Tricks and remedies for overtired baby

**Snacks** · April 6th, 2011, 02:32 PM

Blimey, you must be tired.
Do you get a chance when your DH is home for a nap? (for yourself that is!)
When Natty was about 4mo we switched from rocking to patting to sleep. Quite firm pats too. Even at 3yo sometimes she'd wake at night and call me in, saying, "pat my botton, Mummy" LOL. I found that she settled for longer if she went to sleep not in my arms. She was like that though - Phoebe happily transferred (and still does transfer from the car) and slept/sleeps... for as long as she slept. Natty would definitely sleep for longer if she fell asleep in the cot though. Patting was her 'thing'.
Maybe you are still yet to discover your DD's 'thing'... Hope you find it soon.

**onthefly** · April 11th, 2011, 10:09 PM

Yep, I don't know what her "thing" is.
I'm done though, have given up. I'll sleep in a few years. I'm sick of spending aaaaalll day trying to get her to sleep or stay asleep. Today she didn't last longer than 20 minutes.

**Winter** · April 11th, 2011, 10:46 PM

My DD only ever cat-napped for 20 mins too. I remember going to Mothers Group and all the other babies were sleeping 2 hours or more and I felt like killing all the smug bi-atches! But DD grew out of it eventually. Still doesn't do enormous sleeps, 1.5 hours during the day is generally her limit.

Have you tried white noise? I'm just throwing out anything that you could try as you seem to be doing everything you can. DD loves having her radio on even now (on a fuzzy non-station) and it seems to block out other household noises too so she's not disturbed, but still soothing hum to it.

Other than that, perhaps try the gin for you?

Want to come over for a play during the school holidays and maybe I could have a cuddle just to give your arms a rest?

**helle** · April 11th, 2011, 10:51 PM

Live close to the beach? Salt is meant to have calming properties... A friend of mine used to take her little guy for a walk on the beach and swore he'd sleep like a log afterwards.

**Winter** · April 11th, 2011, 10:55 PM

Hey that's a really good point about the beach...my DD sleeps like a log after swimming. Any chance you could take M to the pool or beach for a swim and see if that helps. Not a permanent solution but even an longer sleep is worth a shot.

**MrsBexie** · April 12th, 2011, 12:15 AM

Mad.B, I am on the same page as you!! DD will not sleep from 5pm till at least 11pm... SOOO ANNOYING and nothing will change it.

**LimeSlice** · April 12th, 2011, 12:20 AM

What's her head/neck control like?
I would try her on her tummy. Unwrapped obviously, on a flat surface, like in the cot of bassinet, no the bed.
Has worked with both of mine.

Have you tried using the Brauers Calm stuff too when she is really bad?

**Jennie13** · April 12th, 2011, 12:48 AM

Mt DD was terrible at that age!! I think her teething necklace helped, but mabey it was a coincidence that she calmed around the time i got it. Also I took my DD to the chiro, and she gave me this natural powder called sleep eazy for kids, that was amazing

if u want more detaisl PM me

Hope she settles soon

**Snacks** · April 12th, 2011, 07:02 AM

I'm done though, have given up. I'll sleep in a few years. I'm sick of spending aaaaalll day trying to get her to sleep or stay asleep.

Ooooh, that sounds like the perfect solution! Hopefully that triggers the longer sleeps, LOL!
Sorry to make light of what's a frustrating situation. I totally understand. Keep plugging, babe. xxx

**HotI** · April 12th, 2011, 08:57 AM

Yep, I don't know what her "thing" is.
I'm done though, have given up. I'll sleep in a few years. I'm sick of spending aaaaalll day trying to get her to sleep or stay asleep. Today she didn't last longer than 20 minutes.

You gave me this advice when i was struggling last year, and it helped me to let go and just accept it. Try it for a couple of days and see how you go. YOu can always try something else next week.

**luna moth** · April 12th, 2011, 12:46 PM

Madsies.... and that is not a "I have nothing else to offer you" hug, it is a "thank HEAVENS someone else is going through this right now" hug.

I at least get 35 minutes every time. If I go in at 30, and then pick her up when she stirs, and rock her for 20-30 minutes, then sometimes I get another 20. In fact, I persist until I DO get another 20, because otherwise she will. not. feed. And then life is hell for both of us.

Night sleeps were almost identical, until we stopped co-sleeping. Once she was in a cot, we were having a single waking a night, and then Wonder Week 18/19 hit, and we're back to three wake-ups, which still isn't too bad.

We're still wrapping. I gave the sleeping bag a go, and it was an epic fail.

Stuff that has kinda helped (at least in getting us from 25 minutes up to 40 or 45) was:
- ipod and speakers in her room, playing sleep cue music. It's a cue (I'm a big fan of NCSS) and it also helps to block out household and street noises that were waking her up.
- having a sleep routine - nappy change, cuddle, get wrapped, turn on the sleep music, bounce on the fitball singing the same frigging lullaby over and over and over, into hammock when asleep (or when she's drowsy if I'm feeling ambitious)
- staying home for a week and sticking to ^^that, and also having a little bit of a daily "routine" I know your DD used to do Feed-Play-Sleep, if she still does, it has kinda helped us out a little bit. First sleep is always an hour and fifteen after she wakes in the morning, and then we take it from there. Until it gets to 3pm, and then we just play it by ear and I pretty much let her do what she wants.

Just accepting it is not an option for me, because I did that, and then she would. not. feed. in the day. She didn't day feed for 3 weeks, and caught up by night, so neither of us were getting any decent sleep, and she was crank-o-rama. And, being sleep-deprived, I didn't have the resources to help her through that.

For now, I'm persevering with the "How to get your baby to take longer naps" suggestion from the NCSS. Hasn't worked like the book says so far, but I have nothing else, and I am so determined to get this working, because when it does, the sun shines from every angle.

Aaaaaaand... some babies grow out of the catnapping thing.

Someone's awake

(got 45 minutes after a re-settle! Yeeeeeeee-frickety-HA!)

**onthefly** · April 12th, 2011, 03:12 PM

What goes around comes around, hey?

Thanks all

She won't resettle. Tried her tummy but that was a fail. But... I think she's still a bit off so proably can't expect much from her at the moment anyway.
Giving up was the best thing to do with my DS - but he really didnt' want to sleep. DD is different. She whinges about being tired all day... oh well.

**MrsBexie** · April 12th, 2011, 11:33 PM

What goes around comes around, hey?

Thanks all

She won't resettle. Tried her tummy but that was a fail. But... I think she's still a bit off so proably can't expect much from her at the moment anyway.
Giving up was the best thing to do with my DS - but he really didnt' want to sleep. DD is different. She whinges about being tired all day... oh well.

Hug!!! Try that stuff Jennie suggested. It is natural and safe for babies.. Its got chamomile n some other stuff in it that will help relax her.

I am in the same position right now. It sucks and ypu get to the point where you dont care anymore hey?

Sent from my iPhone so sorry for the spelling and punctuation!!

**Panda74** · April 13th, 2011, 08:18 AM

Overtired his hard!! I just wanted to second the white noise thing! We use a cheap pedestal fan turned up high, its relaxing (well I get sleepy when I'm in there) and drowns out DS1 yelling which will always make DS2s eyes pop open! And I do give him a lot of showers, they're like magic (and its something that DS1 can do with us).

I haven't found DS2s thing yet either but we have the most success with lying him on the bed and cuddling up to him, kissing his cheek, letting him play with my face - he's just a cuddly one.

I too am looking forward to that sleep in a few years, its going to be awesome xo

**onthefly** · May 18th, 2011, 03:59 PM

She resettled this morning, did a full 40 minutes extra. With a dummy. Oh I hate dummies, but I might have to transform that into a love-hate relationship. Might just have been a one-off, we'll see....

**luna moth** · May 18th, 2011, 05:05 PM

She resettled this morning, did a full 40 minutes extra. With a dummy. Oh I hate dummies, but I might have to transform that into a love-hate relationship. Might just have been a one-off, we'll see....

Yay! I got 1hr 20 today. She was on the boob the whole time, but if that's what it takes...

Just do it (dummy) You've established BFing, you can make it disappear later. I'm actually a bit jealous, and I hate them too.

**onthefly** · May 18th, 2011, 06:23 PM

posted too soon. no afternoon nap. boo.

thread: Tricks and remedies for overtired baby

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