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What routine!? 4 months & 10 hours sleep...

7 replies

verytiredmamma · 16/08/2018 02:04

16 week old DD (12 week corrected age). She has bad reflux and on omeprazole once a day to help but we still need to keep her upright after feeds for minimum 15 minutes.

The problem is...

She has always been a terrible sleeper however things have worsened and I don't know what to do anymore. She has stopped napping (she was never good at this and only managed one decent morning nap and sometimes would doze off in the afternoon for 20-30 mins if I was lucky). She now wakes about 6-7am, naps for 20 mins after being up for an hour to two hours. Then she is awake all day and might catnap for 10-15 mins once more in the day. We start a bedtime routine at 7pm and it takes until 9-10pm to get her to sleep, sometimes even later. She wakes once or twice during the night. She is therefore only getting about 10 hours sleep across 24 hour periods max.

What do I do!? I have tried every trick in the book... white noise, sling, sleepyhead, cosleeping, dummies, etc etc.

We also have to feed her to sleep otherwise we'd never have a shot at getting her down.

Please help! I know she needs more sleep as when she is awake you can see she is tired and isn't 'happily awake'.

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verytiredmamma · 16/08/2018 07:55

Bump... Any ideas?

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emvy · 16/08/2018 08:10

It sounds like she’s overtired as she’s not napping in the day. 1-2 night wakings is entirely normal at this age so that isn’t really an issue. You just want to sort out the daytime naps.

Try getting her down for her first nap of the day after an hour. I know you say she sometimes goes down after this length of time but try and have this set in your routine so that it always comes at the same time in the same way. Do you have a nap routine for putting her down to sleep? This way it should help her to recognise what’s coming. Sorting out this first nap should then help the other naps come more naturally through the day. You won’t no more than 2 hours awake time between these subsequent naps.

Also, is she in a leap? This can disrupt nap times and the 4 month regression can also have an impact.

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emvy · 16/08/2018 08:12

Sorry I feel I didn’t make that clear enough - if you start your first nap routine at 45 minutes after she’s woken up, you should be allowing her time to wind down and not allowing her to become overtired before you start, which is possibly what’s making it difficult to get her to sleep and why the things you’re trying aren’t working.

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bumblingalongway · 16/08/2018 08:32

Is the omeprazole definitely effective? Could she still be in pain from the reflux?

My ds is 15 weeks and I've realised actually needs a lot of sleep. It took me about 11 weeks to realise this was partially why he was so grumpy and it wasn't just the silent reflux. Although they went hand in hand until we really got it under control with meds. He can physically go over two hours between naps, but I find if he goes down just before this he will go to sleep much more easily and seems to stay on a more even keel throughout the day. I do struggle when we're out as he now sleeps very well in his cot but isn't great at going to sleep out as he gets so overstimulated. Although is ok in the car. Could you try staying in for a few days to put a 'nap schedule' in place. I use a dummy, white noise and love to dream swaddle, he know these signify nap/bedtime down and is getting easier and easier to put down. I tend to 'hey' and 'shhh' him if he fights it, I will pick him up if he's genuinely crying and upset but put down as soon as he's calm. This has taken time and persistence, a couple of times ive had to do pupd over 15 times. I do stay with him at the moment but am working up to putting him down and leaving the room. I try to have at least one nap at home during the day so I know he gets one good sleep. And I only let him have 30 mins max between 4pm and 7pm. Maybe pick a 'technique' and stick to it for a week and see how it goes? Good luck!!

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verytiredmamma · 16/08/2018 11:18

@bumblingalongway the reflux definitely complicates everything... I think staying in for a few days and trying to get a nap routine established is a good idea. When she wakes just now I give her medication, play for 30 mins then feed on one side, play for another 20-30 mins max and feed to sleep on other side. I then have to sit her upright for at least 10mins before I can put her down. Therefore even though I am using white noise I guess she is missing that in the routine because I put her down already asleep? Does it make sense if I feed her on both sides 30 mins after medication and then keep her up for no more than 20-30mins after that feed and try to put her down while she is still awake?

I prop up her cot so she is at an angle to help her already. I was debating paying for one of these sleep training apps that seem to be advertised on my facebook constantly but didn't know if it would be worth the money.

I'm going to see the doctor today to check up on how she is getting on with the omeprazole. So far it's made a big difference to how uncomfortable she is as before she spent almost the entire day crying and vomitting. You could be right that she still is in some pain though.

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HouseOfSix · 20/08/2018 21:07

I can't really help just sympathise - my 16wo is getting ten hours or less a day as well. She hates napping in the day time and doesn't sleep that well at night. It's been the last 4 weeks or so that it's got really bad. I don't really know what to do!

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Whatamuddleduck · 21/08/2018 08:49

My 16w old is staring to struggle with naps, it’s a developmental phase I think. Our day looks like this;
6am wake up (DP starts banging about which usually wakes her), feed/play.
7-8 nap on me.
8-8:30 play incot whilst I shower.
8:30-10 get up, play, feed until sleepy.
10ish I the car and nap.
11-12 ish an activity e.g rhyme time, swimming etc
12-1 car and nap

She then plays on mat etc and used to have a 2-3 hour nap from 2:30/3 but that’s stopped suddenly and she does about 20mins at 3:30 and stays a bit grumpy!

6pm In high chair and plays whilst we eat.

7pm bath then in bed and fed to sleep and transfer to next to me about 8pm
Wakes 1-2 x per night for feed.

I’m hoping that we will get back decent afternoon naps within a few weeks! I hope to start putting her down in her cot in the afternoon at some stage!

I just think it could be worse and the dreaded 4 month sleep regression could affect nights!

I think you can only try to encourage napping but if it doesn’t happen it just doesn’t!

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