Baby awake in crib

[delecto]

New post

Hi all. Dd is 12.5 weeks, EBF/textbook. She's fought her naps all her life so I AP her to sleep. I was going to go for shh/pat to get her able to sleep on her own, but putting her down in her crib in any other state besides totally asleep results in her being wide awake (shh/pat in her crib hasn't worked). I can put her down 99% asleep or fully awake - same story - lays there wide awake.  Sometimes calmly but inevitably she fusses. Only 1 time out of all these months has she fallen asleep on her own in her crib.

She's also (in the last week or two) started waking up 5 minutes after I put her down for naps. I can either AP her to sleep (she may or may not stay asleep) or leave her (she won't go back to sleep).

She does sleep great at night (knock on wood) - goes from 8/8:30 to 8/8:30 with one NW to eat. She's on a 2/2:30 hour EASY - her naps are short and she wakes up hungry. Once every week or two she'll get a 2-3 hour nap. Her A times are 1:15-1:30. Oh, and if she has a super short nap, she'll sleep during her next feed (I have to work really hard to keep her awake. Then she's fine and happy). She also wakes content from her 45 min naps. No paci, working on finding fingers. Swaddled inconsistently - she breaks out of it often so sometimes I just leave her arms out.

So my questions are:
How do I get her to actually fall asleep in her crib? I want her to sleep independently but it means actually sleeping!
Any advice on the 5-minute wake up?
If she does skip a nap (and if I can keep her awake during that next feed),  should I shorten that A time? I hesitate to bc if she sleeps 30-45 min, she normally wants to eat, then it's even shorter between feeds.

Thanks!

[ZacsMumme]

Heya,
30-45 min naps are so common at this age. Often the best you can do is try to tweak your day and keep encouraging the longer nap. You could use W2S or HTTJ to spent end too

As far as IS goes I did what you do at nap time at this age. To teach IS I gradually did it less and less. So move lo to the cot when almost asleep and then continue to shh/pat/use pressure or gently rock or pst the mattress etc until lo has fully drifted off.

Is your lo swaddled? Paci?

The 5 min WU is likely that she isn't asleep yet and realising your gone this is why gradually weaning the AP works well, so in this case I'd probably try to get her resettled in the cot. Or PU and do a bit more in your arms and rePD with some finishing off in the cot.

I'd try bumping that first A a touch and see if it helps her to resettle at the sleep transition. Even if you can apop back to sleep. Maybe try 1hr40

After a short nap yes, shortern the A a touch but only 10 mins or so each time x

[delecto]

Thank you for the info!!

So, I've actually pushed that A time in the morning to about 1:40 and she's slept 45 min for the past few days. Her next two naps remain crappy - no matter how long I hold her once she's fallen asleep, she wakes up 5 minutes later. Sometimes I can get up back down if I pick up and ap but this last map, for example, she was "wide awake" - then totally fell asleep eating.

Now of course, the last two nights haven't gone great either - woke up 2-3 times to eat instead of once.

I'm trying to be relaxed about all of it, but it's hard not to get frustrated. Especially since I go back to work soon and she'll be with grandmas and daycare. I feel bad having them deal with all her sleep issues! I know I need to do the gradual reduction of APing. It's just... daunting.

[ZacsMumme]

Glad to see your getting a better morning nap what A are you offering after that nap?
I know it is a slooowwww process but you will get there. It's harder with #2 isn't it!

Some of this could be the 3 mth GS maybe? Teething starting?