Hi all
this is my DS's current routine, he has reflux so we have to factor in a 30 minute delay between giving him his domperidone medicine and giving him his meals, and he also has it before his bedtime bottle. I breast fed DS until i was 10 weeks pregnant, and he used to sleep better, but there is no going back to breastfeeding, and we really need to try and get him sleeping longer, even if he would sleep till 6.30am it would make a big difference to us (DP commutes to London so his alarm goes off around then anyhow).
5.30 on average is the latest he wakes up, but can be anywhere between 5-5.30, and on waking he has his domperidone
6.00 has breakfast (weetabix, 1/2 pot of fruit puree with his losec tablet, and toast)
7.30 5 oz cows milk
7.40 morning nap (because of early waking, he cannot cope being up more than 2 hours before he is desperate to go back to bed, rubbing eyes, crying etc)
8.40-9.10 wakes from nap
10.00 has a snack - perhaps a biscuit/raisins
11.00 has domperidone
11.30 dinner - finger foods, typically 1 beetroot, 2 cherry tomatoes, sliced pepper, cucumber, 2-3 grapes, crisp puffs, cheese on toast (won't eat sandwiches or untoasted bread at the moment), few prawns or a crabstick or some fresh meat, chopped melon/mango/kiwi/strawberries/a plum, followed by a petit filous
1.45 5oz cows milk
1.55 afternoon nap
3.30-4 wakes from nap
4.00 has domperidone
4.30 tea - hot savoury meal, always has protein as part of it, and remaining half a pot of puree, then more fresh fruit, perhaps a small slice of cake or half a hot cross bun if we have something like that in the house at the time
6.00 begs food from my tea (i am having to have my dinner at 11.30 whilst he has his else it is impossible to eat it without him screaming at me throughout, which then means i am starving and can't wait until he has gone to bed before having my tea like i used to - am now 16 weeks pregnant and not put on any weight and so am now listening to when i am hungry as i need to start putting me and the new baby first a bit more)
6.30 has domperidone
7.00 6oz cows milk
7.10 goes to sleep for the night.
Can anyone give us any suggestions as to what to do that might encourage him to swop part of his naps for a longer night time sleep, or anything else that might help?
He sleeps in his own room and has done since he was 6 months old. He is very happy to go to sleep, self settles calmly within a minute or two of being put down, and doesn't cry at all. He has black out blinds. He sleeps in a merino sleeping bag so is never cold, and never too hot. He has a snuggle blanket with a teddy on for comfort which he holds/chews, and a pillow that he snuggles into. There is no stress whatsoever when he goes in the cot, and he rarely wakes in the night, but he just seems unable to sleep beyond 10 1/2 hours. He wakes up happy, chirpy, chatty, and raring to go. He is a very lively boy, on the go all the time, he isn't one for playing quietly/calmly or sitting with a book etc, he is like a duracell bunny! He goes to nursery 2 afternoons a week, and doesn't sleep as well there, the most he has as an afternoon nap is usually around 50 minutes. On these days he is so overtired, i pick him up at 6 and he would like to go straight to bed when we get home (about 6.10). He still wakes early the following day despite having had less naps the day before. He has also had a couple of whole days there, and refused morning naps, and only had 30 minutes afternoon naps, but still woke early the following mornings. We have always found that the more sleep he has in the day, the better he sleeps at night, but nothing ever seems to alter him waking early. However we are getting desperate and are willing to try anything if it means we get just an extra hours sleep in the morning.
Can anyone help??