It sounds like you are having a tough time. My DS who is now 4.5 months went through a similar reversal in sleep at about that age. For me i cuddleded him to sleep when i had the time or put him in a sling and let him sleep. At 4 months i strarted wrapping him again for day sleeps (i feed to sleep). So now he has 2 sleeps a day, with a total of max 2 hours sleep during the day. Goes to bed at 7pm and wakes up for the day between 7 - 9am. he does wake for feeds during the night but that is pretty irregular for times.
My DD used to sleep 2-3 hours for each sleep so this not sleeping is a bit strange for me too. I have tried pram, car, sling to get him to sleep more but he doesn't sleep.
I haven't been much help butI guess my point is if they don't won't to sleep forcing them to sleep is just stressful for you both. Some babies just need less sleep. I don't believe my DS is a self setteling problem as he must wake and go back to sleep overnight at various points. For me the whole self settling thing doesn't work as I feed back to sleep overnight. I went through all that trying to do self settling with myDD. All it did for us was cause stress.
Thanks for replying Fig! My position has always been that if she's happy, then I don't mind that she's awake, and I still feel that way, but in the afternoons she's very cranky, and so tired that then it's hard for her to sleep too. The sling idea is a good one, I haven't tried that. DD sleeps well in the car, but I'd like to avoid using that as some girl friends of mine got stuck in that habbit, and the only way the kids would sleep is in the car (so when I visited them - before having DD - we would drive up and down the freeway with the heat on, whispering as we caught up).
I am thankful that (except for last night) DD is still sleeing well at night, and if I had to have it one way, I'd prefer her naps were out and not her night-time sleep, but it's still hard (and I know she self-soothes at night, because I hear her sucking her thumb and putting herself back to sleep). But that's also my worry, is that because of her day being mucked around, her nights will be too because she wants to sleep at 5:00.
Will keep working through it. Thanks again for replying!
The other thing is that as soon as I pick DD up she closes her eyes and snuggles in and goes to sleep, which tells me that she is actually tired, and not finished her nap. Her current nap (I don't want to jinx it) is going better - have only been in there twice (16 mins total) in 1 hr 10 mins. Not too bad.
The sling is fantastic, I use a moby wrap and have been using it since DS was 1 week old. If he is having a bad day and not sleeping on his own I just put him in there walk around a bit and he falls asleep.
Also do you wrap your DD for day time sleeps, may be worth a try if you don't. She may feel like she has the security of being cuddled if she is wraped.
Also you asked about books to read. I have just finished reading 'the science of parenting'. It is a fantastic book. It probably won't solve your sleep problems but will explain to you what is going on in that little body so you can understand your DD and her sleep better.
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