DS has just turned 19 months and I am so fed up with his sleep.
TBH I should've posted about this a long time ago but I just kept telling myself it would settle down eventually: when we got to 1 nap for instance or when I could stop blaming his teeth or developmental leaps or SR, etc, etc, etc - but now I'm not beginning to think that he's just a rubbish sleeper and always will be
My DD (6 yo) has always been HSN and sensitive to OT - due to her touchy nature I've always paid close attention to her sleep needs. Even now at 6yo she will take a nap when it's on offer (or she'll take the option of quiet time in her room and fall asleep).
DS is a whole different kettle of fish and I'm ashamed to say that even now, 19 months down the line, I still haven't worked him out at all
When we did the 'know your baby' quiz he came out equal in all personalities - from both DH's and my answers even though they were different! I've never worked out whether he's HSN, LSN or ASN - I suspect he won't be HSN like his older sister but at the same time my 'instinct' (if I do have one) just tells me that he doesn't get enough sleep - but that he can 'survive' on less than he needs and doesn't meltdown like DD - iykwim?
I do blame myself a little bit - with DD I didn't have another LO to work around and therefore I could commit more time to working on ST with her, which is a good job really as I don't think she would've coped with constant sleep disruption. When DS arrived we had nursery trips twice a day, swimming lessons, CM pick ups, etc - there never seemed to be a day that had the same routine
And that meant that we never seemed to have two days the same routine wise from him either - every so often I would get a decent night or decent nap, maybe even 2 days in a row and I'd think we'd finally cracked it - only for it all to fall apart again.
We've had (what I call) EWs for so long that I now believe that 6am is a lie-in! When I was BF I used to envy all those Mums who had the 5am-ish feed - and their babies would go back off to sleep. I would've happily have carried on with that 5am feed (even now) if it meant DS would go back to sleep til 7am (we've always had the 7am start of day rule - since starting BW with DD at 10 weeks
) DS weaned himself from BF at around 14 months - we were just down to the BT feed more or less and he refused one night (I *think* he was severely OT) and then refused it every night after too, just like that
For a while now (what seems like forever) I've been trying set nap and BT as trying to work out A times just never worked this time round at all. Nap time is 12.30 and BT at 7pm - WU varies between 5.30 and 6.50 (very rare). The last few days I thought we were progressing again as we had 2 or 3 days in a row when we made it to 6.15am or after. I'm not sure if the nap should be earlier or not but on the 2 days I work I pick DS up from Mum's or CM's and it's the earliest I can get him down so I try and stay consistent the other days too.
He goes to sleep fairly quickly for naps - I'd say within 5 mins but BT he can be 'talking' for up to half an hour. When he wakes in the morning - I don't rush in to him as he doesn't cry out, just chats for a while. I go to him if the chatting turns to crying or if it's time to get him up - on those rare occasions that he's woken near to 7am.
His naps are often under 2hrs (which I *think* he needs to have a restorative nap, right?) and I would say that 9/10 he wakes up crying from them - which makes me think he's not rested
Sometimes if I go in and lie him down (he's tends to be sitting up when crying) and give him his muslin (lovie) he will got back off for a bit - other times he will get more upset so I just get him up. I don't have the luxury of time to resettle him for hours as we have to collect DD from school.
Talking of school run - need to go and get DD now (and believe it or not DS is still napping LOL so will have to wake him!).
BBL - in the meantime if anyone has any words of wisdom they would be much appreciated
