Author Topic: new here...trouble w/ 4 hr easy??  (Read 1585 times)

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Offline rossilu

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new here...trouble w/ 4 hr easy??
« on: January 22, 2006, 16:00:43 pm »
hi!  we just got tracy's new book (friday) and i have started putting my almost 5 month old son on a routine (for the 1st time).  he is doing OK so far (pu/pd isn't working for us so we are using shhh/pat) BUT ~ yesterday he did fine w/ eating every 4 hours (and until yesterday was always fed on demand) then last night he woke every 2 hours (2,4 and 5:30) and took full feedings on both sides.  what should i do?  feed him? not feed him? i don't think i could deny him milk all night w/ out easing into it, but is cold turkey the best way?  should i wait till we are more settled w/ a 4 hour day schedule b4 cutting out night feeds, or do the whole shaabang at once? thanks!

Offline Noelle

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Re: new here...trouble w/ 4 hr easy??
« Reply #1 on: January 24, 2006, 01:32:10 am »
Hello :D

Can you post what your typical day looks like?  That way, we'll probably be able to answer better  :)

Has your ds always had night wakings for food or just since starting EASY?

Just wondering too which book you have of Tracy's? 

:D
**Noelle**  Formerly JohnandZoesMom



Offline rossilu

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Re: new here...trouble w/ 4 hr easy??
« Reply #2 on: January 24, 2006, 03:42:25 am »
hi!  thanks for responding!  i have the newest book (solves all your problems). he has always had night wakings but seems to be doing so more now...since starting.  and today was AWFUL, every time i laid him down for a nap ~ it took him 30-45 minutes to fall asleep and he woke after just 25-30 minutes and WOULD NOT go back to sleep...ugh.  DH put him to bed tonight, and it only took about 10 minutes...either he was exhausted, or since he knew daddy wouldn't be feeding him he gave up and went to sleep???  this is how it went today (before BW he woke/ate/and slept when he wanted and usually took 3-4 45 minute naps, went to bed at 10-11 and woke around 8) his schedule from the weekend is upstairs in our room (where his crib is) so i don't want to go in there...i can post our recent schedule in the morning.  it has been pretty erratic though, i'm having a hard time getting him to eat enough at one time so  he can go 4 hours (he did really well on saturday but since then, not so good).  help?  today i almost decided to give up!

Offline Noelle

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Re: new here...trouble w/ 4 hr easy??
« Reply #3 on: January 24, 2006, 19:58:34 pm »
Hi again :D

Please don't give up....EASY can take a couple of weeks to implement, especially if just starting.  Please post the schedule when you get a chance :D

Just from this post though, a few things stuck out at me that we can start to work on....eventually you want to go for a 11-12 hour stretch at night.  I think a 10-11 bedtime is too late and if only getting small naps, he is probably overtired.  It seems strange, but sleep begets sleep...his overtiredness could be causing the nightwakings.  If his wake time is 8AM (which is awesome ;) ) - you should probably shoot for an 8pm bedtime.

Does he fall asleep independently for naps?

Let us know {{HUGS}}

**Noelle**  Formerly JohnandZoesMom



Offline rossilu

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Re: new here...trouble w/ 4 hr easy??
« Reply #4 on: January 25, 2006, 02:58:35 am »
ok ~ this is how today went (so far)

8 - A (w/mom)
9 - E (both sides)
10:30 - S (in crib after 1/2 hour to settle)
11 - A (in car)
1- E (one side)
2- S (in car and stroller)
2:30 - A (in store, car, at home...busy day w/ older sons)
4 - E (one side)
5 - S (in crib, quick settle w/ dad)
6 - A (at home, includes bath)
7 - E (one side)
8 - E (other side)
8:30 - S (after about 10 minutes w/ dad putting him down)

today was a bit better, but still those short naps!!!  if we had been home, maybe it would have gone more smoothly.  we will be home all day tomorrow, would love some tips for tweaking?  especially getting him to wait to eat (so he'll eat on both sides and go longer in between feedings)
thanks!

Offline rossilu

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Re: new here...trouble w/ 4 hr easy??
« Reply #5 on: January 25, 2006, 02:58:56 am »
ok ~ this is how today went (so far)

8 - A (w/mom)
9 - E (both sides)
10:30 - S (in crib after 1/2 hour to settle)
11 - A (in car)
1- E (one side)
2- S (in car and stroller)
2:30 - A (in store, car, at home...busy day w/ older sons)
4 - E (one side)
5 - S (in crib, quick settle w/ dad)
6 - A (at home, includes bath)
7 - E (one side)
8 - E (other side)
8:30 - S (after about 10 minutes w/ dad putting him down)

today was a bit better, but still those short naps!!!  if we had been home, maybe it would have gone more smoothly.  we will be home all day tomorrow, would love some tips for tweaking?  especially getting him to wait to eat (so he'll eat on both sides and go longer in between feedings)
thanks!

Offline Noelle

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Re: new here...trouble w/ 4 hr easy??
« Reply #6 on: January 25, 2006, 03:24:12 am »
Thanks :)

Looks like you're doing a great job!!! :D

Here are some things that stand out at me.  At 5 months, he may be tired before the 2 hr mark, especially in the morning.  Are you able to read his tired cues?  Short naps can be an indication of overtiredness.  Try to keep an eye on him to see when his first yawn is...Tracy always said to have them down no later than the third yawn :)

It sounds like he is going to sleep on his own with the help of pat/sssh?? If so - that's great!!! Especially if just starting :)

And I agree...hard to implement when out and about.  But completely understand, especially with older kiddos...;)

I wanted to add too...since you are breastfeeding, he may not be ready for a 4 hr schedule.  Maybe just try for 3.5 hr right now.  The main thing of EASY to avoid feeding to sleep and overfeeding and to help you read cues better.  So if some days he goes 4 hr and others, maybe only 3, that's OK.  Once it all starts to come together, you should easily be able to read his cues...and tweak EASY when necessary (perhaps feed before a nap, or letting them nap later and going 5 hrs in between).  Right now, with the short naps, you may find that you will have two naps in between a feeding.  And all of this is ok...just make sure not to feed to sleep.

Was this the first night with an earlier bed time?  Let us know how it goes :D
« Last Edit: January 25, 2006, 03:26:13 am by Noelle »
**Noelle**  Formerly JohnandZoesMom



Offline rossilu

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Re: new here...trouble w/ 4 hr easy??
« Reply #7 on: January 25, 2006, 13:18:21 pm »
sorry i wasn't too clear earlier, he was going to bed late up until this past friday...but friday, saturday, sunday and monday nights he was in bed between 8-9 (asleep) which has been a great improvement especially since he isn't really waking up any earlier in the mornings (between 7-8, and once 6 and once 9).  he is falling asleep independently, and i am catching him at his first yawn/eye rubbing and it takes him 30-40 minutes to settle in the crib.  dh waits till he is very drowsy, lays him down, then he is out w/in 10-15....which should i do?  and finally, last night was AWFUL (we have not started pat/shush or pu/pd at night yet...but i need to) this is what happened

8:30 - sleep
12 - woke/ate both sides
3 - woke/ate 1 side
4 - woke/dh got him to sleep after a few minutes
5 - woke/ate other side
7 - awake

the frequent wakings have started since our new routine?? maybe let him go back to 3 or 3.5 hour feedings (like you suggested =) so he's not hungry at night?  also, he seems to go to "unsettle-able" at night VERY fast.  i read about the wake to sleep method...maybe i should set my alarm and catch him b4 he wakes? or will i have to do pat/shussh (which i don't see working at night...ugh) for several nights before he stops waking.  OR should i just keep working on the daytime and start nights this weekend (when DH can help more??)  thanks so much!

Offline Noelle

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Re: new here...trouble w/ 4 hr easy??
« Reply #8 on: January 27, 2006, 03:48:51 am »
Hi again :)

How were his naps yesterday?  Sometimes when they don't get very good naps, it interrupts their night time sleep.

As far as putting him down, either way is fine as long as he's awake when putting him down.  :)

I never used wake to sleep, so no experience there.  I think though to start implementing wake to sleep, they need to be waking at the same time every night so that you have an idea of when to go in..??  Have you tried using a pacifier at all for his nightwakings?  Tracy mentions trying this...if they go back to sleep then he probably isn't waking out of hunger.  If he keeps waking every 20-30 minutes, then it's hunger.

Also, it wouldn't hurt to try a 3 or 3.5 hr routine again.  If the nightwakings decrease again...then you know he probably isn't quite ready for the 4 hr.

How did things go yesterday?

:)

**Noelle**  Formerly JohnandZoesMom



Offline rossilu

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Re: new here...trouble w/ 4 hr easy??
« Reply #9 on: January 29, 2006, 17:59:07 pm »
naps have just gone haywire!  he is doing ok at night (asleep between 7-8, DF at 11 and waking once .... friday night at 5 w/a wake up time at 7 am and saturday night at 2 w/a wake up time at 7 am as well)  yet naps are consistantly 30 minutes and that's it!  he has been so tired that today i just held hime when he fell asleep (to see how long he would stay asleep) and he slept almost 2 hours...this shows me that he really does need to be napping longer, i just don't know how to get him to do it (w/out holding him! lol).  sigh, dh and i were starting to think this wasn't for us, cause our angel baby was turing into a grouch...thanks for your help!  i'm still very happy w/ his new evening routine, and may still try to get his daytime going better, but for now i'm gonna leave nights as they are. (btw, he WON'T take a pacifier...we tried avent, nuk, nam and playtex...any suggestions?  he just spits them out).  we are also going to go ahead and start solids in the next couple of weeks and maybe that will help him sleep longer stretches as well (he is 5 months and over 20 pounds so he may need more calories??) thanks again!