Gina Ford Baby - routine disrupted at Nursery

[TCW]

Hi, I am a new member of Mumsnet, and as I sit here at 4am in the morning, due to not being able to sleep because of worry, I was wondering if there was anyone out there who could help me with my predicament.

DS is 10 months old, and has been a Gina baby since birth. He has been at nursery every morning from 8-midday since 6 months old - and managed his morning nap at nursery. But I am now going back to work each day from 9 to 3, and so DS now also has to have his lunchtime sleep at nursery !.

The problem is that he seems to manage a 45 minute sleep from 12.30 to 1.15, but will wake up when he comes into his light sleep (after 45 minutes), and as there are other children being taken in and out of the "sleep room" at this time, he cannot settle himself back down again !

This means we have a very tired ds by 6.30pm, who goes into a very deep sleep at 7pm and is awake at 5.45 to 6am each morning - which is too early !!

Tried to give ds a 15 minute nap between 4 and 5 pm - but will not sleep !!!

Does anyone have any advice ?

What worries you particularly, the early rising or the short sleep at lunchtime?

The short sleep at lunchtime worries me, as DS has always been an earlyish riser (usually awake by 6.30 at the latest) and I am worried that if he does not have his full lunchtime sleep - he will not make it through until 7pm, and will therefore be up even earlier in the morning !!

He is already waking up at least once in the night, as he was in intensive care with Pneumonia 5 weeks ago, and I did not feel I could leave him to settle himself if he woke in the night, in case he was in any pain (as he has had an ear infection since he came out of hospital! - and so despite being a GF baby since birth, he now needs to be reassured in the middle of the night - and I am absolutely shattered !!!

Been there done that - and recovered.

After a couple of weeks dd managed to settle herself at nursery and went back to having a 1 1/2 to 2 hour sleep at lunchtime. The girls at nursery would put her back onto her mattress and pat her back until she went back to sleep. But don't worry, the patting wasn't necessary at home - I think by 10 months they can tell the difference between the environments and are quite comfortable with different routines. You just need to get nursery to help keep him in his normal routine.

Thank you both for responding to my desparate plea ! I can't tell you reassuring it is to know there are people out there who can give such valuable advice.

At nursery today, Ds managed to sleep from 9.15 to 10 am, then from 12.40 to 1.30 at lunch (so again only 45 minutes ) - But I am not going to worry too much this time, as I now know that he will be able to get back into his routine - noisy sleep room or not !

I will just have to ask nursery tomorrow to try and settle him again when he wakes after 40 minutes - and hopefully he will eventually do it.

Thanks again for your help !!!