Hello!
I am really hoping someone out there can help us, as I feel as though I have completely lost the plot on our routine!
We had a lovely 3-hourly EASY routine, then moved to 4-hourly EASY nearly a month ago, which went fine (2 naps of 1.5-2hrs, plus catnap, etc). We've battled 45 minute naps on and off since Katie was 7 weeks old, but I could usually get her back to sleep when she woke up at 45 mins. So we were doing fine overall. Katie can get to sleep on her own, doesn't have a dummy or any props, and feeds well (BF).
Then the last week or so it's all gone to pieces! Katie has started waking at 5 or 6am, perfectly happy and playing with her feet and talking to herself. Often she does not get back to sleep by 7am (our usual getting up time and when I feed her). She's then tired early, so has a nap early, then gets 45 minute naps for which I can no longer get her back to sleep, so we end up with 2hr A time BEFORE the feed, and we end up with feeds before naps, and no routine whatsoever!
It's really getting me down as I feel I can't arrange to meet anyone or do anything as I have no idea when Katie will be awake or asleep (previously I could arrange to meet friends for coffee etc as I could predict pretty well when S and A would be...) and we end up either with an overtired Katie by bedtime or a Katie who has had an extra nap too late so can't get to sleep. I am also only getting about 4-5 hours sleep a night between the 11pm feed and Katie waking up at 4-5am. Groan! I had more sleep when she was a newborn.
Our "routine" is something like this:
5-6am Katie wakes up happy and playing in her cot. Sometime she wakes earlier at 3 or 4am but then will talk to herself for a bit then go back to sleep on her own.
7am get up and feed
when she gets tired - morning nap, anywhere between 45 mins and 1.5 hrs. Usually manages 1-1.5 hrs.
11am feed
then when she gets tired - afternoon nap - again anwhere between 45 mins and 1.5 hours. Often 45 mins this time.
3pm feed
catnap when she gets tired - sometimes it's right after the feed!
then we sometimes still have 3 hrs to go till bedtime, sometimes only an hour...
7pm bedtime (a bit earlier if she's tired, a bit later if she clearly isn't...)
11pm feed
Our A times are 2hrs to 2hrs 15 mins. She's generally a happy baby!
So I guess I have several questions:
1. Any ideas how I can get some kind of routine going again and avoid feeding before naps - it's not a habit I want to get into
2. If I feed Katie when she wakes up at 4-5am, she will generally go back to sleep (I've tried it once or twice out of desperation when I have really needed the sleep!) - but again this is not a habit I want to get into as I do think it's good she's happy to amuse herself in her cot for a while. However should I start feeding her just so that we both get some sleep? Or should we just start our day at 5am (groan)?
3. I am concerned that Katie isn't getting enough sleep - about 13 hrs in a 24 hour period, which seems rather low for her age - is she overtired, and if so what do I about it?!
And indeed any other suggestions?!
Thanks in advance
Bryony
