Waking every 3 hrs at night

[Chloevalentine]

And he woke 30 mins later at 315 crying snd I couldn't resettle. My big lo kept coming into the room turning the light on etc. then I went to shut the door and his finger got stuck in it.  this is so stressful!! And if I don't get him to nap again tiday I don't know how long he will last until bedtime

[Chloevalentine]

What an awful night we had. Major ot didn't nap again fed and put him into bed by 6. Then he called us back every 10 mins for over an hour! Help!

[FPT23]

Being sick has a lot to do with it hope he gets well soon.

Well, i just wanted to see how many naps and afternoon naps were happening. You didn't really finish his EASY? Or what happened? I believe at this age I was still doing 4 naps a day... something like, 8am, 11am, 2pm, 4pm and BT was a bit later around 7/8pm. As time passes they drop the 4th nap and that's when BT comes earlier... maybe he's waking after 1 hr because he's not yet aware it's BT yet and it's just another nap? ....

If he's overall happy and content after 40 mins then I would just proceed. Mine took 40/45 min happy naps. As the day went on he was a bit worse being OT from the day. His morning nap he woke happy because he fell asleep at a good A time for his age.  I would continue with that first nap coming around after 1.20/1.30 A time... asleep. He's not taking short 30 min naps which usually are a sign of OT, so it shows me that's good for now... until he extends later on his A or learns to transition on his own. Are you able to resettle ANY of the naps?

All his A times are also a bit on the long end. Yes at this age it's about 1.20/1.30 but not EVERY A time.. maybe after that first long A time for his first nap, the next one you cut it to maybe asleep by 1.15 A time.

When is drop off and pick up times for ur oldest?

[Chloevalentine]

Sorry sbout that
S 245-315 (30 mins)
Tried again at 415 and he wouldn't fall asleep
Fed and put to bed at 6!
Then he cried every 10 mins we had to go in for over an hour as soon as I would pick him up he would pass out. Major ot for sure. I don't think he thinks it's a nap as he usually goes right back to sleep or on good days he doesn't wake until 2 am.
So I had a 40 min first nap then a 45 min second nap then a 30 min in the car because he wouldn't fall asleep at home and drop off I leave at 845 home by 915 pickup I leave 1245 home by 115. Then another 30 min nap. That was it!

[Chloevalentine]

Today so far

645 awake
E 725
A645-810
S 810-850
E 945
A 850-1005
S 1005-1045

Going to try to get him down for a nap by 12 and feed him when he wakes. Otherwise it's hard with the naps being short and the feedings it doesn't work out.

[Chloevalentine]

So let's just say he was up from 1045 until bedtime. Actually he's still up crying at 730! I'm at a loss and the both of us are exhausted!

[Lindsay27]

Sounds so much like my DS...when he was OT he would go on these marathon awake spells.  I think hun that anytime you get a 30min nap the best thing to try to do is to bring the next nap forward a touch to try to avoid OT.  I usually shave 15/20mins off the next A time.  It's probably going to mean you get lots of short naps, but hopefully you still get naps vs no naps at all, yk?

[Chloevalentine]

Yes I did try that and then after hours of him being up it was just a mess. He finally passed out at 8! Should I start with shorter A times tomorrow? will the ot just continue or will his sleep tonight kind of reset it?

[Lindsay27]

My DD was much of the same today, I feel your pain . It's hard to say really, I think if you notice tired signs tomorrow earlier than normal I would probably just read the queues and put down earlier if necessary.  At worst you might get a UT nap which is probably better than an OT one after those kinds of days.

[Chloevalentine]

I'm getting stuck with feedings. Like today he woke at 645 ate at 730 and napped from 8/840. So he won't be due to eat until 1030 but hell be ready for nap at 10. What do I do?

[Lindsay27]

I'd just feed before nap and top up afterwards if needed.  It can get mucky with short naps for sure but best to be fed before nap to avoid any hunger wakings

[Chloevalentine]

Well he started to get fussy and crying at around 1 hr A time so I took him up and started nap routine swaddle dark room etc and he cried for 15 mins straight until he passed out at 955 same A time this as this morning 1 hr 15/20 mins. But that would've meant feeding him at 930 or earlier In order to get him into bed within that A time and he just won't eat 2 hrs after last feed. I'm also wondering why all the crying before nap. And my toddler was in the garbage when I came back down. Leaving him alone or 15-20 mins is way too long. Why is this so hard?!

[Chloevalentine]

And the baby slept for 20 mins!! Now what do I do? He was up at 1020 so I just try again around 1120? I can't even leave the house. My toddler just watches tv all day while I'm trying to get the baby to sleep. This is awful

[Chloevalentine]

Sorry for the million posts I'm just at a loss. It's now 12 and I can't get him to sleep since the 20 min nap from 10-1020 I've been upstairs trying all morning with my toddler unsupervised. I don't know how I can keep doing this.

[FPT23]

Hi there! I quickly skimmed the last few posts as time is a bit limited but according to your last post...

Hugs and hang in there. I was in the same boat a few months ago and now it's so much easier (in its own way) ...with time this will all be a thing of the past.

20 min naps can mean maybe over stimulation? What is your wind down routine? Or if anything OT for sure. You just need to maybe keep baby with averse A times to avoid excessive OT and a very moody baby ...it's hard nailing the right A time. At your LOs age, average is 1.20hr/30... so I would aim to have baby ASLEEP BY that time or around that time. If your on the lower end of A times right now, I would consider pushing ONE A time for a few days by 15min increments...then work on another A time the same way etc etc. this is the gentle way to help them adjust and prevents those uncontrollable meltdowns. Honestly though, I wouldn't try to stress the A time too much because at this age short naps are also very common and developmental. I would honestly just ride the wave on this one. Things will change so dramatically anyway within the next month also ...I learned to just accept that this is what is was going to be and things became easier, once i accepted it

Honestly, don't be feeling bad about the too much tv for your oldest. At this age, you have to do what you have to do. I know mine had to do the same on some days for awhile too. I would stress it too and it made me feel awful... but it's just temporary hun. I know it seems like an eternity and it's so much napping at this age ...I never thought I would say, "I hate naps and can't wait for the day we are one 1!" haha! They are time consuming and a bit stressful but it will pass and so much faster than it feels now.

You know what I would do? I would leave and stay out of the house! That way my oldest got out and had his fun and the baby would just sleep in the stroller for the next naps. When I had bad days, I didn't even bother with it. I had some awful days and it was hard so I understand the frustatraion hun. Just step out of the house. Park? Stores? A drive for some ice cream? Coffee? Etc... have baby sleep in the stroller/car. The way I would handle it is make sure the first morning nap was done at home in his crib, sometimes nap 2 as well. Then I purposely left the house to avoid the stress of putting down for more naps .....also, if settling down for a nap took longer than 20 mins (since my toddler was downstairs or away too long) I just took baby out and tried again in another 15/20 mins. They are inevitably OT more often than not anyway ..i wouldnt stay locked up in a dark room... after 15/20 with no success, i took him out of the room and attempted a few mins later.

Hope this helps and hugs!! It's very hard those first few months. But enjoy them. They go by too fast