Author Topic: Need your wisdom ladies...i'm stumped  (Read 4650 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline kim&savannah

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 80
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 3702
  • Location: Charlotte, NC
Re: Need your wisdom ladies...i'm stumped
« Reply #45 on: April 26, 2006, 20:27:06 pm »
SOrry this has been so stressful for you.  I have to say, I think Florencia is probably right about the wake time.  If she is so consistant with when she wakes, and you know she needs 12 hours, then I would just put her down at 6:30 p.m. so she can get her 12 hours.  And with how much these kids change at this age, maybe by summer, she'll be onto something completely different anyway.  And the early bedtime would work with her earlier/shorter naps for now too. 

Hope you figure things out.

~Kim
~Kim

Savannah,  6/04
Abraham,   11/06
Henry, 5/8/11

Diegos Mama

  • Guest
Re: Need your wisdom ladies...i'm stumped
« Reply #46 on: April 26, 2006, 20:39:40 pm »
I think you're way too worried on trying to 'fix' her.  She's in the midst of a transition and you just have to go with it.  If she seems tired at the end of the day, take her for a walk so she grabs a catnap.  I would often do an errand i the car when Emilio needed some down time just so he'd grab a few zzzzz's when he wouldn't take a second nap and was transitioning between the two.

You gotta stop beating yourself up about the number of minutes she naps and her wake-up time.  QUIT COUNTING!  8)  The days are getting shorter as we approach summer, lighter in the morning and my Emilio who was sleeping until seven thirty in the winter is now up at six am.  Not much for me to do other than roll with it and go to bed early myself.  I adjust his naptime if he's tired early.  Remember, f-l-e-x-i-b-i-l-i-t-y....................

She's sleeping well at night (my son doesn't ever sleep twelve hours at night), she's sleeping one hour plus naps.  If she's cranky find a way to help her snag a few extra snooze minutes and as she grows older she'll grow out of the crankiness.  Is it mostly end of the day crankiness?

Offline Harrisonsmummy

  • BW Devotee
  • ****
  • Showing Appreciation 17
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 271
  • Location: Kent , England
Re: Need your wisdom ladies...i'm stumped
« Reply #47 on: April 27, 2006, 07:03:12 am »
I just cheered out loud when I read laura's post! I sooo agree. I too became almost obsessed with this nap transition, it takes over everything, but really - as long as you can eliminate night wakings ( which are the pits!) and give them the opportunity to sleep, and get your own sleep in - I always go to bed early to accomodate early wake-ups - it will probably sort itself out in the end!

I know Meg slept lots before, and it is hugely frustrating that she is struggling so much now, but little by little it will settle, and as long as she isn't too miserable she will get by!

Harry seems so much better, now I have relaxed more!

Offline Jess-J&E

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 16
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 608
  • Location:
Re: Need your wisdom ladies...i'm stumped
« Reply #48 on: April 28, 2006, 16:19:37 pm »
A big amen to Laura's post and to Harrison's Mummy, very well said.   8)
It is so frustrating when their sleep habits change but you just have to roll with it.  I was crazy for a while too, for most of Ethan's life he has woken up before 6am and he only takes an hour-hour and a half nap..not ideal but that is who he is. He is a happy little camper and those times that the crankies hit us I do exaclty what Laura said...a little catnap, early bedtime or early naptime, whatever fits the situation.

  I decided that I wanted to enjoy him as a toddler rather than be a crazy obsessed person who is counting minutes.  I go to bed a little earlier and I just enjoy him while he is awake rather than being upset that he didn't sleep the amount that *I* wanted him to sleep.

The amount that these kiddos sleep is going to change as they get older and as their needs change.  She won't
sleep 12 hours at night forever, just as Flori said, 12-14 hours per 24 hour period is normal.  Some days she might want more, some days less.  Even as an adult I know there are times that I woke up early in the morning for no reason at all and I wasn't tired, and there are days that I could sleep until 11 am, it just changes.

Give yourself a break and know that you are doing the best that you can.  Enjoy her where she is, she is really a fantastic little sleeper!  As much as it would be helpful, controlling their sleep is not possibe. You can guide her and teach her but not control minute by minute.  And just as Laura said "F-L-E-X-I-B-I-L-T-Y!!!"

Just my two cents....
« Last Edit: April 28, 2006, 16:27:00 pm by Jess&Ethan »
Lilypie 4th Birthday Ticker" border="0" width="400" height="80


Gigismom

  • Guest
Re: Need your wisdom ladies...i'm stumped
« Reply #49 on: April 28, 2006, 21:14:31 pm »
we are now in the midst of the 2-1 nap transition (for the second time around  ::) ) and i know it is SO hard.  on the days my dd naps only once, it is only for 1.5 hours at the longest...but mysteriously when she was taking 2 naps just a few weeks ago, both naps were over an hour usually 1.5 hours.  so she is way overtired and cranky...and so am i.  her nightsleep is also disruppted.  she wakes up crying a few times each night on the days she only takes one nap.

i have no advice since my dd is obviously not on a good routine, but just wanted you to know you are not alone.  i really do try to stop counting the minutes she sleeps and then basing my mood for the rest of the day on that, but it's hard not to.  i just hope this phase ends soon.

Offline Fiona (Leah & Kians Mom)

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 84
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 2865
  • Location: Bahrain
Re: Need your wisdom ladies...i'm stumped
« Reply #50 on: April 29, 2006, 11:15:19 am »
 :o  here we go again, if it's any consolation to you Nicole, exact same as last time which was about 2 weeks ago more or less, wakening earlier each day, longer to settle at night and day nap starting to shorten again( she cut 40 mins off it in one go today!)- no idea why, but I guess we will just have to roll with it.
Hope things are improving for you  ;D



Offline frankiesmom

  • BW Aficionado
  • ***
  • Showing Appreciation 4
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 192
  • Location:
Re: Need your wisdom ladies...i'm stumped
« Reply #51 on: April 29, 2006, 18:15:32 pm »
Just adding my thoughts.....I did the exact same thing as Meg's mom and it worked like a charm.  I gave Frankie a little cat nap in the morning by planning an activity and then letting him fall asleep in the car for 20 mintues or so on the way home. It was enough to get him through to lunch and then after eating he had a second wind and could stay up until 1:00 to go down for a nice long nap.  The first week, he took shorter naps and we had to suffer through that but then the key was we stayed consisitent and pretty soon he was taking a 2.5 to 3 hour nap.
As far as Meg needing a certain amount of sleep, I am sorry to tell you this, but that is going to change.  They can't always sleep for 14 or 15 hours.  The amount of sleep that they need is going to change, so something has got to give, either less sleep for a nap, or less sleep at night.  Frankie takes nice naps, but he only sleep 10.5 hours at night on average.   He just can't sleep more then that, and I don't think many kids can.  So, big deal, we get up at 6:45.  That's what happens when you have kids.
Try to look on the bright side, Meg is sleeping 12 hours at night!  Do you know how many people would kill for that?  It will all work out!  Just stay consistent, but remember that along with that, you have to be flexible.  Every day is going to be different for them at this age.

Good luck,
Kim