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Sleep

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Original poster

Bedtime meltdown!

23 replies

lyndyloo · 06/01/2007 20:20

Any advice gratefully received....

My LO is 6 months old and sleeping OKish, on a good night is bf to sleep and in cot at 7, sleeps until 4ish when I feed her again and then sleeps again until 6.30-7.

She has 2 naps in the day around 10 and then 2 but these are only 30mins to 45 mins - she won't go any longer.

That sounds fine I know but it's the bedtime routine that is a nightmare. From 5pm it is as if she is campaigning to go to bed, gets really cranky, cries, breastfeeds on and off and then stops as soon as I take her up - she knows she is going to bed. Unfortunately she then spends the whole of bathtime and getting dressed for bed screaming. it's as if she is desperate to get off to sleep! How tired can she be though?

How much sleep should she be having? I am loath to put her to bed at 6 but it seems this is when she wants to go and any later I get this meltdown! If she had longer naps then maybe it would help her be less tired in the evening??

Do you think she needs longer naps? Any similar experiences?

Bedtime is such a battle - I dread it!

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Original poster

lyndyloo · 07/01/2007 15:45

Anyone?

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amynnixmum · 07/01/2007 15:48

Have you tired putting her down at 6 o'clock? Some babies need more sleep than others. My ds is 6 and will still have a kip in the afternoon if he has had a busy day whereas my dd stopped all daytime naps by the time she was 2.

cruisemum1 · 07/01/2007 15:51

would defo recommend establishing longer naps. this is not enough for a baby of 6 mths. Easier said than done I know as I am currently struggling with 4 mth old who has napped for a total of 90mins today (1hr this morning and 30mins this pm - NOT ENOUGH for me or him.
Agree with amynix - try 6pm bedtime.

cruisemum1 · 07/01/2007 15:52

sounds oas though lo is only completing one sleep cycle and cannot get herslef back to sleep. A commom problem - you should get some sound advice on here though. maybe you could seek out a similar thread or start on on extending nap times? If you do, I will follow!

justJAM · 07/01/2007 16:43

HI Cruise, we meet on a sleep thread again I need help on extending naps, DD has started to want one hour off, one hour on during the day. It's weird as it feels like she sleeps alot but the more I think of it it's because she is cat napping and not having a decent sleep.
I vote longer naps lyndyloo. If my DD is overtired at bedtime she is so emotional she won't even take a drop of her milk

cruisemum1 · 07/01/2007 18:34

I am gonna try the ncss next week when dd is back at school. I shoudl be in a more established routine by then owing to school run etc. Even his mealtimes have gone haywire! Feel like I am doing a dreadful job of parenting (except the love and adoration he receives!)

Original poster

lyndyloo · 07/01/2007 19:34

Thanks for your replies - most of you agree that longer naps may be the answer and tbh thats what I think.

She had a small nap this morning and an full hour this pm and was much better at bedtime.

How I go about extending those naps is another thing of course! She will only sleep by falling asleep in pushchair/car if we are out and about or is breastfed and then put down - not in her cot but on her playmat or our bed. I know that's not very good but prior to this she wouldn't sleep at all!

My aim is to get her to sleep for longer in her cot during the day so any ideas?

BTW - she sleeps well at nursery and nods off without any help - little madam!

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cruisemum1 · 07/01/2007 21:32

lyndy - how to get longer naps? - no idea - pleeeeaaaaassssseee tell me when you find out!!!!

cruisemum1 · 08/01/2007 11:43

well last night seemed a bit better. AFter an horrendous beginnng wiht ds literally screaming himself hoarse despite being cuddled/comforted, he fell asleep around 8:45 (would NOT let go of my breast!) and slept for around 6 hrs, woke again 2 hrs later and then again around 6:45am for the day. I still feel shattered beyond belief but maybe there is hope . He had one 30min nap this morning and is now asleep again and has been for 1 hour so far!Hope you are all doing ok?
Are you?

MassiveBoobs · 08/01/2007 12:11

FWIW My DS is four months and exactly the same. Bedtime is now 7 because DH doesn't get home until 6:30 and I think he needs to see his son. Usually two hours of intense screaming. Nights are better. However, daytime naps are a nightmare. So far today he has slept 15 mins. I'm sure daytime sleep is the answer but even when he was a newborn he didn't go for more than an hour at a time. Most advice I can find is on extending night time sleep. If anybody can help us nap seekers it would be great.

cruisemum1 · 08/01/2007 12:30

massive - it is just so frustrating isn't it? It is no good for them and it doesn't give us mummies a chance to recharge our batteries. I am hoping that it will improve once lo is on solids but not holding out too much hope. Mind you he has had one 30 min nap this morning and is still asleep 1hr 40mins into his second nap of the day! Could things be turning around??? I hope so!

Original poster

lyndyloo · 08/01/2007 13:44

In the 'no cry sleep solution' it suggests extending naps by waiting outside the room while they nap and as they start to wake up (usually after 1 cycle of sleep - which is 30-45 mins)quickly go in and do whatever you did to get them to sleep in the first place - breastfeed, cuddling whatever. It says that eventually this will go from 2 naps side by side to one longer nap.

I may try this and report back!

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cruisemum1 · 08/01/2007 13:58

sounds good! keep me posted!

Original poster

lyndyloo · 08/01/2007 15:18

It worked! BF baby to sleep on our double bed at 1.15 and she dozed off as usual and work as usual 30 mins later. So fed her again briefly and she has been asleep since 2 pm. That is over an hour now! She didn't even wake up when some idiot double glazing salesman banged on the door really loudly.

It remains to be seen whether she would ever go straight into a long nap but at least she has had a longer nap today and may not be on the ceiling by the time bedtime comes around.

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cruisemum1 · 08/01/2007 16:34

lyndylou - great progress, well done! Well my ds has had three naps today!!! - 30 mins, 1hr 40 mins, and currently 15 mns into no. 3. He also dozed while bf for about 15 mins earlier. I do hope that his body is finally capable of doing this daily. Poor little mite. It cannot be any fun being tired all teh time and having so much learning and growing to do . It's bad enough being an adult and being knackered!
Just one question though - where does your dd take her naps during the day? ds NEVER naps in his cot - I wish he would... small steps eh?

justJAM · 08/01/2007 16:44

Took me agggesssss to get DD napping in cot (and lot's of reassurance and patience) but now she will, still takes longer to get her off as opposed to her bouncy chair but am determined to stick at it now I have started. I tried what you suggested lyndy, going in as DD started to stir it didn't really work as she did wake fully 10 mins after but has gone off after some persuasion...(although it did take me 20 mins)

justJAM · 08/01/2007 16:47

will keep trying it though as I fear It was me not quite doing it right...not sure what I should be doing as I don't actually do anything to get DD off except give her a dummy and say "it's nap time darling" (though I may need to pop in and out numerous times) I don't understand how she will go down at night ok (usually) and but naps are different????

cruisemum1 · 08/01/2007 16:53

babies should definitely come with instruction manuals!

MassiveBoobs · 08/01/2007 16:53

I just keep telling myself it's because out LOs are so intelligent and alert that they want to stay awake. MIL babysat on Sat tho and he was perfect. Grrrr...Either I'm a terrible mother or (which I prefer to think) he loves me so much he can't bear to be parted from me!!

justJAM · 08/01/2007 17:02

Def' the latter MB - he just wants to be with you all the time

san2 · 08/01/2007 21:12

Hi!
My DS is nearly 8 months.
Was a short napper for ages and still can be. Suddenly at 6 months he started sleeping longer in the day.(and friends babies who are same age did too) I've even had a 2.5 hour one once!!
I would always try and get him back off (after his usual 30mins) with his dummy for his sleep in the middle of the day. SOmetimes worked, sometimes didn't.
Now he actually sleeps better in the morning.
I stressed about it loads and felt like I was on tenterhooks the whole time.
Looking back I should have relaxed about it more!!
Good luck

MassiveBoobs · 08/01/2007 21:48

Thanks - I do think it's all about time. After all, he'll be a grumpy teenager not wanting to get out of bed before I know it. Actually all prepared to do a little CC tonight but he must have known because he's gone off without a whimper!!

Original poster

lyndyloo · 08/01/2007 22:06

Thing is if you bf then you can stick them on the boob and always gets them to sleep. However getting them off bfing further down the line may be a problem.

I have no other method of getting my baby to sleep tbh. However I'm not really bothered at the moment.

She slept 2 hours this afternoon and was great at bedtime - no screaming.

Unfortunately this means I won't be able to do anything any afternoon if it means she misses her nap!

Good luck everyone with whatever you try!

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