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Original poster

Catnappers and 'bad sleepers' support thread

525 replies

AwesomeSuperTasty · 06/07/2014 18:05

This is inspired by this napping thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/sleep/2123505-Any-advice-for-daytime-naps A user commented that they wanted to start a catnapping thread, but seeing as no one did, I thought I might start a 'support group' for all parents of catnapping babies and generally poor sleepers. (I hope the user who prompted this thought will come forward to claim the credit!)

Anyway, it's really just a place to vent and maybe share experiences.

So, I will start. My 7 month old son still catnaps 30 mins at a time, something he allegedly should have grown out of. He also wakes every 90 minutes at night, and wakes up at 5.30 in the mornings. He self settles to sleep and has an early bed time but can't resettle at night. Basically, since he was born, I've not slept longer than 2 hours at a stretch. I'm sure I'm pretty exhausted but stopped registering it.

I do have some questions for anyone who'd like to share.

  • If you have an older catnapping baby, how long does she/he go between naps?
-Has anyone managed to sucessfully implement some kind of a napping schedule, for babies who sleep only 30 mins?

And please don't tell me to get a sling...or co-sleep Wink

OP posts:
EarthWindAnd9 · 09/07/2014 11:02

Oh, and he's 7kg, so my back, neck and shoulders are killing me!

FrankelandFilly · 09/07/2014 11:30

Thanks everyone, I will check out that link Roar.

I do get out to baby groups, though most of them are about to finish for the summer holidays around here Hmm Thankfully I've made some mum friends and so far we've been meeting up once a week so I may push to try and meet more often!

Of course, having just joined this thread, DD decided to prove me wrong and napped for 1hr25 this morning Grin She's just dropped off again, only 1hr20 after waking up, so we'll see how long this one lasts! I know that 4 months is usual sleep regression time and am trying not to get too down about it. I'm just very jealous of all my friends whose babies all (they claim) nap for 2 hours at a time, every time!

FrankelandFilly · 09/07/2014 11:40

Th

FrankelandFilly · 09/07/2014 11:41

Sorry, my iPad is a bit temperamental!

I was trying to post this link which has some advice on naps. Whether they work or not is another matter!

FrankelandFilly · 09/07/2014 11:41

Sorry, my iPad is a bit temperamental!

I was trying to post this link which has some advice on naps. Whether they work or not is another matter!

mrsmugoo · 09/07/2014 12:15

So far today we've done
Wake up 8, down at 9:45 (1:45 wake time)
Up at 10:30, down at 12:10 (45 minutes sleep, 1:40 wake time)

He did this yesterday and instead of putting him down for a third nap about the same wake time, assuming 40 minutes sleep (so around 2:30ish) I didn't put him down til 4:15 and he slept til 5:45.

He went to bed at 8 and did almost 5 hours which is unheard of for him so I will be trying to replicate this today.

Original poster
AwesomeSuperTasty · 09/07/2014 15:08

Welcome earth! I think the thing about waking when you out them down in the cot asleep is that they don't sleep as deeply as they do at night, hence you can put the baby down asleep during the night/change their nappy/sneeze etc and they often don't flinch!

17 weeks is a good time to start with some kind of routine. I don't have any answers I'm afraid but i did get a good piece of advice when I started to get DS to sleep in cot instead of my arms. Whatever cot settling routine you do, it helps to do it at bedtime first )apparently they are more receptive to new routines at bedtime). Then do it for the first nap only, until they get used to it and then slowly for other naps. Do not attempt the new routine/settling for all naps at once, otherwise you will be climbing the walls in frustration! :)

I always recommend the Pantley book, and the Sleep Lady approach worked for me to get my clingy DS into the cot. Her book describes this in great detail but its basically a gradual retreat method

OP posts:
EarthWindAnd9 · 09/07/2014 15:28

Thank you Awesome, that's good advice. I was under the impression I would need to do it for all naps, but just tackling one at a time seems much more manageable! We managed 2x20min naps and 1x40min nap on his own today. He started to stir after the 40mins so I picked him up and he's still sleeping on me 1.5hrs later.

mrsmugoo · 09/07/2014 15:45

He's just gone down at 3:40 from waking up from last nap at 12:45 so am hoping for a repeat of yesterday's 1.5 hours.

mrsmugoo · 09/07/2014 15:45

He's just gone down at 3:40 from waking up from last nap at 12:45 so am hoping for a repeat of yesterday's 1.5 hours.

mrsmugoo · 09/07/2014 15:46

He's just gone down at 3:40 from waking up from last nap at 12:45 so am hoping for a repeat of yesterday's 1.5 hours.

mrsmugoo · 09/07/2014 15:46

He's just gone down at 3:40 from waking up from last nap at 12:45 so am hoping for a repeat of yesterday's 1.5 hours.

mrsmugoo · 09/07/2014 15:49

Awesomesupertasty - haha I decided to do all naps and bedtime all at once - so he only knows one way of sleeping. I couldn't face dragging the process out. He's taken to it brilliantly. I guess it's down to each baby's personality though. Some are way more resistant to change.

mrsmugoo · 09/07/2014 16:20

Didn't even last 35 minutes! Babies are so unpredictable!!!

Original poster
AwesomeSuperTasty · 09/07/2014 16:54

Well done mrsmugoo! I couldn't have handled all naps at once!

Crappy about the last nap though :( we really struggled today too. And had. 5.30am wake up.

OP posts:
FrankelandFilly · 09/07/2014 17:19

DD has been uncharacteristically good in her naps today: 1hr20, 1hr05 and 55mins. I'm now in a dilemma as to whether I let her have a fourth nap, which she is due any minute, or keep her awake another half an hour and do an early bedtime Confused

Original poster
AwesomeSuperTasty · 09/07/2014 17:37

That's amazing Frankel!

Did you get a much needed break?

When would her bedtime normally be?

OP posts:
Popalina · 09/07/2014 18:15

Wow, some successes on here today! Well done peeps!

I am with Awesome on the bad day. Mine culminated in another child being sick in our house and me shouting at toddler while trying to clear up. Feeling bone tired and not a good mum. Dd on her sixth ( I kid you not) nap today. Gracious child, just sleep for more than 30 minutes will yah!

Popalina · 09/07/2014 18:16

Oh and toddler woke at half four! Wtf!?

FrankelandFilly · 09/07/2014 18:21

I managed a 30 min nap this afternoon, so I feel a bit more refreshed. Normally I start bedtime at around 6, giving her a bath and bottle before settling her in her cot. I decided to go with the early bedtime option so she's had her bath and bottle and I'm now trying to settle her. Fingers crossed she'll nod off soon!

Monstermonkeymum · 09/07/2014 19:57

May I join? I am so tired I keep crying at inane adverts and well made sandwiches. Ds is 20 weeks and this is week 4 of sleep torture. We (I) made a mess of sleep from the start with no real knowledge of babies. So, so far...
Swaddled and rocked til 4 months but had to be swaddled and rocked and walked for all sleep/nap/wake ups or would scream. Awful at baby groups surrounded by easy snoozing babies.Only has 3/4 30 min naps and 4ish wake ups.
weaned from swaddle to blanky and even dummy (which I was trying to avoid this late on, but calmed him). Still walking and rocking. Naps still poo but for one week only he started to sleep SEVEN hours a night. Had small party and thought we were amazing.
DS stopped sleeping and dropped to 4-7 wake ups a night and this has lasted 4 weeks. He needs rocking to sleep after each wake up, so I get about 45 mins before next wake up to the sound of screaming. I cant remember the last time I awoke to peacefulness. No longer amazing : (
Last night he woke 11 times. I nearly broke. Too tired to sleep train until dp on hols in two weeks but I may have died of exhaustion by then. I am eating a lot of chocolate and iced fingers which help somehow...

Inapickle123 · 09/07/2014 20:39

A whole 2 x 25 minute naps today. Am beside myself with the luxury. Of course, spent so long swithering between cleaning the kitchen and going for a shower, that DS was awake before I had a chance to do either.

Grand total of 8 oz all day today. Refused his bedtime bottle (even tried to sneak it as a dream feed to no avail). An hopeful he'll take his feed at 1030.

Last night was better. Wake ups at 1030/3/5-6 and up for the day at 7 BUT he drank a lot yesterday (well, 16oz) so wake ups were ok. Tonight is going to be crappy. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh.

On a lighter note, DS was called an anomaly by the dr today. Apparently he's not physically able to do the things that he does. Lucky, lucky mummy.

EarthWindAnd9 · 09/07/2014 20:52

I take back what I said about night times being ok. We started bedtime routine two hours ago and he is now screaming his head off and refusing a feed. No idea what's wrong.

Popalina · 09/07/2014 20:59

Monster - firstly you are doing really well by still standing on that little sleep. 20 weeks is classic sleep regression time. Everything goes to pot for reasons beyond our control. DC1 went through the four month sleep regression and came out the other end sleeping 7 to 7. It went to pot again at six months but I digress....

The point is, it's normal and nothing to do with what you have or haven't done. These mums who have good sleeping babies have just drawn the lucky straw when it comes to sleep.

I think that most babies need rocking to sleep and it's just luck as to whether they wake enough during each sleep cycle as to need that level of attention again. I rocked DC1 to sleep for every nap and bed and he never woke to the same degree as you are describing. He was just a heavier sleeper which was lucky for us, although we have had our fair share of bad nights with him but mainly when he was a bit older and he wouldn't wake multiple times but only ever once..it's just that he would be awake for hours, happy and chatting away! Sad

Popalina · 09/07/2014 21:00

Earth....is it, as your name suggests...wind? I find pre-poo an unsettled time!