Author Topic: Leap 4  (Read 1414 times)

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Offline paulak412

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Leap 4
« on: December 02, 2016, 18:57:18 pm »
Hi everyone my LG is 18+4 and 17+1in wonder weeks so has just started the stormy period in leap 4.  Right up until leap 3 she would fall asleep on her own  most of the time and sleep for around 5 hours at the start of the night then another 3 hour then 2 hour. Waking around 6ish for the day. She also napped really well . Post leap 3 she needs rocked to sleep.for either naps and bed although she sometimes sleeps at the breast as we Co sleep.  She is currently napping in her cot during the day and cos leeds with me at night. My problems  are she is now waking at 4.30/5am for last 4 weeks and wake to sleep doesn't work because of the time varient. Also giw do u suggest I proceed with the rocking/walking etc. Should I wait until leap 4 is over? I am living on about 3 or 4, 45 min sleep sessions at night. I can't nap during the day as I've a 9 year old with special needs and don't have too many people to help me out
Mother to sheá 28.06 07 and eabhà 01.08.16

Offline jessmum46

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Re: Leap 4
« Reply #1 on: December 03, 2016, 13:14:57 pm »
Hi :)  This is often the age where 'props' (rocking, co-sleeping, feed to sleep etc) start causing issues, so I would suggest if you are able that working on independent sleep would be the first and probably best thing to try.  It's up to you when you do so - even for independent sleepers the 'leaps' can be tricky and they may need more help to settle so it may be easier to wait until you feel she has settled a little on the developmental front.  That said, there are always reasons not to begin sleep training (teeth, illness, trips away....) and it may be that just getting on with it would be best.  Are you familiar with the BW techniques of shh pat and PUPD?  Could you also post her routine please so we can see if there is anything there which may help with that early waking? 

Offline paulak412

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Re: Leap 4
« Reply #2 on: December 05, 2016, 11:00:29 am »
She is due to finish the leap in about 3 weeks so I'll start training with that. Ssh pat will not work with her it seems to irrotate her.  Her routine is awake between 4.45 & 5.30, Eat activity and back to sleep after 1.45 min of waking if I am super lucky I can get her to nap 2 hours but having to rock her twice.  This is repeated through the day with her bedtime being at 6pm 6.30 at the latest. With the leap though her naps arent great. She can nap up to 5 times a day if she not getting the long naps.
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Offline jessmum46

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Re: Leap 4
« Reply #3 on: December 05, 2016, 13:04:28 pm »
That's horribly early isn't it?  (((Hugs))), you must be tired.  I just wonder - what are you actually doing with her at that hour?  I see you've said you have eat, activity then sleep after 1h45 - are you actually getting up and starting the day?  I would suggest that you treat that hour as a night waking - lights off, no interaction, feed if needed then straight back down and no lights on or getting up until a reasonable/acceptable hour of the day, say 6am (very reasonable with a 6pm BT).  The trouble with actually starting the day so early is that her body clock will start becoming accustomed to being up at that hour (all sorts of effects from light/stimulation on natural body clock rhythms) and you want to send a clear message that it is still night.  The other issue is that it means her first 'nap' is very early and actually an extension of her night time sleep - and therefore reinforces the early start.  In an ideal world you want to delay the first nap until a full A time after 'acceptable' WU - so treating 6am as WU you want to try not to allow a nap until 7.45am. 

You may also want to give some consideration to bedtime.  It's tough when they are up early but an early bedtime can very easily lead to an early wake up in the morning.  12h is an ideal night but 11h is totally acceptable - which realistically means 5am is a fair and reasonable time for her to wake for the day if bedtime is 6pm.  We got in a horrible early wake up cycle with DS when he was younger and actually it was one of the times where accepting an 11h night as the standard, and pushing bedtime later really helped.

Offline paulak412

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Re: Leap 4
« Reply #4 on: December 05, 2016, 20:01:15 pm »
I've not being getting her out of bed until around 5.50 is must mornings it's been hard but I've percivered. I will try and keep her nap off until 7.45 but it will.make her super cranky lol. I am a single mum and have a 9 year old with special needs which makes it all the harder
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Offline jessmum46

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Re: Leap 4
« Reply #5 on: December 06, 2016, 08:15:21 am »
You're doing a great job xx