another sleep thread...daytime naps for almost 8 week old.. | ExpatWoman.com
 

another sleep thread...daytime naps for almost 8 week old..

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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 02 July 2011 - 16:08

hi ladies, sorry for another sleep thread but need some guidance! My 8 week old DS is a pretty good sleeper at night but lately is really not having good daytime naps (until 6 weeks he often napped on me or Grandma, not good I know, from 6 weeks I started to try and get him to sleep in his cot). I look for his tired cues which often start about an hour after being up so I have a routine of taking him into his room, drawing blinds, swaddling and sitting to pat/shush. Normally after about 20 mins (sometimes with him fighting and jerking his body quite a bit!) he gets to sleep but as soon as I put him down he is instantly awake (not always but alot of the time), or he is asleep but then within 15-20 mins is awake again. Alot of the time he is just chatty and happy and wide awake and I try and leave him or pop the dummy in but then he starts to get cranky and worked up and won't put himself to sleep. Sometimes I pick him up and start the process all over again but often he wakes again. Anyone who can offer any guidance? Feel like I'm spending all day trying to put him to sleep!! Am I getting too obsessed with trying to get him to take daytime naps? If we go out during the day he'll fall asleep so quickly while I'm driving and then will stay asleep in the noisiest places...why can't it be that easy at home where it is nice and quiet?! Also - been looking for the Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child book but can't find it anywhere...anyone have a copy they could lend me? thank you from a sleepy new Mum...x

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EW GURU
Latest post on 03 July 2011 - 14:46
We swaddled until 6 weeks and then used a sleeping bag as she would fight the swaddle. I never did the shush pat thing, i rocked her for the first few days then we gradually reduced that and by the end of the week just plopped her down in her bed after saying goodnight to "Mr Sunshine" and a cuddle in the dark,a kiss and a goodnight as i legged it out of the room. It was one ofthehardest weeks that i have ever had BTW, sometimes she would cry hard and others she would just go off but we stuck with it and it really paid off for us.
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 03 July 2011 - 14:41
thats great Nutty. So when you put her down after nappy change did you do the swaddle pat/shush or just put her down? We've got a record today...he's STILL asleep, 3 hours and 40 mins later...man is he gonna be starving when he wakes up LOL. Well he did take a good 30 mins at the breast before nodding off at least...!
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EW GURU
Latest post on 03 July 2011 - 14:36
It took sometime to get into but i would pace the floor waiting for her to get up, the downside was she preferred to nap at home so getting things done outside the house was a challenge but all in i would rather have it that way.... Another of my friends who did the same routine her 7 month still sleeps 4 hours in day and 12h at night so not just my DD. My DD at 10months has 3 hours in the day and 12h at night.
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 03 July 2011 - 14:32
I'll bet Nutty!! :)
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EW GURU
Latest post on 03 July 2011 - 14:32
Yes and it was great!
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 03 July 2011 - 14:24
Nutty replied : until 7months she slept 6 hours in the day and 12hours at night... amazing ! only 6 hours awake per day ? <em>edited by salome on 03/07/2011</em>
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EW GURU
Latest post on 03 July 2011 - 14:20
60muscles to BF apperently and only 4 to bottle feed but i always changed DD's nappy once she was finished feeding and then puther down otherwise i was scared she would always need me to help her go to sleep and thats one habit i didn't want to enter into. Some babies tag their first morning sleep onto their night sleep so my DD would eat at 7am then sleep till 9.30ish then start EASY but rightup until 7months she slept 6 hours in the day and 12hours at night, just adapt easy to fit with your baby though sounds like you are off to a fabulous start.
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 03 July 2011 - 14:16
well he finally went down for his nap at 11am (almost straight after his feed) and now three hours later he's still asleep bless him...no way am I waking him up...am sure his tummy will shortly anyway! It is quite hard to tell his sleep cues...sometimes obvious with a yawn and rub of the eyes, other times not. Sometimes he seems so sleepy straight after a feed like this time and that's when EASY doesn't work and it becomes AESY! Oh well, whatever gets him to sleep right!
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EW GURU
Latest post on 03 July 2011 - 14:06
Sounds like you timed it just right, go on! If you he is only sleeping at 40mins at a time it could mean thathe is overtired when you are putting himdown and that is why he is unable to go through to the next sleepcycle and why it may become EASAE instead of EASY. If you can identify his sleep cues ie my DD used to sneeze then 5/10mins later stare off then came the face rub if i didn't get her down then the yawn would come and all heck would break loose as she would be overtired and sleep less time. If he is smiling at you in the cot dont react, as hard as it is when theyare all adorable. He is looking for reaction, stick to your routine and extend it till he is sleepy. We never used a dummy, i am way to lazy to keep getting up to put it back in just showed DD her fist and now thumb and she only sucks it when she is trying to settle herself.
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 03 July 2011 - 11:42
yes I've been trying to follow that too although sometimes it changes to AESY! I just got him down for a nap 40 mins ago so fingers crossed. This time I swaddled and did the shush pat and put him down before he was completely asleep although pretty close to it (after about 10 mins of holding him). I stayed in for another 10 mins patting on back with him on his side and waiting for the dummy to fall out. Seems to have worked this time! He's so alert that if I put him down when he's too awake he just becomes more awake. The funny thing is he doesn't cry but just starts to smile and talk to me which is cute, but if I leave him he just gets more alert and doesn't go to sleep - I did try this morning to leave him and he happily chatted away for about 40 mins until next feed was due!
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EW GURU
Latest post on 03 July 2011 - 10:51
We used the baby whisperer EASY routine from 6 weeks, Eat, Activity, Sleep, You. Feed them for say 45mins, change nappy, dress,play up to 1.30h after waking then start to look for sleep cues, sneezing, staring off, face rubbing,yawning and pop baby into bed. We always said goodnight to Mr Sunshine as we closed the curtains and had a cuddle before putting down into crib. I would stay with baby until calmly lying in crib and then sneak out, if baby started to cry would give afew mins before going back in. We didn't use a dummy so would show DD her thumb. This could continue for up to 25mins. Cry for 3 me going in to settle her without lifting for 1min then cry for 5 and so on. After a few days the crying stopped and off she went to theland of nod by herself. If she got really worked up then i would refeed her and then do whatever i could to get her off to sleep and try again at next nap time. Oh and we also used to cover the pram with a blanket when out to block stimulation. <em>edited by nutty on 03/07/2011</em>
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 02 July 2011 - 17:12
thanks TwoKids...I will try putting him to sleep when he's awake tomorrow rather than let him fall asleep in my arms first (if I'm not too sleep deprived myself to handle it LOL)...will see what happens, but have a feeling he'll just stay awake. He's very alert for an 8 week old, looks around alot, I think a mobile would only stimulate him more. I have one of those sleep sheeps that I always put on when he's going to sleep... Has anyone read the "no cry nap solution" by elizabeth pantley - is it worth trying to find?
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EW GURU
Latest post on 02 July 2011 - 16:41
Two pointers that have been helpful for me: - Always put your baby to sleep where you want him to wake up. - Baby needs to learn to self-settle, so swaddle and place in cot awake. Read books, sing, have an IPod on a docking station or use a musical mobile to soothe baby if needed. I try to stick to a routine for nap times but often my son has one or both of his naps in the pram, while I am out and about for my older daughter. He is napping more now that he is older over 2 naps but would usual nap 1 hour in the morning when he was younger, to my frustration! HTH
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 02 July 2011 - 16:29
yes was so tempted to get the camera but it was too dark LOL! He put him down and he's still asleep but am sure will be up soon as he's due a feed!
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 02 July 2011 - 16:17
:) DH been in there for past 20 mins trying to put him to sleep and i just went to check and found him passed out sitting up in bed holding DS who is also fast asleep...so much for putting him in the cot to sleep...men! Aww but I bet its the most precious sight ever! xxx
488
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 02 July 2011 - 16:16
:) DH been in there for past 20 mins trying to put him to sleep and i just went to check and found him passed out sitting up in bed holding DS who is also fast asleep...so much for putting him in the cot to sleep...men!
 
 

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