to something otherwise nothing changes. 

[Shiv52]

I agree with Katherine. You need to keep up the consistency for a week. If she went down early today then just do what you can to get through the day and start again tomorrow. But your week of consistency starts from tomorrow. She really needs a chance for her body clock to adapt.   It will take longer than a week to get longer naps but at least a week to get her used to new A times.

Keep up the hard work. It will be worth it in the end.

[skatty]

jcsmom, I am not here to give any advice but just offer a hug and tell you what you are living is more or less what I lived and I know what hell you are going through! A lovely member here Elmarie helped me through it though even she was at a loss because my kid just didn't want to nap ever  I do want to give you some hope though, just before my dd became 1 year I had to put her down late for her morning nap and she slept nearly 1hr, this was amazing at the time because I was getting 20-30 minute naps, this was our breakthrough! I started putting her down for a nap at 11am and she would sleep around an hour and then have a 20 minute catnap late afternoon which I did in the pram walking around and gave just enough time to get us through dinner and bedtime without her becoming too OT. An amazing thing started to happen quickly, she started not only consistantly STTN but she became a superstar night sleeper, 15+hrs!! Finally all the sleep she was missing in the day was being tagged on to her nights, that little bit more sleep she was getting at that first nap must have helped tremendously! After a few weeks we stopped the catnap and just put her to bed 4 hours after she woke from her nap because by now her wake up was nearer to 8 am and her nap would be around 12 so bed was around 5-5.30pm, I know terribley early but after the sleep hell she was suddenly a marathon sleeper! Looking back now I just think some LOs are just not wired for great daytime sleep but just because it is terrible now it doesn't mean it will always be. Your turning point could be at any time once you have worked your LO's magic formula out, I hope you wont have to wait as long as I did though 

[jcsmom]

So you guys think if I stick to set naps every day they will lengthen and she will get over the OT naps? Do I move bedtime too and shorten her night? Last night she was giddy at 10pm and would not settle. She was so OT. I wonder if she was up after her feed at 3am. What if it just makes things worse? Or do I just ride it out? This could be disastrous!

I really want something to work. Everyday I wake thinking today will be the day that things will get better and it was for awhile. I appreciate everyone here being my cheerleader. I want to stick to something but having a loopy baby was tough.

We used to think that there was discomfort (eg reflux) as she has always had looooong NWs/short naps. But we have explored everything.