Wake to sleep when not swaddled

[Lucysmom]

Hi -

My dd is 4 months old and she is almost completely on the 4 hour EASY.  She is no longer swaddled as she loves to suck her hands and thumbs and we want to encourage her to self soothe.  She is a back sleeper now.  The only way wake to sleep worked for us before with naps was if I patted her bum through the jolts (she was swaddled and on her side).  Now I can't pat her bum.  Holding her down while swaddled never worked and actually woke her up more.  Any ideas on how I can do wake to sleep now that she is in a sleep sack on her back?  She finally knows how to fall asleep independently but she is still having 45 minute naps.  This has been going on for over a month and extending her A time has not helped.  TIA for any advice!!!!

[Matthew's Mommy]

Hi Melissa,

It's going to take a little while longer, but she's on her way-- especially now that she can self soothe to sleep (hooray!). When you put her down, make sure she's awake, and a little drowsy-- you want her to go through the stages of falling asleep in her bed, since they're the same stages she will go through when she reaches the 45 min. jolt.  So, awake but little drowsy into bed.

Make sure her room is dark as can be. Nothing to catch her sight when she partially awakes at the end of a sleep cycle.

I'm wondering if you do a modified wake to sleep approach-- going in at the 30 min. mark, and just rub her head a bit, to disrupt her sleep cycle a wee bit.. nothing too much.. and then place your hands on her limbs to help her resettle?

Another thing.. how does she come out of the sleep cycle.. is it a cry or just wide awake and alert?

Hang in there.. she's going to get through this! It's a learning process.

[Lucysmom]

Hi Jane - Thanks for your response.  Lucy has managed to have some naps longer than 45 minutes recently without any intervention so I am hoping she is just growing out of it.  Yesterday afternoon she actually slept for almost 3 hours straight!  She was really tired so I just let her sleep. 

When Lucy wakes up at 45 minutes she sometimes cries out but mostly she just starts "talking" and sometimes she will fall back to sleep after a while but most times not.  The minute I go in there she smiles at me but she looks sleepy still.  Then I have to keep activity times low key and shorter so she does not reach the point of no return.....

I will give the modified wake to sleep approach you described, I just hope she does not wake up enough to see me as then she just wants to get up and play.  I never knew I was so much fun.   :lol:

Thanks again for your help, Jane.  I hope all is well with you and your family.