Author Topic: 5 month old. Sush/pat MOTN  (Read 1639 times)

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Offline Sorbai

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5 month old. Sush/pat MOTN
« on: November 09, 2017, 08:20:42 am »
I started doing shush/pat with my 5 month old about a week ago. It is amazing, he goes down for naps so fast and I do not rock him any more! However, he is a belly sleeper and while patting, I also have to hold down his legs because he kicks them a lot and cannot settle otherwise. Side note, I also have a toddler at home and cannot spend more than 10 min max getting him to sleep.

Since starting pat/shush, his night wakings (of which I do not count and do not mind nursing often) have started being nuch more difficult to get him back to sleep! It used to be a quick nurse and he'd fall right back to sleep and I could put him down on his crib right away. Now I am up for so much longer because he needs pat/shush to get back to sleep, and if I try to just put him back down he kicks his feet too much to resettle. I am going out of my mind! I remember from my toddler that the way she fell asleep in the beginning of the night is the way she needed to fall asleep in the MOTN so if that is what is going on here, I understand, but this is just ridiculous! I am losing so much sleep it's making me crazy :(

(Just adding that he is also in middle of the 3-2 transition, not sure if that would affect anything....)

Helpppp

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Re: 5 month old. Sush/pat MOTN
« Reply #1 on: November 09, 2017, 12:57:07 pm »
Hi there
The 3-2 transition can certainly effect night sleep. If he is OT in the night due to less day sleep or fighting day sleep or having a long A time before BT then this can mean he can't relax enough in the night to go straight back to sleep the way he used to.  if however he is UT due to his day time routine this can also effect his ability to go back to sleep in the night.
Sleep training can also effect night sleep because LO might be getting more or less sleep in the day than they were getting when held for naps.
It's not likely to be a long term problem, more likely he is just taking a bit longer to nod off because of his routine changes and sleep training.  If you used to let him nod off at the breast or in arms after a night feed for instance and you are now putting him down awake it is expected to take a few mins longer and ned some additional help.  it should ease up though, you say it's been just a week which is not so long - although it feels like a very long time when you are tired!!

Are you managing with the 3-2 okay or do you need some support?


Offline Sorbai

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Re: 5 month old. Sush/pat MOTN
« Reply #2 on: November 09, 2017, 13:42:28 pm »
Before the transition, he was at a 2 hr 15 min awake time. Last week he did not go down for his second nap until 2 hr 45 min and then it was too late for a 3rd nap. If he sleeps 1 hr 45 min naps then 2 naps seems to be working

Example day:
WU 630
S 845
WU 1045
S 1:30
WU 3:15
S 6:15

That is with a 2 hr nap and a 1 hr 45 min nap. One day he did only an hr nap so I gave him a 10 min catnap in the carrier . The biggest struggle is that I really don't want to.put him.down too early for the night but I think that last 3 hrs awake is a bit much for jim. I start bath and winddown at 2 hrs 30 min tho.....last night it took him such a long time to.settle for bed.
He goes down very quickly with pat/shush for naps. His first nap is easily extended, sometimes he extends on his own. His second nap is usually a bit less settled after the first 45 min and I need to stay w him patting or holding His legs down for much longer. (Usually this works out because toddler is napping at the same time)
I can try to do bedtime after 2 hr 45 min awake, but sometimes we go out in the afternoon and are not back early enough for that.
Any thoughts?

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Re: 5 month old. Sush/pat MOTN
« Reply #3 on: November 09, 2017, 14:34:28 pm »
I think that last 3 hrs awake is a bit much for jim.
I agree. A 3 hr A time is suitable for a 6 month old. If he can't handle 3hr in the day time then he is unlikely to handle a 3hr A time just  before BT. This can be what is causing your increased difficulty at night.
Possible solutions are:
- make BT much earlier, 2hr 30 max to sleep time (not wind down)
- move the whole day on, increasing the first A time and possibly shifting morning WU later so that BT can be later but without a longer A time there
- put up with the more difficult nights until he is old enough to manage the longer A time
- increase the other A times in the day so that the last A time can be shorter but on the same length naps (or an increased A time might help to lengthen one of the naps which also helps to get through the day)

Early bed time is a favourite during routine changes and nap drops.  It wouldn't be for ever but it depends if you think you can cut yoru afternoons and get back home early enough to accommodate LOs needs whilst also taking the family needs into consideration.