I need some major help!

[charleesmom]

I think I am living my worst nightmare and believe me it is all my fault.

Okay so my daughter is 6 months and 6 days old.
She eats GREAT!!!  Every 4 hours a bottle and solids mixed throughout the day. 

BUT, her sleep and awake times STINK!!!
I have not "real" schedule with her.

I am home alone with her 3 days a week. 
Lately on these days she does the following...
6:00 / 7:30 / 8:00 Wake up (never really know when)
About an hour and maybe 20 minutes later she is ready for a nap.
These naps last anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours.
When she wakes up she is good for about 2 hours and then ready for another nap that is anywhere from 45 min. to 1 hour.
THEN about 2 hours later she is ready for one more and this one ends up being anywhere from 1 1/2 to 3 hours.   :shock: Right before bedtime too.

Okay so then 1 day a week she goes to the Nursery School located at my job site so that I can work.
Well, I haven't actually worked while there lately.  SHE WILL NOT SLEEP there.  They try everything and it just isn't working.  I try everything and it just isn't working.  I end up taking her out of the Nursery and bringing her with me to a dark room and letting her fall asleep on me which will give her about a 1/2 hour nap for the day.  I know this is hurting her.  She cries a whole lot and her poor face is all puffy and read from her rubbing her eyes and such.

Then the weekend begins...
Fridays go like the other 3 days we are home until evening hits and my Husband and I have named FRIDAYS - OUR DATE NIGHT - so we get a babysitter.  Well, she wont sleep well with a babysitter and doesn't get really to bed until we get home around 10:00 or 11:00.
Saturdays me and my husband have to go to work at 2:00 - she stays with me but again - doesn't nap well at all until we leave around 8:00 and she finally falls asleep in the car on the way home.
And Sundays we go to work at 7:00 am (so if she is planning on sleeping till 8:00 then we have to wake her.)  We are at work until 1:30.  2 more naps that completely suck.  Normally by the time we get home on Sunday she is so tired she will get to bed for a nap at around 3:00 and end up sleeping 3 to 4 hours.    Then she goes to bed really late.

HELP!  What do I do?  I can't quite my job.  We can't afford it. 

I am desperate and in need of some advise.

[LindseysMom]

Hello.  Honestly, I think you should do the best you can as far as putting her on a routine for the days you are at home and then the days you have to work then she will just have to kind of go with the flow.  I know it must be hard having to work and feeling like you are letting your baby down but sometimes you have to do what you have to do and just go with it and do the best you can.  Sorry, not much help.  But you are doing the best you can for her and that is all we can do right. :wink:

[GG]

Ideally, on the days you are home, you need to set the routine (not necessarily a strict schedule but an estimate of when she will wake up, go down for a nap and her bedtime).  Decide what time you want her to wake up (sounds like 7 am is a good time) and just wake her up at that time every day.  Sure, we've all heard the myth "don't wake a sleeping baby."  It's not true.  You need to do it to help her get on a good routine.

Leave the naps as they are for now, except for the last one.  That one shouldn't be longer than 1 hour long since it's so close to bedtime, so wake her up after an hour (or hour and a half at most if she's had a rough, tiring day).  That way she will be ready for bed at her bedtime.  It will take a little time, especially since she isn't home every day, but her biological clock will set itself so she won't be going to sleep very late.

A date night is a great idea!!  Is there any way you can put her to bed just before you and your dh leave?  That way you'll know that she will be asleep at her bedtime and your babysitter will only have to worry about her if she wakes up.

I do have a few questions, though.  How do you get her to sleep for her naps and bedtime?  Do you have a wind down routine?  Is it in a dark room (sounds as if it is)?  How long does it typically take for her to get to sleep?  What is her temperament?  (I'm going to guess touchy or spirited)  Answering these questions may help us help you figure something out for the rest of the days (if anything).

[charleesmom]

GG:
Okay, so I will try the 7:00 am wake up.  If she wakes at 6:00 or 6:30 should I try to leave her in her crib till 7:00?  Or should I get her out and wait to feed her until 7:00?

Date nights are great.  We needed this.  After the baby was born our first month was so tough on us.  We fought daily.  This has given us some time away from our DD and time to focus on each other which we needed.

We have currently been doing that - putting her to bed before we leave so she is down.  But I don't know if she just knows we have left or what but the babysitter says she normally wakes within an hour or two and wont go back to sleep until we return.

Okay so putting her to bed for naps.
We normally play with all lights and the TV on windows open and such.  Then about a 1/2 hour before nap time (if I am working on 2 hours awake time - but like I said some times she is tired by 1hour 20 minute and so there is no wind down time.) I try to have her sit with me and read a book or sing or something a little less "active" - then right before I put her down I sit with her for a minute or so and just give her hugs and let her rest on my shoulder this is in her room with just one low light on and the window closed NO NOISE - I tell her I love her and then lay her down.  I turn out the lights and keep a night light on only during the day so she knows the differnce between night and day - I put my hand on her chest and let her put herself to sleep.

It takes her anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes to fall asleep.  She rubs her eyes a lot.  Sometimes I have to place another hand on her hands to keep her from continuing to rub.

Her temperment is spirited.

Thanks for the help!!!
I appriciate it soooo much!