One quick question about w/s?

[Stine333]

OK - so s/p does not work to extend lo naps so I have decided to use w/s tomorrow - if I don't chicken out.  I have sat and watched entire naps.  From what I have read I need to stir him 5-10 minutes before he starts to stir in his own.  I am just wondering if this is normal - he really does not stir before he wakes up.  He just wakes all of a sudden with a loud scream cry - like someone pinched him?  There is never any jerking or signal of what is coming.  He usually wakes at 45 minutes so I will try w/s at 35 min tomorrow and see what happens.

[wfabby]

My son is the same, no signs of stirring but sits right up and cries.  I started w2s last week.  Regardless of any movement at the 29-30 minute mark I slightly stroke his arm until I see a twitch or movement of some kind. My ds is 8 months and has never liked to be picked up, so at that point I lay my hand on him rather firmly and gently bounce the mattress.  He will not wake immediately, but will slightly open his eyes sometimes at the 40-45 minute mark, but immediately close them again. 

like I said, I did this since last week because he always woke at the 40 minute mark.  I would do this every 30 minute cycle after he was back to sleep completely.  Today, I did nothing and he slept for 1 hour and 15 minutes on his own.  I watched him at his usual wake time and he stirred, and put himself right back to sleep!  I am thrilled. 

I was told you only need to do it for 2-3 days, but I went loner.

[jacksmomns]

wfabby-i need to try w2s with my 9wk lo-tried once and he just woke up and i tried pat/ssh for 45 min.  when you would go in at the 30 min mark and touch him to stir, do i start pat/sshing also or just stir him and let be? i'm unsure how to make this work.  any advice would be great   Hilary------

[wfabby]

Hi Hilary-

I don't know how to attach links, but I will search through all my posts to find the link for w2s I was sent.  Every baby is different, and in my case I have never been able to do the pat/ssh, only the ssh. 

After I have stroked a cheek or arm or something and have seen him move in response to it, I firmly place a hand on his leg/thigh area and gently "bounce" the mattress.  This isn't exactly what you are supposed to do, but it worked for my lo.  I continue until he has passed through the wake up phase, and sometimes he opens his eyes and sometimes not.  What I found was if I was lightly bouncing the mattress he wouldn't jerk awake like usual, just sorta open his eyes and quickly close them back up.  On one or two occasions he did come all the way awake and I would then begin the ssh and bounce always keeping my hand firm on him.

Again, every baby is different but it worked this way for me so far.  I still go in an peak at him at the 30 minute mark and if I think he is going to roll over and start to wake himself, I will intervene.  But for a couple days now, I haven't had to.

I will try to find and send you the like, but I am not real computer savvy

Good luck

[jacksmomns]

thanks for responding.  i'm just sick over sleep issues, and have been reading and reading! i don't know what will work for us pat/sshh wakes him more it seems, and can't get w2s timing
hilary

[wfabby]

I know it sucks!  I am just starting to sleep after 8 months!  All the advice here works you just have to modify it to your needs.  Like pat/ssh.  Since I never could do it either without making my ds mad from an early age, I just kinda played with different things until I saw what worked.  Like I said, for me it is usually silence and bounce the mattress soft.  I can do just the ssh part to calm him down as well, but when I am doing w2s it is too much.

to get timing on w2s, you need to take some time and watch him when he is sleeping.  I have a video monitor and would watch it to see a pattern.  Once you see him stir, not wake, but start to move a hand or a foot or if you see his breathing become more rapid, less shallow, that is the sign that it is time (or just beyond) to do w2s.  You want to get to him just before that phase.  Some people, and I have done it also will wait until the stir begins, but for me it allowed more chance to wake him up completely. 

My ds is clockwork. 

I have been doing the new routine for about a week and naps are much better and nights are getting there.

I wish there was a quick fix but there isn't.

[jacksmomns]

glad to hear your finally getting rest--i hope it doesn't take us 8 mos lol  Thanks for the tips, i'll try again tomorrow watching for that window for w2s.  wish me luck   hilary

[wfabby]

Sending you lots of luck.....................

I wouldn't exactly say I am getting sleep, the longest stretch is up to 4 hours.  By the time I fall asleep again, I probably only get 3

Now, if only an elf could come in and clean my house, do laundry etc, maybe I could nap when my lo does!

[jacksmomns]

lol yeah the housework certainly falls behind doesn't it. thanks for the stroke of luck--needing all i can get!  Hilary