Can't get the hang of naps

[makedoandmend]

Since starting weaning (coinciding with teething) my dd has completely changed her schedule. She wakes at 6.30 then naps at 9 then at 2 but then becomes really sleepy around five, when her bedtime is 7. She's just gone down at 5.45 which will mean a couple of night feeds and a 5am waking (she used to sleep through but has now stopped and either wakes at middnight or 3am - tonight I'm expecting both). I don't know whether to try and move her afternoon nap earlier and try and get another one in mid afternoon. Sounds good but how? Bit at a loss - any tips?

[WibblyPigRocks]

How old is your DD?

[makedoandmend]

Sorry I think I deleted her age by mistake - she's 7 months and started weaning at a week shy of six months which is when the problems started. She's actually just woken up again - I can here her making 'awake' noises. Am sitting here crossing fingers and toes she'll go back to sleep and not treat the early bedtime as a nap

[makedoandmend]

Bugger it, the noises have now become a wail. May have to go and feed her as she's down on her feed today (that's another thing that's all over the place since weaning - she seems to want the same amount of milk in a 24h period but having food as well is pushing the feeds later and later). Am bf - usually for about two hours a day (in 10- 20 min chunks usually on waking, after b'fast, mid morning, lunchtime, afternoon and evening - she won't drink water).
I'm at my own dimwittedness about this but I can't work it out.

[flourybaps]

hi, when my dd was that age she used to have a late nap, about half an hour or 45 mins starting from half four or five ish, maybe you could put her down when she is tired at 5 and then wake her up after half an hour so she gets through to bedtime more easily.

[makedoandmend]

Thanks i'll try that. Got to be better than this - she's still wide awake and smiling (finding it very difficult not to smile back! interspersed with huge hissy fits). Just when you think you've cracked it

[WibblyPigRocks]

I'd just like to second what flourybaps said - my DS def still had a shorter nap somewhere between 4.30 and 5.30pm and I wouldn't let him sleep for longer than 40mins max. I def don't have many answers when it comes to sleep - DS has given me much grief in this area! - but I think this approach is def worth a try for a few days.

BTW, the timing of your BFs sounds perfectly standard to me - this is what I was doing at this stage. In fact, I don't know if we even had anything as regular as that but he certainly BFed at those times for quite a few months after 7! Hopefully, putting in that third nap for a bit will help you to fit in those feeds!

[makedoandmend]

Thanks FB and WPR - she's still up but getting more crotchety by the minute despite two feeds - dh currently with to her - she's fine if someone is in the room ...

Will try the later nap tomorrow. Can I just ask how many hours a day your dd and ds were sleeping at that age? She's gone from 15 hours a day to between 11 and 12.

This parenting lark's quite tricky innit?!

[WibblyPigRocks]

I'm not sure, really. My DS was still waking up A LOT at night at 7 months, so I found it difficult to add up his sleep hours!

Sorry - that's not much help, is it? If I think of anything else, I'll let you know.

[flourybaps]

not sure tbh, the answer is probably, lots! I have always been shocked by the amount of sleep my dd needs and since about 7 months old she will only ever reliabley sleep in her cot, she will nod off in the car or pram but only for about 20 mins a time and then we are faced with a very grumpy girl!

She is 12 months now and she sleeps 11 to 12 hours at night, nap in the morning of an hour and about 1hr 30 in the afternoon so between 13.5 to 14.5 hours in 24........... gosh thats a lot hey!

When I tried to reduce it it all went very wrong, she started waking in the night again, up to 6 times! And waking early in the morning so Im sticking with it for now, may not be the case with your ds some babies dont need as much sleep im sure but might be worth a trying the late afternoon nap?

[makedoandmend]

Ooh floury - very of your 14 hours! Today was mother and baby group which always plays havoc with naps but she's now having a late afternoon nap as she missed her early afternoon nap (is this making sense?!) Will plough on tonight and see how it goes.

Shouldn't moan - she's easy really (WPR am hoping she doesn't do the waking up a lot like yours - what a nightmare!) But juuuuust when you think you've cracked it she goes and changes everything. Tsk babies, who'd 'ave 'em

[WibblyPigRocks]

Wishing you the very best of luck!!

I've just remembered a phrase that someone on here told me once and that's 'sleep begets sleep'. I guess what they were saying is that it's easy to underestimate how much sleep a baby needs and often, being ovetired is actually stopping them sleep more.

I've read a lot of books on sleep and I thought 'The No-Cry Sleep Solution' was very good on giving info about baby sleep - although a bit guilt-trippy if you were daring to think of letting your child cry for more than 30 seconds. But that's another thread!!

You're quite right, of course - this sort of thing wasn't in the advert for parent now was it?!!