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Sleep

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Original poster

Lunchtime nap and 4am waking

29 replies

ClaireFontaine · 07/07/2015 05:45

DD (10mo) has suddenly started having a really short lunch time nap, 10 or 20 minutes and is inconsolable with tiredness but will not go back to sleep no matter what I do.

She is also waking at 4 for the last few mornings and won't go back to sleep. I'm sure the two are related because she is overtired at bed time but I just don't know what to do about it.

I've been considering dropping her morning nap although she had just twenty minutes the other day and still only twenty minutes and her afternoon one. Also since she is waking at 4 I don't think she will last without a morning nap, she is completely knackered by 9 so it's a bit of a cycle.

She is without a doubt not hungry at any of these points by the way.

Anyone have any suggestions? TIA

OP posts:

Original poster

ClaireFontaine · 07/07/2015 10:59

Desperate bump

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Chocolateteapots · 07/07/2015 14:27

As its a sudden change I'd suggest it's probably a developmental phase and it'll stop as quickly as it started. I would put baby down for usual naps and if she wakes early then she does. I'm sure she'll go back to usual before too long. HTH

poocatcherchampion · 07/07/2015 14:33

Can you explain her sleep timings again please

new thing wake at 4
20 mins in the morning?
10 mins at lunch?
some time in the pm
bed at 9pm?

At her age I'd be roughly expecting 2 day naps and bed at 7pm. We werenr strict about it but they do need quite a lot of sleep. I'd suggest trying to get decent day naps and a bedtime going through regular routine and keeping her awake other times as far as possible. And treat 4am as the night. Get up time here is 7.30 earliest. Would be sooner if thry were dreadful sleepers but no way before 6.

At some point after age 1 move to one nap.

She sounds desperately overtired.

Post a bit more and I'll try to help more.

Original poster

ClaireFontaine · 07/07/2015 14:44

Thanks so much wveryone. Bed is at six as I've found she's dead tired and sleeps better if goes to be earlier (have experimented with shifting later and hopefully will move to seven at some point).

The afternoon sleep is really weird. Today she went to sleep on me (hasn't done since literally a few weeks old or after extreme rocking) I put her down when v deeply asleep but she woke absolutely beside herself after twenty mins. To be clear this isn't a self settling issue. She self settles just fine at bedtime and I do not rock her to sleep etc for her naps.

OP posts:

Original poster

ClaireFontaine · 07/07/2015 14:46

Oh also this is new we had a fairly decent routine of 9.30-10 morning nap 1.30-3 afternoon nap before.

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Original poster

ClaireFontaine · 07/07/2015 14:46

And have a good bedtime routine.

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Original poster

ClaireFontaine · 07/07/2015 14:47

Also it's not because she's ivertired by afternoon. She had a forty min morning nap the other day and dame thing happened with afternoon nap.

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Dailylurker · 07/07/2015 14:48

Could you try walking her in the pram for her lunchtime nap, hopefully to get her to have a longer sleep and to get back into that routine? Not ideal but I know if my little one is tired and we are struggling with naps, then a few days of a good sleep almost reminds her she needs it.

Hth

Original poster

ClaireFontaine · 07/07/2015 14:49

When I mentioned 9 in OP I meant 9am as in she wakes at 4am so couldn't make her wait til lunch time nap

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stargirl1701 · 07/07/2015 14:49

I have the same with DD2, 10 months, at the moment. Desperately overtired but WILL NOT SLEEP. We have the 3/4am waking too. I am assuming sleep regression/developmental leap and I know she is teething. It'll go back to normal at some point...just gotta survive until then!

Original poster

ClaireFontaine · 07/07/2015 14:50

Have tried pram for afternoon and she won't sleep even for a minute.

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stargirl1701 · 07/07/2015 15:01

I haven't even tried today! I spent 2 hours out walking with the pram yesterday afternoon for 20 minutes actually sleeping. Babies! DD1 was waaaayyyy worse though! I remember she settled again at 11 months as I posted it on FB! A sleeping baby - for more than 20 minutes! Woohoo!

Original poster

ClaireFontaine · 07/07/2015 15:08

My older DS was way worse as well but I thibk by this point It was fairly consistent at like two forty minute naps a day. He never slept more than that, not once from the day he was born.

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Original poster

ClaireFontaine · 07/07/2015 15:11

How do you cope with rest of DC and get through the day? DD is so tired and just beside herself and crying and crying.

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stargirl1701 · 07/07/2015 15:18

I had DD2 in the sling from 9am until lunchtime. She was happy and quiet there as well as sleeping for 40 minutes or so. DD1 was at a drop in at the local leisure centre and happy too so all was well.

I'm now watching tennis and jiggling the pram while DD1 is playing with water in the kitchen sink.

This is all still easier than DD1 as a baby. Silent reflux. It was hell!

Gobbolinothewitchscat · 07/07/2015 15:22

Is she teething? I also agree with the PP who said they would expect 2 daytime naps and a 12 hour stretch a night-ish

I would try some calpol tonight when/if she wakes.

One thing my DH told me (which I stupidly hadn't realised before is that teething can be quite off/on and latent before any teeth actually start erupting. he's a dentist btw!

Original poster

ClaireFontaine · 07/07/2015 15:32

She's got six teeth. It could be that but I thibk not. Apart from the 4am waking nights are mostly fine and when she wakes at 4 she is very happy.

Thank you everyone for helping. I am in such a state

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stargirl1701 · 07/07/2015 15:41

Stay calm. Nothing stays the same with babies for long. It will settle again. Just keep doing what you're doing.

nyldn · 07/07/2015 18:03

it might be part of the fussy period of wonder weeks if you follow that. there is a developmentap leap around 46 weeks and theatre's leading up to it can include bad sleep. my DS, nearly 11 mo, has been waking ridiculously early too. I'm also trying to night wean though.

Original poster

ClaireFontaine · 07/07/2015 18:57

Oh god bedtime has now gone the way of the nap. Totally beside herself, not sure what to do, I just went in which made things much worse. I can't bear to leave her when so upset though.

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stargirl1701 · 07/07/2015 19:37

We have abandoned bedtime as we normally do it at the moment. Bath + bedtime routine and then out for a walk in the sling or pram. She isn't actually going over until 9pm rather than the 7pm it was a month ago.

WorkingBling · 07/07/2015 19:41

Oh dear. Sounds awful. The problem sounds like she is getting cumulatively tired. What about if she wakes at 4 am putting her down for morning nap at 8. Bring everything forward in an attempt to get past the over tiredness hurdle? Then once shes less exhausted you can try get back to regular routine?

stargirl1701 · 07/07/2015 22:14

How are you doing, Claire? DD2 has just dropped off.

Original poster

ClaireFontaine · 08/07/2015 04:14

Hi star am up for the fourth time! Sitting in a rocking chair with DD singing twinkle twinkle on repeat. Torture.

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stargirl1701 · 08/07/2015 13:43

Oh Claire, what a nightmare for you. DD1 was similar. We did have success for a while with a white noise download on my phone. It seemed to prevent night wakings for a few weeks.

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