Author Topic: adjusting sleep patterns  (Read 1131 times)

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Offline becstar30

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adjusting sleep patterns
« on: October 19, 2005, 01:26:46 am »
hi everyone,

we have a problem with our 3 1/2 month old that has basically been happening since she was about 6 weeks old and started having the 'long sleep' about 5 to 6 (sometimes more) hours sleep BUT unlike other babies from our parents group and everything i've read 'should' happen, she starts it about 5pm, instead of say, 7 or 8pm... this makes for a great settled evening of course, but not for any overnight sleeping for us! it seems as though her pattern is about once easy cycle out of whack!

we know we shouldn't compare what she does to other babies as she is her own person, nor should we complain as our prob's aren't that bad, but this sleep deprivation is starting to wear us down... even though we go to bed earlier to make the most of her downtime (like our clinic nurse suggested), as after the long sleep then the next sleep is only 3 to 4 hours, then middle of the night she starts back on 3 hourly cycles... i don't want to be selfish or control my child, but i'll be an even better mother without being so tired all the time!

we have a good bath and bedtime routine, and have tried to extend it out (even by 15 to 30 min's each night) but by the end of the day, she seems to be so tired it is hard to make her wait for feed/bed as she can get hysterical... we have cut down on her stimulation during day, esp. afternoon... we don't let her 'wake up time' in the morning start until 5 - 6am (ie. if she's hungry before then, we feed her but then back to bed and at 'wake up time' we do top 'n tail and change clothes as part of her wake up routine)...so she may have had a little day/ night confusion, but we tried to work on it by doing these sorts of things???

so now we have decided to just change her sleep patterns to the times we think it should be by either waking her for the times (preferrably when she's stirring as sleep cycle ends) or holding her out until the times... 5am to 6am Feed and Wake up routine, follow EASY 2 1/2 to 3 hours during day (mostly goes well with it all), 6pm feed, bath and bedtime, 9pm dreamfeed and hold out til 2am for overnight feed, then start again... we expect to have a hard week or so to get her into this routine, but we know she can go 5 hours between feed during the long break (even 8 ocasionally), so is this reasonable and are we going the right way about it??? we have daylight savings coming up here is australia in about 10 days, so these times will allow for the hour difference...

sorry for long post but we really need advice... this issue has been going on so long and is the main reason we bought the book but having a chance to read it and understand it all is hard at the moment... thanks so much for anyone who can help... mean while, we'll keep going with our plan!

Offline Katet

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adjusting sleep patterns
« Reply #1 on: October 19, 2005, 05:09:04 am »
I had that problem with my first ds & we started waking him & giving him his bath at 7pm & then when that got established the bath got moved to 9.30pm. then moved the bath back & with a bit of effort got things so he was doing about 6 hours from 10pm.
So yes you sound like you are on the right track. we had to do the bath otherwise he just didn't wake up enough.
oh & in the interum try to treat the 5-6am feed as a night feed, ie put her back to bed & do the top & tail at the next feed time, so she shifts at both ends if that makes sense
dc1 July 03, dc2 May 05