9 month old - frequent/long NWs

[songbird]

Looking for some help with 9 month old DD's routine - she has never been a good sleeper and was having 5-6 NWs a night for a few months. This has slightly improved recently with some long 5-6 hours stretches half the time, but she still wakes a lot (less than every hour) esp towards WU. She needs me to rush in, pat her firmly back to sleep for those (sometimes for 20 minutes or more), otherwise she tends to just get more and more awake and then refuse to go back to sleep for another hour or so raring to go!

Please take a look at my routine - is she getting too much day sleep?? A prop issue with the patting?

The past two days:

WU 6.17
E - 6.30 but pretty much refused solids/BF - 8AM
A - 2 hr 57 (normally she lasts a bit longer than this but she had a really bad night - 9.5 hrs sleep the night before)
S - 9.13 to 10.51 (1 hr 40 nap)
E - BF at 11 and then refused solids again
A - 3 hours 45
S - 2.36 to 3.10 (pooped waking her up)
E - BF 3.30 then dinner solids around 5pm
BT - 6.47 (exhausted)

NW: 10.30 to 12.30 (fed her then she refused to sleep just wanted to be patted otherwise she'd alternate between laughing wide awake and then crying), 3AM (fed), 5.30 - patted back to sleep for these

WU 6.15
E - refused solids breakfast again then BF at 7.40
A - 3 hours (really tired and went down very quickly)
S - 9.18 to 10.40 (1 hr 22 nap)
E - 11am 90ml of youghurt then BF around 12
A - 3 hours 50 minutes (refused to sleep any earlier)
S - 2.26 to 4pm (1 hr 34 - needed extending by patting around 30m, and 40m mark)
BT - 7.25

Then we had a good stretch first NW at 1.20am (fed and straight back to sleep), then 4.47 up for the day! (I tried patting after feeding but she just became wide awake when I tried to gradually slow down or changed to patting the mattress, then it just became a lost cause she was ready to go and play....)

Now first nap of 40 minutes after 3 hrs from WU of 4.47....

How much day sleep should a 9 mo be having? Is she having too much??

Thanks so much.

[becj86]

You really need to push her first A time up a bit (towards 3.5hr or so) - gradually, I'd say, given she's tired but that's what's going to discourage these wakings in the early hours of the morning and bring wakeup later.

No discomfort/pain - reflux, teething, etc.?

[songbird]

Do I need to cap naps of I extend her first A? If she has two full naps the day would get quite long.  If so, how much do I cap it by at this age? Or she silk needs 2 x 1.5 hr naps?

Thanks!

Yesterday was diastrous she only got 1:40 nap all day and refused to settle at bed time.  Waking up early again so only 9.5 hrs sleep or so.  Starting to wonder if that's all she would ever sleep at night?!

[songbird]

Oh and no reflux.  First teeth slowly coming out at the moment so it can be that?

[becj86]

Teeth can definitely stuff sleep up. Are you medicating for the pain?

Could also be chronic OT - the EW's (technically, an early waking is waking for the day after less than a 10hr night).

You could be at the beginning of this: 10/11 month old sleep gone wonky? Read this first!

[songbird]

Thanks for the link!

The NWs are still happening and baby panadol didn't seem to help.

Can you take a look at my current routine as I'm not sure whether I'm doing to right thing by letting her have 2 x 1 hr naps or should I do one short one long instead?

Her routine now looks something like this
WU - usually around 6.30AM
First A - 3 hr 45 minutes
Nap - 1 hr (needing quick resettling usually around 35m mark but very easy)

Second A - 3 hr 40 (sometimes won't sleep until 4 hr??)
Nap - also usually 1 hr (ending around 4PM)

Last A - 3 hr 20 or so but very fussy by 3 hr point
BT she usually requires a lot of help from me (OT? but starting earlier did't help at all)
Her days are usually 13 hrs.

NWs are every 2-3 hrs throughout the night then after 3/4AM, every hr or less (!) in the 2-3 hrs before WU and requiring a lot of help (firm patting, can't slow down or she will wake up immediately etc - not crying but just wake up!).


As her A times edge closer to 4 hrs and above, it's hard to fit in two naps. Is it time to cap her naps or is 2 x 1 hr naps better than one CN and one full nap?

Thanks!

[becj86]

should I do one short one long instead?

Probably - DS did well with two one hour naps for a while but he did need to move to a short nap and long nap, as one hour isn't restorative enough to keep sustaining a LO of this age through the day on a long-term basis.