How do I get DD to know night is night and day is day?

[pebbles2004pebbles]

My 4mnth old dd seems to sleep all day and want to play all night... she wakes every half hour to hour thru the night and im not coping very well! Is this too young to try cc? My hv thinks this would be the solution. I try and keep her awake during the day, but she has none of it!

[myermay]

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[nailpolish]

i did cc at 5 months and it worked. you are not supposed to before 6 months but i never knew that. ignorance is bliss!

[pebbles2004pebbles]

Exhausted isnt the word! Her sleep routine seems to be 2 hours in the morning followed by a period of about an hour awake, then about 3 hours in the afternoon, by which time its dinner and bath time, and she sleeps from about 6pm til 10pm and then is up every half hour!!!

[myermay]

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[pebbles2004pebbles]

I wish I knew someone who did have the Gina Ford Book.... looks like i need it!!! It isnt babble and hopefully cc will work! I have just put her in her cot because she is shattered but she is screaming! I HATE THAT SOUND! There's not much else i can do though - Im knackered! Please tell me it gets easier!

[CarrieG]

My 4 month old ds goes to bed when I do - most he'll sleep is 8 hours & they may as well be the same 8 hours I sleep! Although we're probably buying trouble for when we try to introduce an earlier bedtime...

What do you do when dd wakes? Ds goes thro' phases of waking in the night - I find that a quick feed & nappy check means I then feel justified in putting him in his cot (which is in our room, so can soothingly say 'it's ok N, go to sleep' at intervals) & letting him fuss his way back to sleep - can occasionally take up to a hour tho'. I couldn't do GF myself, but I'm told it works brilliantly.

[CarrieG]

lent my copy of GF to a friend or you could have it! sorry! Waterstones etc have it.

[pebbles2004pebbles]

hi carrie - when dd wakes in the night, i feed, check nappy and try and lay back to bed... and she goes off, but wakes half hour later! She is taking up to 3 8oz bottle during the night and im sure she doesnt need it but it seems the only way to shut her up! is cc really the way to go or should i just let her tell me what she wants and when?

[myermay]

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[pebbles2004pebbles]

myermay... she has 3 or 4 bottle during the day, and i have just started her on a bit of puree in the morning and afternoon... i dont know why the only thing to settle her is a bottle?!

[CarrieG]

If it's a sucking/comforting thing could you try a dummy or a bottle of water @ night? If she's on lots of milk & puree during the day she won't starve, but she might decide water's not worth waking up for &/or stay awake more in the day in order to take another feed then.

The Tracy Hogg Baby Whisperer book is a bit less draconian than GF - I found it a good compromise between GF (baby boot camp!) & just letting ds regard me as his 24 hour milkbar/entertainment - sensible ideas for firm but flexible routine iykwim.

[pebbles2004pebbles]

Carrie... you are too good at all this! I like the baby whisperer - her programmes on tv amaze me! she has finally settled after 45 minutes of crying! i offer juice instead of milk at different times thru the day and night but she takes that and her milk! The dummy only works if she keeps it in her mouth! Thought about using sticky tape, then thought better of it !

[myermay]

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[gingernut]

Have you seen this report on the BBC saying that babies sleep better if they get plenty of light during the day? Not so easy to achieve at this time of year of course!

[pebbles2004pebbles]

thanks gingernut - i must admit me and dd have not been getting out of the house much lately due to crappy weather and her recent tummy upset... maybe need to try this tomorrow!