Predictable Unpredictability - Please help us!

[labrodyk]

Bec, I can't thank you enough for continuing to help me. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it.

You're right, the catnap is a necessary evil at this age. I got her to take it tonight but she cried for 10 minutes and slept 30 minutes.

Our easy today has been;

WU: 8.10
E: 8.30. actually ate well at this feed despite the 5.30 feed. Could this be because I let her wake herself rather than wake her at 7.00?
Nap 1: 10.40-11.00 in the car after immunizations
E: 12.00
S: 12.30, at a friends house so not sure when she fell asleep but I think she did about 1.5-2hrs. She started crying at 2.40
E: 4.00
S: 5.00; 5.10-5.40
E: 6.45, small split feed
A: bath, massage, swaddled
E: 7.10
S: 7.25; 7.40!
^ quietly fell asleep, no crying.

In the afternoon, hubby comes home around 4.30 so she could be OS from him arriving and the house going into crazy mode to get DS fed, bathed and into bed (he has a SEBT because he will never sleep past 6 and is usually awake well before that).

I can't really see any pattern if I'm honest! I did 1hr45m A to bed but I've done that before too with such varied results. Lol. She only takes that catnap occasionally.

[becj86]

In the afternoon, hubby comes home around 4.30 so she could be OS from him arriving and the house going into crazy mode to get DS fed, bathed and into bed (he has a SEBT because he will never sleep past 6 and is usually awake well before that).

Yeah, we'd never get a nap that close to DH getting home (unless it was in his arms )!

Seems like those afternoons might improve in the absence of the CN - DYT you could try the CN elsewhere in the day? That way you would be doing a longer nap earlier in the PM and DH arriving home wouldn't be a factor. DYT the better BT was a result of the immunisations?

[labrodyk]

It might have been a good bedtime but it was a shocking night! She woke crying every 45-60 minutes. She would cry and then settle, cry and then settle on and off and then fall asleep for a sleep cycle or less and start again. I only fed her at 12.30 and 4.30am but she barely drank a thing at either feed. Finally got up at 7am.

Nap1: 9.00-11.00 (woke her)
Nap2: 1.00; didn't fall asleep until 1.50-2.10
Nap3: 3.50, 4.00/4.05-4.50 crying
BT: 6.55; still trying to settle her at 7.50!

I have no idea where I'd start with a catnap somewhere else in the day because she doesn't at all sleep well (ever) after a short nap! If I capped the first nap at 30/40 minutes the rest of the day would follow suit. I have tried her not seeing DH until after the catnap but it made no difference.

[becj86]

Fair enough, its likely to put a spanner in the works by the sounds. At least you're getting a couple of decent naps in and 'only' dealing with the afternoon and evening being a pain.

The ordinary night could have been the vaccines - it's a stronger reaction the second time around, as one would expect, so the grumpiness is a bit earlier and more intense.

I'm running out of ideas wrt the afternoon I've asked someone to have a look re: bottle feeding and maybe for some fresh eyes on the situation. I know its much better than when you started the thread but its still tricky.

[labrodyk]

Ok, so both kids are sick! Audrey is congested a with a cough and DS has an ear thing! Everything is going out the window now. Do I let her sleep as long as she wants for bed and naps? She fell asleep in my mum's arms this morning before she put her down in her bed... 

[becj86]

Yeah, everything goes out the window a bit when they're sick

Hope they're better soon!

[labrodyk]

Ok. So sickness sniffle almost gone but we've been left with constant screaming, self settling has gone, awake for hours and hours at a time ending up completely OT and awake times are just all over the shot. Feel like I've taken a leap forward and a million steps back.

Last night she only woke once at 4am but took me 2hrs to get her down for the night. Today she fell asleep in the car just before 9 after preschool drop off so I set out on a nice long drive only for nap to end 20 minutes later. So 9.15. Put her down at 11 and she cried (which is now the norm but worse crying not whinging like before) then she lay quietly and fell asleep from 11.15-2.10.
Into the car and I was hoping she'd drop off on our long 2hr drive home but she cried from 3.45-5.30 all the way down the highway! Couldn't get a cat nap, wouldn't self settle so I rocked her to sleep, finally passing out at 6.45pm!

All our days are a mess and I know 4 month sleep regression, wonder week and a cold play a part but she's getting more and more tired bt the day and I don't know what to do re. A times again. I know I got some great naps at the 2hr mark but she's crying going down for every sleep and now she just acts miserable all the time

[labrodyk]

She woke at 10.30 and 4.30 - neither are hungry cries but she drank most of both bottles. However she's been laying awake chatting to herself since at LEAST 6.30. I really want to push this later but our current routine and her A times and inability to take that 3rd nap ANYWHERE is driving me to the brink of insanity!

[becj86]

Since I've not many ideas on helping with that CN, maybe a new thread on Naps? Its unlikely anybody else is going to read this thread all the way through now.

What have you last day/two looked like?

[labrodyk]

Good plan, I'll do that.

Friday was an absolute mess with a short morning nap in the car, a long almost 3 hr catch up nap and then screamed the whole 2hr drive home. Since I have to make that drive once a week it would be nice if she could fall asleep without hassle or I'm bound to have an accident soon.

Today however after she wok and entertained herself early, the day went like this! What do you make of it! All in all it was perfect in my opinion but I can't get out of the house and drive around at 5/5.30/6 for a crappy nap that may or may not happen! 

Interestingly since I offered a bit of solids at each meal today she slept properly. Probably won't happen tomorrow but I'll take I'll take it today.


NF: 10.30
NF: 4.30
WU: 6.30 or earlier laying quietly or chatting away
OOB: 7.00
E: 8.00. Breakfast. I completely skipped milk since I'm sick of fighting her and instead gave her some baby porridge and Apple (made with formula) that she smashed
A
S: 8.48; 8.55-10.55. OOB 11.00
E: 11.00 full bottle!
E: bit of solid for lunch
A:
S: 1.10; 1.20-3.20
E: 3.30 full bottle
A:
S: the most difficult sleep EVER! went out to the park and pushed her around in the pram (no luck), drove home and after a cry she fell asleep 10 mins at the absolute max from 5.45-5.55 roughly.
E: 6.15. A little rice cereal and some fruit
A: bath, massage, pj's
E: 6.50.
BT: 7.13; asleep 7.35. Quietly chatting and drifting off.
NW: 3.48. Woke happy? Then crying escalated so i fed her
WU. 6.35, chatting and happy but fell back to sleep at 6.55! Woke her at 7.20
E: 7.30, 50ml top up
A:
S: 9.30; quiet in my arms shush/pat but cried and fussed. Slept from 9.35 but was awake when I checked the monitor at 10.20. Laying awake, no crying but has the hiccups! Amazingly she managed to fall asleep again by herself from 10.40-11.20
E: 11.30, full bottle. Some solids.
A:
S: 1.20; 1.30-3.35 (had to wake her!)
E: 3.30, most of her bottle
A:
S: we'll see!! Lol

Do you think I have her A time WAY off. Has she extended already or do I need to pull A time back? Hmmm, coupled with the catnap issue I'm SO confused. Perhaps she thought the additional morning sleep falling back to sleep at 7am was her first nap? I wasn't sure what to do there.

Sorry, would love your thoughts!

[becj86]

I think you've got a couple of signs of UT there - 45min + 40min nap (where she resettled herself!) and waking happy and chatty in the MOTN. I'd probably push that first A time a touch and see what happens. I don't think you're WAY off though, its pretty close. There was a nice long stretch in the night there too

Gee, I'm trying to think how you could get around the need for that catnap :-/ I don't know if this would work:
7 - wake
9:15 - nap
11:15 - wake
1:30 - nap
3:30 - wake
6 - BT

It might be too much to expect 13hr night though dropping to 2 naps at this age, it wouldn't be unreasonable, yk?

[labrodyk]

Should I have let her sleep in this morning if she resettled just before 7 or got her up!?

I don't know about this catnap or dropping to 2 naps! I had to wake her from the second one today and I'm currently in the car and have been since 4.30 (got her out just before sleep time at 5.30, changed nappy and started driving again) only to still have her crying at 6.10pm! I've put a cover over the capsule and no luck, she won't even entertain the thought of going to sleep yet I'm stuck in bumper to bumper traffic. **sigh**. Is going to feed/rock to sleep tonight

[becj86]

Why did you have to wake her?

I think if she's going to take reasonably long naps on her own (2hr+) with those 2:15 A times, you may find the CN drops easily enough.

[labrodyk]

I thought I had to wake her if she was still sleeping at the 2hr mark!? Perhaps I should just let her sleep for all sleeps (if they're long) and wing the days they're 45 mins? The last few days have been great for those 2 naps but as you know, things can be hit and miss!

Should i wake her at 7am do you think if she's not already awake? This morning through me for six 

Ended up getting a 10min nap from 6.20-6.30 and just put her down at 7.58.

[becj86]

I'd cap at 2.5hr, rather than 2. She could just be a long A, long nap gal.

Perhaps I should just let her sleep for all sleeps (if they're long) and wing the days they're 45 mins

^ Not a bad idea, you may find something that works for her.