Hi, guys, absolutely no day time naps without boobie in mouth here still . Nights okish, except that I have to go to bed with him - and then fall asleep myself, wakening @ midnight minus dinner, still dressed etc...
Anyhoo, here is what one of the March 2010 mums was told by a sleep consultant she hired:
"We went through a whole day in detail talking about what she normally does. She thinks she's a baby who needs a lot of sleep (based on the hours she's having during day at mo) and, as she's sleeping well (95% of the time anyway) at night, should be easy to get in to the routine.
She put her down the moment she was tired (she said better put her down 15 mins before she's ready than 1 min after the window so to be over-cautious when watching for tired signs).
She showed me how to swaddle when they've outgrown a swaddling blanket: put in baby sleeping bag, get pram sized sheet and fold in half (so it's long and narrow) and lie them on it with top of sheet level with top of shoulder, then tuck the ends over their arms and under their backs so they are lying on them. Also tuck the end of sleeping bag under them when you put them down.
She suggested doing this consistantly for daytime naps and then switching to it at night when she's outgrown the swaddling blanket.
She then (in a dark quiet room) put her down and legged it. We went back in after 3 mins and laid a hand on her firmly for 5 secs and went out again, repeated this after 5 mins, then after 7 (and if she'd kept crying after another 3 mins - important not to always go in after 2 or 3 mins as they'll learn you are coming back at regular intervals).
If she had still been screaching after 15 mins (she wasn't, she was grizzling) we would have done pick up put down for a bit).
As it was she fell asleep after 20 mins and slept for 40 mins (the longest stretch ever in her cot.
While she slept we devised a routine. She said I should stick to it religiously for 2 weeks, with her having all her naps in the cot and then once she's doing it regularly I can break it - as long as she has about 4 sleeps out of 7 in her cot.
A few principles of routine (though she would craft it differently for each baby):
- 3 naps a day with a long one about lunch time and last one finishing about 2 hours before bedtime
- Feeding every 3 hours, but obviously more often if a growth spurt or if she seems hungry earlier
- while she's getting in to it she advised using bin bags to totally black out windows
- during this 2 weeks getting her used to it, once she's gone in to her room for the nap she should stay in there for the duration - if she's supposed to be napping for 2 hours she needs to stay in her cot (apart form PUPD if she's upset) for that long. If after 4/5 days she's consistently napping for 1.5 hours rather than 2, she'll change the routine to reflect that
-it's good to start it over the weekend so DH can help
- if she really won't settle in to it she's suggested using rolled up cellular blankets to support her sleeping on side in the day as often they like this
- play in cot during day, have a fun mobile, favourite toys, but take these away before sleep
-put a photo of your face in the cot and somewhere an item of clothing you wore the day before
Controversially she wasn't keen on Amby for over 3 month olds. She couldn't argue with the fact that S slept well in it at night, but said as daytime sleep is lighter the movement could be waking her and that you can't do the whole playing in the cot to make it a fun place in the Amby. She also said it would be a good idea to do daytime naps in cot as it'll get her used to it and won't be too hard a transition out of Amby when the time comes and that as we're working on napping at the moment and getting her used to something new it would be a good time to get a cot for daytime. I can see her point, but not quite decided yet..."
screwed up night wakings. I know it works really well for some though..."
Righto, back later maybe, 2 year old screeching, bedtime battle to commence...