Please Help-Bedtime Issues Worsening-ENW and NW

[JennVanessa1083]

Hi Shiv!!
I hope you and your family enjoyed the birthday weekend 

The other night he was a bit easier to resettle but last night we had the same issue with him staying awake for an hour or so between 10-11. Of course I attribute it to not enough A before his CN (we were out), growth spurt, and maybe too long of A after CN.

I do think it's the GS influencing unsettling at bedtime because I noticed that he wanted to sleep. He kept wanting me to lay him down but he would toss and turn trying to get to sleep. However, he would work himself up so much. So far the morning nap is good and consistent (no resettling), afternoon nap I still have to resettle. Also last night he was waking up every 2-3 hours in the middle of the night wanting to eat. usually despite the ENW he goes the rest of the night without waking.

I agree consistency is key; however, I am still trying to figure out the right A after the CN. Also I'm thinking of gradually making his WU 7:30 am.

DH has tried to do bedtime but LO is more difficult with him.

[Shiv52]

If it's a GS then it should pass in a few days. Do you think he's UT or OT at bedtime. The fact he's struggling but wants to sleep seems like he might just be a little OT.

How was last night? X

[JennVanessa1083]

Good morning Shiv!

I am hoping it's a GS bc then that would mean there is an end in sight 

I do think it's OT since he struggles, fusses, and wakes up right away. I tried a 2 hr A last night and that didn't work at all. He woke up 50 minutes later, hyper and stayed up for another 1hr and a half which I believe was the start of the downward spiral. He wouldn't settle and finally I had to APOP it with some rocking and singing as well as comfort nursing because he was screaming crying by that point. We definitely went a little backwards. He kept waking up after jolts so I had to keep holding him until finally he fell asleep at midnight. He is slept for 8 1/2 hrs straight. The good news is that no NW. He did start crying sometime this morning but he resettled himself.

He settled himself for all naps but bedtime is always the issue.

[JennVanessa1083]

Question: if LO wakes up 50 minutes after bedtime does that mean he's still OT? I reduced the A after the CN to 1.5 hours bc anything more and LO would wake up afterwards then stay up for a large chunk of time.

Does he just need time to adjust or perhaps an earlier BT? Or do I do longer A? I have been doing a 2 hr A for two weeks. My morning nap is established, the afternoon he wakes up mid-nap then quickly resettled; BT is a mess.

[Shiv52]

I wonder should you do the shorter A time after the CN or will that make your day too short? 

Do you think he needs more help settling for bed?  So help him get really drowsy to see if that helps the accumulation of OT and help him settle easier and then work on getting him more independent.

How long are your naps at present?  Are they staying at least 1.5?

Hugs xxxx

[JennVanessa1083]

Hi Shiv!

I don't mind doing a shorter A...how much should I do it by 5, 10, 15 minutes?

This morning he had a really short A since he was tired of the broken night. I tried to keep him up but he couldn't. He still slept for 1.5. The rest of the day he has been on 2 hrs A

Yes his morning nap is usually 1.5-1.75 hr long and no resettling. His afternoon nap he tends to wake up mid nap and I help him resettle. Which takes less than 10 minutes then he sleeps from 1.5-1.75 as well. CN are 35-45 minutes (I don't really regulate it).

So would the day look like this?

WU: 8 am
E
A
S 10-11:45
E
A
S 1:45-3:30
E
A
S 5:30-6/6:15
E
A
S 7:15/7:30

[lily_layne]

I agree that shortening the A time after the CN is worth a shot. In hindsight, DD was always OT by BT because that last A was too long and I would "shorten" it but usually only by 5-15 minutes which wasn't enough to make a difference. I would shorten it by at least 15 minutes to see what happens. I also agree that a longer WD may help.

[JennVanessa1083]

Hi Jillian!

I think he really does need a shorter A; I will try for 1.25 instead of 1.5. Last night he went to 1.5 A and it didn't go well. I had to hold him through the jolts, he was crying, couldn't settle. He also had 4 NW; he has been doing 2-3 in the last couple of weeks. I think I also made the mistake of allowing the TV to be on while I ate real quick (DH) wasn't home. Perhaps it was too stimulating right before bed. We also rushed wind down bc I didn't want to pass the window.

Today he gets his 4 months shots so we will see how he reacts to them. 

[ENMS]

Have you ruled out discomfort?

I remember reading somewhere when I was researching food sensitivities for my DD that if LO is unsettled at the same time everyday it could be related to something you eat that then goes through your milk (are you BF?)

Something like your morning coffee or something you eat every day for breakfast or lunch could be to blame?

[lily_layne]

TV was always too much for my DD (although DH never believed me ). I was also guilty of waiting too long to start WD and then rushing it and it then made BT harder. He may have built a bit of a sleep deficit and just needs that short A to help him catch up on lost sleep.

4 month shots didn't bother DS at all but really knocked DD for a loop. I hope they don't bother your boy too much. If they do, just try to roll with what he throws at you and I would leave him sleeping if he's going for a long nap - those little bodies need extra rest after needles.

[JennVanessa1083]

Hi Elise!

There is nothing I eat everyday. I know I had to cut down on dairy bc it would give him terrible gas. I try to burp him after every feed. At this point anything is possible.

I also think it may be a growth spurt bc he's definitely been eating more and is irritable. He's also learning to roll more.

Hi Jillian!

I think my LO is like your DD. He can get wound up pretty easily and harder to wind down. For naps I need to switch gears a half hour before so that he can settle himself to sleep. I think you are right about the sleep deficit. Last night he got 11 hrs of broken sleep so it's definitely carrying over to today. So with a shorten A after CN, will it be a shorten day? His usual wake up is 8 am but BT would be 7:15-7:30 pm

[JennVanessa1083]

I wanted to update that I tried a 1hr 15 min A and he wouldn't settle. He finally went to sleep at 1:20 after nursing. However, he woke up after 35 minutes ahhhhhhh!!! He was totally fine waking up but when I rocked him to sleep he was crying and I'm still trying to rock him bc he's in and out. I don't know what to do anymore. I'm feeling pretty discouraged. It's been like this for weeks and I feel like whatever I do it leads to the same issue!

Any thoughts? Here's my easy from today so far:

NW: 9:19, 10:28-11:32; 2:52 am, 6:17 am

WU: 8:12 pm
A
E 8:45 am
A
S 10:11- 11:40 am (A 1:59); self settle
E 11:51 am
A
E 1:31 pm
S 1:36- 3:06 (A 1:56) asleep on me
E 3:06
A
E 4:28 pm
A
S 5:02- 5:38 pm(1:56); self settle
E 5:41 pm
A Bath and Bedtime Routine
E 6:24 pm
S 6:58- 7:32 pm
S 7:44-8:47 pm
NW: 8:47-10:38 pm, 11:29, 2:54, 4:32-5:41 (woke up choking and took awhile to resettle)

Woke up at 7:41 am to eat then went back to sleep and woke up at 8:30. He was so tired he only made it to 1:20 A which in turn napped short (42 minutes where I resorted to rocking to get him back to sleep). His morning naps have been solid for a couple of weeks so today was a first in a bit where I needed to resettle. Needless to say a disastrous 24 hours haha.

I am thoroughly convinced this is a growth spurt/sleep regression. I am desperate to hear thoughts on how to survive this. I'm trying so hard to encourage independent sleep but bedtime is very sketchy.

Thanks in advance!!

[lily_layne]

I have no great ideas for things to try with BT today. Sorry.

I am desperate to hear thoughts on how to survive this.

^I think this is key. Try to remember that it's just sleep. There's so much more to raising a baby (love, play, feeding) so try not focus only on sleep. It will get better. It felt like forever when I was in it with my DD but by 7/8 months, BT got much easier.

[JennVanessa1083]

I agree Jillian and thank you!

After that night (I was really upset) I decided to do what I can to have him sleep and not focus so much on a perfect bedtime. His sleep has dwindled to waking every hour or so with few 2-3 hr chunks. So I'm focusing more on cues. I know now it's a growth spurt and sleep regression as his behavior, eating, and sleeping matches up. Anyways, after I posted that I realized I just have to go into survival mode until this passes. Of course if anyone has tips I would love to hear it.

[lily_layne]

Anyways, after I posted that I realized I just have to go into survival mode until this passes.

Sometimes that's all we can do.