Author Topic: Day Sleep Better and Now LOTS of NW for 4/5 Month Old  (Read 1569 times)

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Offline theu.s.lees

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Day Sleep Better and Now LOTS of NW for 4/5 Month Old
« on: August 02, 2015, 14:55:28 pm »
I've been working on making it through the 45 minute naps and 4 month regression. I think I've finally made it through and was able to stop nursing to sleep, and put a good wind down routine in place. We did start using a paci, which I'm sure is a bad prop, but we had to get her off the boob and that was my step. Since then, our days have gotten SO much better so that most days I don't have to resettle during her naps. However, our nights have gone to complete pot. She used to only be up 1-2 times per night (usually 1) but now it is every few hours again. I try to resettle her but end up feeding her an hour later anyways. Here is our EASY the past couple of days.

FRIDAY:
Thursday NW - 11 (just a resettle), 2a, 5a
WU/E - 7am
S - 9-11
E - 11
S - 1:15-3:10
E - 3:30
S - 5:30-6:15 (in Tula on a walk)
E - 6:45
S - 7:30

SATURDAY (I'm in a wedding and had a few bridal events so I was back and forth from home, so sometimes her E was a tad after wake up as my mom would wait for me to get back before feeding her completely)
Friday night NW - There were so many I can't remember, including a LONG NW/EW from 4-6am
WU/E: 7am
E: 8:15 (since she had eaten so much over the night, that she didn't take much at wake up, so I fed her again)
S - 8:45-11:10
E: 11:30
S: 1:15-3
E: 4
S: 5:15-5:45 (in Tula at rehearsal dinner)
E: 7pm
S: 7:20

Last night she was up at 12, 1, 2:45, 5, and then up at 6:20 for the day today. What on earth has happened?!



Offline *Liz*

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Re: Day Sleep Better and Now LOTS of NW for 4/5 Month Old
« Reply #1 on: August 02, 2015, 20:08:08 pm »
To me, it is one of 2 things.

Firstly it could just be developmental. They often do the whole NWing nonsense at this age.

Secondly you may have just got so much day sleep you have wrecked your nights  ;). Especially with the first nap of the day being the longest and a nice 'catch up'.

I'd probably just give it a week or so, and if still going on start extending some A times, especially in the morning.

Offline theu.s.lees

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Re: Day Sleep Better and Now LOTS of NW for 4/5 Month Old
« Reply #2 on: August 08, 2015, 14:22:17 pm »
Thank you for your reply. I've given it some time and it seems to only have gotten worse. To make it even worse their has been some APOP as we are so exhausted that by about 4-5 am we give in and bring her into bed to help settle her. I was thinking she is teething as there has been lots and lots of drool, a runny nose and the NWs. But I can't be sure. She's fine during the day, but that CN before bed seems to be a struggle. It's as if I can't quite fit it in, but without it, there's a short day. I feel as if I have a newborn again with all of these NW.



Offline *Liz*

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Re: Day Sleep Better and Now LOTS of NW for 4/5 Month Old
« Reply #3 on: August 08, 2015, 17:55:04 pm »
I'd start extending your As then - see if you can get a bit more A time in and push out the CN sooner rather than later.

My DD did this and it took me ages to accept that she was robbing night for day.

Offline theu.s.lees

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Re: Day Sleep Better and Now LOTS of NW for 4/5 Month Old
« Reply #4 on: August 09, 2015, 02:04:40 am »
Could you elaborate a tad more? I worked on longer As today. The first one she did good and had a good nap. And the second one was not too bad either  but then I got to the end of the day and it was 3 hrs to BT (or a 12 hr day). So I could either give her the smallest CN or an early BT. I did the early BT but it was still pushing A time too long I think as I'm still trying to get her to bed a while later.



Offline shira1206

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Re: Day Sleep Better and Now LOTS of NW for 4/5 Month Old
« Reply #5 on: August 09, 2015, 09:37:45 am »
Hi  theu.s.lees,
just wanted to say we are in the exact same situation as you - i know it may not comfort you much, but i understand what you are going through completely!
our LO is 4 months, and when i read your post the resemblance was amazing (i have a post myself going on for a while Changes in sleep times at night - 3.5 months baby)
all these sudden NW's are hard and the early morning wake is even harder.
for us we always get to end of day with a long A time after CN (30 minutes maybe) just like you mentioned which is hard - and i think it's because i just can't seem to stretch her day A times any more - she seems too tired.

what Liz wrote "My DD did this and it took me ages to accept that she was robbing night for day." is very interesting way to look at it - i think it's just really hard to stretch A time if LO is yawning constantly, rubbing eyes and doesn't want to play.

hopefully we will both get there! good luck to you :)

Offline *Liz*

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Re: Day Sleep Better and Now LOTS of NW for 4/5 Month Old
« Reply #6 on: August 09, 2015, 20:50:28 pm »
Yes  :).

My DD settled herself into a short am/ long lunchtime/ pm CN pattern from a very young age. Short naps in sling and at lunchtime I would help her extend (while DS1 was asleep), and that became her natural pattern. By 4 months she regularly refused the pm CN so would go from 2.30pm until a 6.30pm bedtime  ::) :o. She would BF and then sleep until 2-4am, the sleep until morning (although she was often windy at this time as they often are).

At 5/6 months I realised she needed feeding before a nap else she would SN, and she went onto 2 long naps and a great EASY for her day. NWings increased, and we carried on like this until she was about 8 months, until she was waking every 1-2 hrs and EWing as well. I was BFing her back to sleep each time.

I started capping the am nap, and she went back to sleeping more sensibly. I stopped BFing at 9 months and she STTN  ::) ::). That was on a 30 min am, and 2hr lunchtime nap. At about 10 months she went to one long lunchtime nap.

She isn't actually LSN - she has always done 12 hr nights and really likes her sleep far more than my DS1 (who really is LSN  ::) ::)) - but she did need that long afternoon A to sleep properly at night. Outside of BWer it is actually a pretty common baby routine, so I guess she isn't the only one that likes it.

I did have to 'push past' her tiredness, especially when moving to 1 nap. She was set in her routine so used to be tired when she 'should' iyswim? She followed the clock and then didn't sleep at night to make up her A time.

Go gentle of course to avoid a great big mess - but stretching as best as you can will likely end this sooner I think.

Offline theu.s.lees

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Re: Day Sleep Better and Now LOTS of NW for 4/5 Month Old
« Reply #7 on: August 10, 2015, 22:28:27 pm »
Thanks for your replies, ladies. It has been a tough week. Today I tried waking her after 1.5 hrs from her first nap, and she had a good 2.5 hrs first A time. But, then she seemed tired super early after that. I got her to 2 hours A time, but that's all she could do. And then we had a short nap of just over an hour. I couldn't really resettle because of course the other two kids were fighting and I was on a call about our baby monitor (great timing, huh?!). Anyway, here I am at 3.30, she's been up for a little bit but no way will she make it to 6pm (which is a 12 hour day). So I'm at a loss of what to do. I guess I will do a CN around 5 (which is 2 hrs A time) and then go for another 2 hrs A time to BT? Oh man, I hope tonight is better. It seems to be every 2 hours from about midnight until 6am, which is exhausting. Plus, she was up around 4am until 5 this morning.



Offline *Liz*

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Re: Day Sleep Better and Now LOTS of NW for 4/5 Month Old
« Reply #8 on: August 11, 2015, 20:15:46 pm »
Is she in a WW at all? I find my DS2 really does get unsettled with sleep with developmental changes. It causes long NWings - and as a bottle feeding mama this time there is little I can do apart from lie awake with him for hours at a time  >:( :o.

Offline theu.s.lees

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Re: Day Sleep Better and Now LOTS of NW for 4/5 Month Old
« Reply #9 on: August 12, 2015, 14:31:30 pm »
According to my app (I know, it "knows all" LOL) she's 8 days from a WW. Not sure if that means we are there early, or how that works.

Things just seem crazy, that no matter what we will have at least 2 NW. The past two nights have been "better" in some ways, as there has just been 2 NW around 12am and 4am. But last night she was up at 4, I fed her and then she was chatting in her bed for 30 minutes until she was upset and I had to settle her to sleep. Then she was up at 6:10 for the day - wide-eyed and bushy tailed, with the ever "aren't I SO cute" smile. She did go to bed easier last night and didn't have any really early need for resettles, which is progress. But not sure what else I can do to at least get back to just the 4 am feeding!I'm aiming for those 2.5 hr A times. I have been able to push the first one out at least.

Then I should wake her after 1.5 hours from that first nap? Is there a good EAS for a LSN baby? I've been following the suggested/average EAS for each age range, but it seems like she is not quite the same as she might be LSN. I'm not sure if that's really the case, but I guess I'm in complete denial! Especially since it doesn't seem like she can make it through a day with her A times and the shorter naps. Thank you!

One other question. She's still swaddled with one arm out. I've tried no sleep sack and no swaddle, but she never sleeps well like that. Is that okay? Not sure how to wean that, though I don't think that's not a problem.



Offline *Liz*

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Re: Day Sleep Better and Now LOTS of NW for 4/5 Month Old
« Reply #10 on: August 13, 2015, 06:57:41 am »
When I weaned the swaddle DS was worse for 2-3 days, then much better. Same recently when I took him out the sleepyhead mattress. But by weaning the mattress and putting him in the big cot I have him back onto 1 NWing (he was up to about 3 again). They take a few days as they need to figure out what to do with the new space. DS is now rolling between his side and tummy and sleeping all over the place.

So I would have a think and see if it is the issue. DS happily went in his but was getting quite squirmy when awake at night. He'd squirm around then end up crying.

We don't have documented times as really it is just like what a baby 1 month older would do iyswim?

I would personally push the A rather than shorten the naps so you drop the CN. It wil still result in more total hours awake. Remember changes take a few days to have an effect on the night sleep, so if things are a touch better you may be getting there anyway iyswim?

Offline theu.s.lees

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Re: Day Sleep Better and Now LOTS of NW for 4/5 Month Old
« Reply #11 on: August 14, 2015, 22:07:27 pm »
Thanks. I will work on extending A times and see how that goes. Today we were out and about so she had some off naps in the car/Tula so I'm sure today won't be a good representation. But it felt good to not worry about anything and just get out with the kids!

I will try her arms out so she's just in a slew sack. She is in her crib already. So hopefully she adjusts soon.

Thanks again. I appreciate your support so much.



Offline *Liz*

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Re: Day Sleep Better and Now LOTS of NW for 4/5 Month Old
« Reply #12 on: August 15, 2015, 20:33:10 pm »
I often find my DS will sleep better after a day of CN's (apart from the obvious 30 min OT wake up after bedtime  ::) ;)). Its always a bit of a clue to me that I am allowing daytime sleep to take over a bit iyswim?

She is hitting the age where she will likely prefer arms out once she gets used to it.

Happy to help and chat things through  :) :-* :-*.

Offline theu.s.lees

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Re: Day Sleep Better and Now LOTS of NW for 4/5 Month Old
« Reply #13 on: August 24, 2015, 04:33:19 am »
It's been a while but I feel like no matter what I do I can't get rid of those NWs. We are at 2.5 hrs for A time. Two naps a day for the most part. And still two NWs. I'm so tired of waking twice a night! We are on vacation now but once I'm home I feel like something has to change. Except that everything else seems like it is in order. Naps go well mostly and she's settling on her own to bed (after a good routine and wind down). But still a 11/12pm and a 4/5am NW is tiring. bT is around 7pm. I will start recording the EAS again but I think it has been pretty straight forward.
We were waiting until 6 months to start solids. I'm so hoping that helps soon. She will be 6 months in just a couple of weeks.



Offline *Liz*

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Re: Day Sleep Better and Now LOTS of NW for 4/5 Month Old
« Reply #14 on: August 24, 2015, 08:50:37 am »
She is BF isn't she?

Those NWings are likely just hunger and pretty normal for an ebf baby. Solids will slowly help  :-*.