Author Topic: Pat/Shhh Overstimulating 10 week old  (Read 1325 times)

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Offline Nahbee

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Pat/Shhh Overstimulating 10 week old
« on: August 26, 2005, 19:00:56 pm »
Does anyone else have a young child (mine is 10 weeks) who is overstimulated by the pat/shhh? I tried to use this method and it failed so horribly that by day 4 I was on the floor crying myself. Poor DS was beside himself with crankiness.

I went back to the methods that have worked in the past and the things that have helped us in the last 2 weeks: making the room dark, using white noise (I have a CD of water sounds and he loves the track of the ocean waves), and swaddling. I also have discovered that if he is really upset, a gentle rub of his tummy helps and lightly placing my hands on his arms if they flail also does wonders. But I cannot stand over him because he just wants to look at me the whole time and will not sleep then (tough little cookie to please). So I have been sitting in the rocker across the room and popping over to help ease him into sleep when he needs it. This morning I got a 1.5 hr nap from him -- this from the kid who didn't sleep at all yesterday on the pat and shhh -- and this afternoon only 45 mins.

Any suggestions for my little fellow on extending the 45 minutes? I know he is still tired by how cranky he wakes up. Plus I caved after trying for 30 minutes and put him in the sling. Now he is passed out cold and snoring. He could definitely sleep longer. I just need the key! Any help is greatly appreciated.

Offline Deb_in_oz

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Pat/Shhh Overstimulating 10 week old
« Reply #1 on: August 26, 2005, 23:50:38 pm »
i assume he is at least partly spirited - this sounds like my Olivia.

we could only occassionally use Pat/shh (Dh had better luck at this than me) - it either overstimulated her or sent the message that we were there to play - as she also tried to engage us....

i used all the things you are using to great effect - dark room, white noise and just reassuring but not hovering.

i have accepted that my little spirited sleeper is not interested in having long naps - she will often take 1 long nap per day and the others are 45 min.  she just does not want to miss anything and most of the time wakes happily at 45 min. i try to extend if she wakes crying but only try by resettling with either just shh or just pat but not the 2. i will often pick her up and re-do our routine of shh, then 1 verse of rock a bye baby and then back in bed to start again - almost never able to extend with her though but at least she spends longer in her cot "resting"
Debra - a New Yorker living in Australia married to a Brit

dd1 - Textbook/Angel, born July 2003
dd2 - Spritied through & through, born Feb 2005

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Offline Nahbee

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Pat/Shhh Overstimulating 10 week old
« Reply #2 on: August 29, 2005, 13:48:10 pm »
Thanks Debra.

Yes, he might be partly spirited. I usually think not, except for the sleeping. Anything related to sleeping seems to come out spirited. LOL. Now that we stopped the pat/shhh he is sleeping much better. We are also putting him down much earlier. And he is sleeping so much better. His naps are reasonable and, as an added bonus, his nighttime sleep is better. He was sleeping 5-7 hours a night and has slept 7.5, 8, and 8.5 straight the last three nights running. I feel like a new person!

Thanks for replying and letting me know that you have also gone through this. It helps to know that I am not alone.

Offline Deb_in_oz

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Pat/Shhh Overstimulating 10 week old
« Reply #3 on: August 29, 2005, 22:46:29 pm »
glad to hear it - it seems a lot of lo are spirited relating to sleep only.  once you figure out what THEY  need the rest falls into place (to some degree)
Debra - a New Yorker living in Australia married to a Brit

dd1 - Textbook/Angel, born July 2003
dd2 - Spritied through & through, born Feb 2005

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