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20 week old's sleeping patterns - a bit weird? Please help!

9 replies

specialknickers · 19/04/2010 10:03

My 20 week old son sleeps through the night (into bed at about 7.30, woken up for a formula feed at 10.30 (he's breast feed the rest of the time), sleeps right through till 7am. It's great, obviously, BUT he won't sleep during the day unless it's for 20 minute naps when I walk him in his pram. Is this normal? Am I asking too much of him to try and get him to take a nap in the morning? I have read that babies at this age can only stay up for 2 hours at a time, but mine wakes at 7, feeds (breast), plays, feeds again at 9 and then is really tired by 9.30. For the last few weeks I've been really hard with him, putting him back to bed with a dummy but he's not having any of it... It's nearly 11 now and he's still in his cot, crying off and on as I pop in to shush and pat him. It's not working, even though I know he's really really tired.

Should I give up on trying to get him to nap and just accept that I'll never get a break during the day? It's sending me crackers. I don't really like the idea of controlled crying, but I get so annoyed by trying to do the most depressing of chores whilst constantly running up and down the stairs to try and soothe him that sometimes I have to leave him to cry, just so I can calm down before I go in to try and settle him AGAIN.

I'm also worried that he's beginning to learn to cry in his cot (he's doing this at night now when we try and settle him in for bed, he never did this before).

Before you suggest a pram walk in the mornings - the pram's down 4 flights of perilous stairs, and I'm already completely knackered from taking him out at lunch time and again in the afternoon to settle him.

Any suggestions?

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tinks27 · 19/04/2010 10:23

have you tried putting him down before feeding him again at 9? so feed at 7, play, then bed at 8.45, so he is not too tired. my dd won't settle when she is over tired or too full ( some-times their bowels can stop them from sleeping i think!)

Gabriella13 · 19/04/2010 11:06

hey,

my LO has been terrible at napping during the day until recently. i found that putting her down 1.5 hours after her last wake up/nap with a few toys worked a treat. that way she didn't feel pressured to go to sleep and did it in her own time without being overtired either. i find 2 hours even now sometimes, she is 7.5 months old, can be a bit too long. i tend to look out for sleepy signs although they aren't always there so tend to follow 1.5 - 2 hrs from wake up rule. hope it works for you coz i know what it is like when they won't settle other than in a pram/car seat. bear in mind it might take him a few days to readjust, after all he is used to sleeping on the move. good luck!

specialknickers · 19/04/2010 19:48

Great ideas - thanks, I'll be trying these tomorrow!

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Mrs1GeneGenie · 19/04/2010 19:59

My DD has never slept for more than 20-30 mins at a time during the day so I know how you feel!
She was sleeping through at 20 weeks which made it okay to manage but now she wakes several times a night. From my very limited baby knowledge some seem to cat nap others don't.
People tell me things will improve once she's crawling....

aliceemma · 19/04/2010 20:29

Glad I am not the only one - DD is brilliant at sleeping at night but totally opposed to it during the day. In the morning after 90 mins / 2 hours she is yawning & rubbing her eyes but as soon as she is in the cot eyes pop open & she just carries on playing. She tries to keep going all morning without sleep becoming crankier & crankier and most days will only sleep in the pushchair or in my arms. Have to walk most lunchtimes & late afternoon to get her to sleep. Any other suggestions?

mrsbean78 · 19/04/2010 21:03

Aliceemma, my ds is 20 weeks tomorrow and is just the same. Walk doesn't always work.. and he is a screamer!

Don't know if you are bf or ffing? I am working on breaking the boob/sleep link. After the feed, if he's dozing but comfort sucking, I pop my nipple out and let him grumble for 10-15 secs then put it back in. The grumbles were initially urgent but now soft: 'ah, ah!'. I do this about 5-6 times and then he usually falls asleep off the nipple. Beginning of a long road of not feeding to sleep.. think I read it in the no cry sleep solution..

Minshu · 19/04/2010 21:06

My DD (6 mo) is similar. The days when she is tired but fights sleep can be horrendous. But, other days when she doesn't want to sleep but is quite happy, I don't worry about it too much and follow her cues. Some days she struggles to stay awake for 2 hours at a time, other days she'll be awake for up to 4 hours at a time...

It's not always convenient to take her out in the pram (we're trying to sell the house, so I need to clean ready for viewings, etc) and it doesn't always knock her out anymore, anyway.

Sorry, I can't offer any advice, but wanted to reassure you that you are not alone - take comfort in the good nights

SazzlesA · 19/04/2010 21:09

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aliceemma · 19/04/2010 22:07

Mrsbean - DD also a screamer! Am breastfeeding and she can be very sucky but don't think the boob / sleep link is real problem, at night will happily go in cot wide awake, babble / play for a bit & get herself off to sleep. I think she is just too interested in everything around her - did wonder about trying black out blinds. Don't know if anyone has had any luck with these.

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