This seems a bit redundant but...

[CanadianMama]

...sleep time has become a nightmare!  As a first time mom, no one told me the importance of getting my gal to sleep and for long periods so this is what I did...since she was born I have bf her to sleep, she usually naps for 15-35 minutes at a time a few times a day and I try to get her to sleep at a decent hour but she usually does not go and finally would put her down at 11:00pm (starting since about 4.5 months).  Others in my moms group would say their babes were sleeping at 7:00pm and I was thinking WHAT!!!  Our doctor and public health nurses found nothing wrong with our routine so I went with it. 
Then read Tracy's book...what a wake up call.  Now I've got myself in a pickle.  My hubbie works shifts of 2 weeks gone and 1 week home so I am usually going it alone, also Taryn has just started to warm up to him from him being gone so much.  Anyway we just started our routine and found the transition miraculous...at first.  I have gotten her used to 4 hours between bf instead of 2...yes 2 hours.  And the first three days she took to the napping for over an hour at a time very well and I did our bedtime routine and to bed at 8:00pm...PRESTO a few hours to myself (I walked around the house aimlessly the first night).  Now sleeptime is a game to my angel and it is not fun for me anymore. 
This morning could not get her to take her morning nap, she reverted to a 40 minute nap this afternoon and I couldn't get her to sleep tonight...an hour later hubbie had to get her to sleep because I was in tears.  Everytime she stands up in her crib I go to put her down and she giggles...it is driving me bonkers.  I do this for 30 minutes before she actually starts getting upset.  I am at a loss, please help!
Can't help either that tooth #1 is not quite up yet and tooth #2 is starting to come in but hubbie will be going back to work VERY soon and I need some advice from anyone who has gone down the same road.
Thanks !

Taryn's mom

[lil'monkey]

Welcome to the board!

You didn't say how old your lo is but I'm guessing that she is at least 6-7 mos (she can pull herself up?).  A lot of things are happening (ie learning new skills, teething, sep. anxiety, reaction to certain solids, dropping a nap, etc) and any one of these can affect sleep.  Could you post your routine for the day?  Maybe all you need to do is tweak it a bit.

[GG]

Yes, if you could let us know what a typical daily routine is, we can try to help.  Also, how old is she?  I'm going to guess it's closer to 9 months?

In the meantime, if she stands up in her crib when you put her down for a nap or bedtime, leave her alone (unless she may be in danger somehow) until she starts to cry for you.  Otherwise, as you've already found out, she thinks it's a game.

[CanadianMama]

Hi!
Taryn is 8 months old now so we're getting into the really good stuff!  Here is our routine (keep in mind I have really only begun trying to get her into a routine)

Wake up 6:30-7:00AM (Sometimes I can get her to go back down at 6:30 but mostly I keep laying her down till 7:00)

Breakfast at 7:15-7:30am and BF

Playtime till 9:30am and then naptime (once in a while it will only take 10 minutes to get her sleeping but others it will take 30 minutes)

Wakeup from nap b/w 10:00 & 10:30 (this is where I question the long nap because most of the time she is happy when she gets up and plays in her crib for a bit before crying for me to get her out)

11:00AM BF and more playtime

12:30PM Lunch

1:30PM Naptime (this time takes b/w 15 and 40 minutes to get her sleeping)

2:00-2:30PM Fighting to get her back to sleep sometimes is success and others I take her out at 2:30pm

3:00PM BF and more playtime

4:30PM Supper

5:30PM Have been giving her one last catnap as she is a bit sleepy

6:00PM Wake her up and playtime

7:00PM BF

7:30PM Bathtime and stories hugs and cuddles kisses and....

8:00PM Bedtime (This takes up till 9:00PM to get her sleeping and by then I am at a loss and my willpower weakens...want to take her to sleep with me)

That's pretty much how it goes.  My mother and mother-in-law think it's fabulous that I am trying to get her into a routine but both don't think that she needs as much sleep as it says in Tracy's book.  Do all babies need that much sleep?  The first few days we started the routine she would sleep for an hour to an hour and half at naptime but that was when she still cried in the crib and all I had to do was PU/PD but now she rolls over and crawls into the corners of her crib, she pulls up and chews on the railing and is smiling and giggling the whole time and after 20 minutes of that then she starts crying when I put her down again because she's getting more and more sleepy.  When she starts crying I'll either put her down again only or I'll pick her up and then put her down when she settles depending on what type of crying it is.
Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!

Neiner and Taryn

[GG]

I'm so sorry that I haven't responded!!  I threw my back out this week - while trying to get ready for a long vacation, no less.

How are things going with Taryn?  Any improvements?  From looking at the schedule I would suggest starting the wind-down by 7 PM at the latest and aim to have her in bed (possibly sleeping?) by 7:30 PM.

See if she can sleep for about 11 hours through the night.  We'll see if that changes her naps. (It might, though not necessarily).  A baby her age should be getting at least 14 hours of sleep a day.  I'd suggest concentrating on the nighttime sleep for now.