Author Topic: 1y old difficulty to fall asleep  (Read 823 times)

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Offline Astridnatalie

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1y old difficulty to fall asleep
« on: February 17, 2016, 09:59:39 am »
Hi! As I already said in another thread, I'm italian so I'm sorry if I don't explain my self correctly.  ;)
My daughter is a lively baby, we have a routine, also before going to sleep. I put her pijiama on, I try to calm her down sometimes watching a short cartoon and I cuddle her, then she drinks her bottle already in bed. Sometimes I give her her pacifier and she falls asleep after a short while (15 minutes or so). More often, on the contrary, she jumps on the bed or just talks for a while refusing to sleep and she falls asleep after an hour or so! :o I must say I try not to excite her some hours before sleeping and she sleeps all night until 7 AM so, sleeping is not a problem, but how can I calm her down before sleeping? I read about the shush pat technique: does it work even for a 1 year old? Or it's too late to introduce it now? I also read about swaddling the baby with a blanket: I used to do it when she was born but now I use a sleeping bag and she can move her arms!
I have to add I'm used to let her fall asleep near me while she holds my hand...maybe it's wrong but this was the only way I found some months ago when she moved her arms fast looking for something to hold on to! She still does it now and I'd like to introduce a lovey but how can I do it gradually?
So...the questions are two in the end!  ;) :)
Thanks for your reply!!

Offline MasynSpencerElliotte

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Re: 1y old difficulty to fall asleep
« Reply #1 on: February 18, 2016, 05:22:53 am »
Hi there and welcome to BW! Just a couple of questions for you too...what is her routine like - nap times, bedtime etc? Is she on one nap.or two. She sounds undertired at bedtime but once I can see her routine I might have a better idea why. One thing I can suggest is maybe switching from watching tv to looking at books as tv can sometimes have a exciting effect on kids. I would also want to move the milk earlier in the routine as by this age you want to fit i a bit of teeth brushing before bed time (and also keep a habit from forming with it!).
Heidi




Offline We Three

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Re: 1y old difficulty to fall asleep
« Reply #2 on: February 18, 2016, 05:42:23 am »
 I agree about TV....it is stimulating, and any screens before bed make it hard to rest. So yes, books and snuggles!

 It is a perfect time to introduce a lovey.  Get one that is non-stimulating (no noise, no bright colors) and place it between the 2 of you at those quiet wind-down times. If she cried during the day and you hug her for comfort, tuck the lovey in her hand also....she will begin to associate the lovey with comfort and calm.  Something soft and easy to grab.....
  https://www.google.com/search?q=lovey+with+satin+edges&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjhxezJzIDLAhXFWCYKHbxBDl0Q_AUICSgD&biw=1280&bih=709#tbm=isch&q=lovey+with+satin+edges+bunny&imgrc=PK_mOQbDgz1eaM%3A

Offline Astridnatalie

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Re: 1y old difficulty to fall asleep
« Reply #3 on: February 18, 2016, 15:35:30 pm »
Thanks for your precious advices!  :) I don't think she is undertired... I explain you her routine as the pediatrician suggested us when she started taking solids, it's a little different here in Italy for the food and timetables but we tried fixing a similar routine and do the same thing at the same hour everyday and our daughter also helped us doing it when we noticed she wanted to take a nap every day at the same time:

7 AM milk (sometimes in her sleep)
9 AM wakes up and activity
11 AM lunch (we have rice/mais/multicereal cream with fish or meat)
then activity
1 PM nap (usually 30 min or 1 hour if we are lucky)
after the nap sometimes we take a stroll outside or she plays a little until
3 PM when she has a smoothie (milk with apple, pear, banana and biscuit)
then activity again until
5 PM when she takes another nap for 30 min or 1 hour...it depends
after nap: activity
7 PM dinner
activity until
9 PM when she has milk and goes to sleep.

I wrote activity in the hours she is awake and plays with her toys or with us, it's always different: sometimes she plays quietly by her self, sometimes in the afternoon we listen to music and dance, we don't usually do activities that excites her near the nap times.

For the TV I sometimes let her watch it because I noticed she yawned and rubbed her eyes while watching it and I thought she was relaxing.
Yesterday evening it was easier to put her to sleep, I don't know if it was a coincidence:after we watched TV for 10 minutes or so I prepared her milk and we went in the bedroom. While she was eating I put on some lullabies (different from those on her music box that don't work) and 5 or 10minutes later she was asleep holding a lovey and my hand... this evening I'll try to do the same and we'll see!

Offline MasynSpencerElliotte

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Re: 1y old difficulty to fall asleep
« Reply #4 on: February 18, 2016, 16:17:12 pm »
Usually around this age babies are ready to start switching from two naps to one nap ( From 2 to 1 nap transition (10-12m and older) ) so although she may not need less sleep she may need it arranged differently to allow her to be tired enough to fall asleep easier at night. That link shows the way you can go about it, and some of the signs that a lo is ready to switch.

Was there anything different in her sleep routine yesterday? Or more physical activity that tired her out?
Heidi




Offline Astridnatalie

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Re: 1y old difficulty to fall asleep
« Reply #5 on: February 23, 2016, 15:51:21 pm »
Thanks! I'll have a look at it! I don't think there was anything different!
These last 2 days she slept only 30 mins during her 2nd nap and around 1, 30 h during the first and she didn't have any difficulty to sleep when it was time! So, maybe it's right that I have to change something in her nap routine!