LSN or something else?

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

My go to apop for settling nw's was always holding her to sleep but now she is too big for me to be able to lay her back in her crib (and I am too short now that I dropped the bottom as low as it goes). I do a combo of PD & WI/WO with a bit of Shh/Pat if she really is having a hard time settling. She has been settling herself half the time and the rest of the nw's have gotten shorter.

We did a long am/short pm nap and an 8 pm bedtime for ages. We sort of pushed through ot and used set naps/bedtime to get thete as I had school run to work around. I was never one for figuring out A times!

[morvayc]

We haven't had a proper NW since Saturday night, but we do have several cry/shout outs in the course of the night.  She will cry out for a few seconds, and then self settle.  From all that I've read, these seem to be due to OT, but I honestly don't know what else I can do to keep it at bay.  I'm desperately trying to shift her schedule, but because of the EWs, inconsistent naps, and actually having to cap naps, I am always left at about 230/3pm not knowing what to do. I feel like pushing her more than 3.5hrs to BT after a short nap will not help things, but that always leaves me at approx 630pm....which does nothing to help push the schedule forward.  How long after a short afternoon nap, did you put your LO down for bed, and was she already doing 4+hrs A time anyway?  Maybe this is just something I have to wait out until her A times are consistently 4+hrs and she is not exhibiting OT behaviours.  I feel like every time I try to put her back to sleep after these 430-5am WUs, I am actually making the problem worse....like she's getting a little catnap 45-60min after her natural WU (which is usually 10hrs after BT).  This is why I am just desperate to shift the whole schedule.  I'd be perfectly happy with an 8pm-6am night.  Should I just go cold turkey and put her down at 8pm regardless of what happened in the day?  So confused and so desperate!  What time was your LO waking, and when and how long were her naps when putting to bed at 8pm...if you can recall?

[Martini~]

10h night means 2:45 sleep a day to sum up to 12:45 overall.
I would push BT till 8pm cold turkey. And try to start a day at 7am. She will probably wake at 6am but try to be consistent for 7-14 days and maybe she William that you start at 7am, so let's say first nap at 10:00am, second one at 2:30pm. Don't wake from naps. If she does two 45min naps you should be able to go till 8pm. If she will sleep for more, make sure the total sleep is not more than 2:45 and keep consistent BT at 8pm not earlier.

Worth trying? It cannot be worse:)?

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

I would go cold turkey to bedtime at 8 too. My DD3 went to one nap at 7.5 months, but prior to that she had an hour morning nap and a 30 min catnap at 3:30, bedtime at 8:00. All my kids really needed that long A to bed though, all three went to one nap quite early as well.

[LovelyLilyandJack]

Yep, agree with the cold turkey BT change too. That way you'll be done in a few days

[morvayc]

Even if it means that she's up for 5 or 6 hours before bed? I've never stretched her A time longer than 4hrs15min

[Martini~]

I did Hon, our longest are:
- from 13:40 after 2:10 nap till 19:00 = 5:20
- from 13:40 after 1:10 nap till 18:50 = 5:10
- from 13:55 after 1:15 nap till 19:00 = 5:05
All those happened last month, BT and night after was ok, no EMW, no cryout at night.
Your LO is slightly older and much more LSN than mine I think so do it once.
Really - one time shouldn't hurt so much:).

Much worse for us was 3 consecutive days on 3 short naps (20,30,30).

[morvayc]

Last night was just awful.....again After having a major meltdown myself this morning, I've just decided that it can't get any worse, and that I have to take some sort of drastic measure.  Either a one nap day, or only 1hr30min day sleep with 8pm bedtime.  I'm feeling the most hopeless that I have ever felt, and am starting to resent my baby.  I think I would rather be at work

[Martini~]

Oh God, Hon! Keep up there! Try 8pm bedtime firstly and let's see where you are!

[LovelyLilyandJack]

(((Hugs))) I have been there myself. I think in a way you have to get to that point sometimes to be able to let go a bit.  One thing at a time.  Focus on shifting BT - whatever else will be.... It can all be sorted out later.  J did some massive (6-7hr) A times at this age on occasion to shift BT, or just cos the day went wrong. He survived, and I learnt from it. It'll all work out in the end xxx

[morvayc]

Sigh......thanks, gals.  The day went to pot, of course.  I planned to stretch her tonight, which I did, but it still only landed me at a whopping 615pm .  She crap napped all day, beginning with a majorly OT 35min morning nap, followed by a 1hr10min afternoon nap.  A time to BT was 4hrs15min.  She's already done her first OT cry out....looks like I'm in for another doozy of a night.  DH and I haven't slept in the same bed during the week since Lila was born, but after my breakdown today, I asked if he would "spend the night", just to have the support.  There's something about dealing with a crying baby alone in the dark, night after night, that really gets to you.  In looking back at my notes, I haven't had a night without cry outs in 2 weeks.  If they are indeed due to OT, I have no idea how to deal with that issue whilst trying overcome early wakings by stretching her.  Just had to rant.  xoxox gals!

[Martini~]

Oh my, I know how important it is to have DH around. We were sleeping together in the room as that was out priority. DH had ear plugs and if the night was very crappy he would go to living room to sleep on the couch in the morning.
That was by the way reason why I moved F to his room at 3mo. I preferred to go to his room and deal with NW, and then come back to our bedroom for real rest. Sometimes it means that I will be sleeping on the floor in F room if his NW would be difficult but it was fine. We had out bedroom and it really helped.

Frank is a baby who quite often cryout when asleep. I never bothered you know? I mean if he resettles by himself I don't care at all:). I mean sorting out WHY he cried out at night was too much for me:))). I've never seen any pattern so I say to myself that cryout is just how some children transit from one sleep cycle to another. And that's it.

Keeping finger crossed for you. I am going for hols today so won't be able to pop in so often but with you with my thoughts!!!

[Martini~]

How is it going Hon?

[morvayc]

Wish I could say that there has been improvement, but sadly, nothing.  I really feel like no matter what I do, the situation doesn't change, which is why I haven't been posting lately.  The last few days, her naps have totalled less than 2 hours per day, but it doesn't seem to help with night sleep.  She still wakes in the 4s no matter what I do.  I've also increased her A times across the board....partially to see if that would help tucker her out more and partially because I have to do it, even to get to a 630 bedtime.  Just feeling hopeless.

[Martini~]

Hugs Hon!
Would you like to post your last days log? Maybe we will try to figure something out together?
If not, it's always nice to have a place to ramble a bit, isn't it...?