Oh... he puts himself to sleep now!

[meow]

I'm new to this Blair so I can only tell you how it's gone today and the end of yesterday! I'm writing his sleeps down though in case I work out a pattern and have a better idea of his rhythm.

He seems to be having 45min sleeps then wakes up for a feed and goes back to bed about an hour and a half later... he's only 3 months old so I guess a 9 month old would stay up longer. I've been putting him to bed at the first tired sign... I used to try and feed him again thinking that would settle him but it seems to just over stimulate him and make matters worse.

I wrap him and put him down, say goodnight and pull the mozzie net around his cot (to keep our cat out). He seems to wriggle and squirm a bit but goes to sleep about 5 mins later. Just now he took a little longer and cried a couple of times. I went in each time and once he had an arm out, the other time the sun was in his eyes so I fixed those things and stroked his face for a little while then left again. And now he's snoozing away

[Marlene]

Well done ren!

[Astrid]

That is great ren! It is so funny how they change without you knowing. I find DD2 will sometimes self settle, problem is I never know which nap it will be, I just try to go by her signs. If she is tired and fussing in my arms, I now always see if she will settle in the rocker for a nap.

[meow]

I find DD2 will sometimes self settle, problem is I never know which nap it will be, I just try to go by her signs.

Well that's the truth! Yesterday afternoon he decided self settling wasn't so great afterall and was upset when I put him down... then when I picked him up he was calm straight away and went to sleep. So I guess it's a sometimes thing- which doesn't bother me at all because I feel like I understand the options we have now and I'm reading his cues better so we're both calmer and happier
Last night he actually went to sleep feeding which he normally doesn't do and then slept for 5 hours!!!! I'm a new woman today let me tell you

[leebee81]

Hooray for Espen! What a talented boy . I don't think Oliver has ever self settled - if I put him down awake after a tired sign he will play with his sheet (sucking it usually) for a couple of minutes before deciding he wants out stat, and cries. Which is fine by me, I'm happy to feed to sleep but its a bit of a challenge when he wakes up as soon as he is put down (and can be a bit draining at night when he still feeds for an hour before bed and then wakes again shortly after being put down). I figure he will get it eventually, right?

[meow]

He will... and having you make him feel so cared for will help him get there peacefully

The late afternoons/evenings are all over the place for us now. He can't self settle but then he's getting way too over stimulated and wound up when I try to settle him. We're ending up with him staying awake till late then finally falling asleep with me having to hold him while he cries Hopefully we can get that bit of the day sorted. Last night he leant to squeal/scream and OMG- it broke my heart.

[leebee81]

Ooh the squeals are fun. Oliver has recently started with the bursting into tears for no apparent reason which is quite distressing.

I realised that I made an error the other day - Oliver can self settle, but only in the middle of the night. If he wakes for a feed I bring him into bed and feed there but I put him back in the cot when I wake next and he is done because I get back pain from sleeping in the same position when he is in with us. He almost always wakes up when I put him in the cot but will suck on his fingers (or the sheet) for 5 or 10 and then just go to sleep. He will do it in the early mornings too. I wonder if its because we are all in the same room that makes it different to going to sleep any other time.