Author Topic: Sleep is a nightmare! (Very long post -sorry!)  (Read 1306 times)

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Offline minirog

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Sleep is a nightmare! (Very long post -sorry!)
« on: August 24, 2005, 09:36:21 am »
I know the answers are probably here somewhere but i only have a few minutes until lo wakes up from (short) nap!

My 5 month old is having sleep trouble. He has never slept through the night and since his dad left when he was ten weeks old, I am doing this on my own and am very sleepy. Ben wakes up at 1am mand 4am and then is awake for the day from 5.30ish. I am exhausted! I am feeding him cereal before bed (at 7pm) and doing a dreamfeed at 11pm. He does have a pacifier but he doesnt wake when it falls out, he just uses it when he goes off initially.

During the day he usually only awake for 1-1.5hrs before he needs another nap. He goes in his cot and goes off well (usually) but at 30 minutes he wakes up (every single time like clockwork).

By the afternoon he is really cranky and it is making us both pretty miserable.

What am I doing wrong!?

We used to stick to EASY rigidly when he was small and he would follow the three hour pattern perfectly - but only if I held him for his naps! If I hold him he will sleep for 1-2 hours no problem! Since I have managed to get him into his cot we seem to have come off the EASY track as his napping is so erratic. A day goes something like this!

4am Milk Feed and back to sleep  E
5.30am Wake up and play for hour A
6.30am Breakfast of solid food E
7am Sleep for 30 mins S
7.30am Wake and play A
8.30 am Sleep 30 mins S
9am Wake and play A
10.30am Sleep 30 mins
11am Wake and play A
12pm Lunch solid food E
12.30pm Sleep (30 mins) S
1pm Wake and play A
2pm Sleep 30 mins S
2.30pm Wake and play A
3.30pm Sleep 30 mins S
4pm Wake and milk feed E
4.15pm Play A
5.30 pm Sleep 30 mins S
6pm Wake and play A
6.30 pm Dinner solid food (cereal) E
7pm Bath A
7.15pm Milk feed and bed S
11pm Dream feed

HELP ME PLEASE!!!!!!!!
Kate
Mummy to Ben - born 16th March 2005

Offline Isom'smom

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Sleep is a nightmare! (Very long post -sorry!)
« Reply #1 on: August 25, 2005, 11:38:42 am »
Girl, he's taking waaaaaay to many naps.  I know he's tired and cranky, but just keep him up when he's supposed to be awake, and put him down when he's supposed to go down.  You should be getting two and a half naps out of him at this age.  It'll probably help w/ that early awake time too.  He should hopefully be getting around ten to twelve hours straight sleep a night.  Not all babies will let you do that though.  Treat the early waking like a night waking.  Bottle and right back to bed.  No talking or playing, lights dim or off.  He'll get the idea in a couple weeks.  Then keep him awake for at least two hours after he wakes up in the morning.  Then do the nap thing.  Then keep him up till after lunch.  Then nap.  Then dinner.  Then short nap.  Then lovely wonderful bath and story time.  Then put him to bed.  Make sure each part of awake time has a routine.  That way, he knows what's next.  I.E. tummy time, then strolling, then exersaucer, then cuddles then nap.  or whatever works for ya'll.  You could probably drop the DF at this point if you can get enough calories in him in the daytime.  Good luck.  And you may need to let him sleep on you for a nap or two, so you and he can get some mmuch needed rest.  It's not the end of the world if you do, and it's easy to fix.

Crystal

Offline minirog

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Sleep is a nightmare! (Very long post -sorry!)
« Reply #2 on: August 25, 2005, 17:11:44 pm »
Thanks!

I know he is taking too many naps, but it is really really hard to keep him up! He screams the place down when he is tired.

I was worried about letting him sleep on me as we've only just broken this bad habit! It seems from your advice ;ike i should try that though!

thanks for your advice

kate
Kate
Mummy to Ben - born 16th March 2005