What else can I try?? I need something that works!!

[onthefly]

My DS is the same. Sometimes we've hit on things that help, but we still basically have the same problem.

How many day sleeps? - could she be transitioning to one and be not quite tired enough for two?

Will she sleep in the pram or car...? We started walking DS to sleep and still often do for day sleeps - it's often the only thing that works.
Stories and singing also help sometimes. Boring, repetitive, chanting-type stories...

[Junglemum]

I have just strated playing music in DD's room. she has gone from being a nightmare to put to sleep, walking, rocking, feeding, patting to lying down listening to music and going to sleep. I can not believe the difference it has made. I play anything from Bernard Fanning to Alison Krauss.

It was my little miracle, but i am sure it's not everyone's. Might be worth a shot though.

[Olive]

ohhh great idea JM!

[Shanti]

Nope she still very much needs 2 x sleeps a day. She has a morning one for about 1hr sometimes a bit more and then her arvo nap is usually 1.5-2hrs long. She needs 2 naps in the daytime as her night sleep is so bad.

I have left Sarah McLachlan playing in the room on the i pod just now.... but she ended up falling asleep next to me finally....
She does feed to sleep 'sometimes' during her day sleeps but only if she's cried and that's exhausted her...

This sleep stuff is so hard at times. I always 'go with the flow' but when your DD is 13mths and you can't remember the last time you slept more than 3hrs straight.... it gets a bit much!!

Plus it doesn't help when you are around Mum's that have babies that sleep "all night long" arggh!!!!! LOL!

[[M]umma[M]ia]

I find that if DD isnt "full" or just had something to eat, she will fight sleep to. Mayb try changing your routine around a little bit so she has something to eat before she goes down.

Music is a good idea, it also helps DD wind down. Ive been playing musc for her since about 6 months old. I just got a couple of them cd's from kmart.. i think one is lullabies and the other is rainforest sounds.

13 months was around the time DD went from having her 2 X one hour sleeps to just one 2-4 hour sleep. Not saying you have to do that, just something to think about. Mayb an hour every sleep isnt enough for her to get into a deep decent sleep.

Hows her room? eg.. temp.. darkness etc..

Reading your post, i feel shes having trouble winding down. Going from being an active toddler to "you need to go to sleep now". Mayb she needs some encouragement.. eg, TV off, massage.. etc.

Just throwing some ideas out there HTH and goodluck xo

[onthefly]

Yeah, it sounds like she needs more of a wind down - the trick is figuring out what will help her to do that.
I remember when a breastfeed was all DS needed.... oh, those were the days! We're still struggling with this too, so interested in any other ideas you get. I'll have to try music I think.

I take him for a walk when he's tired and he's out like a light within 5 minutes (sometimes it's 1). But if we try to put him down for a sleep... IF it works it takes 20 minutes minimum...

At bed time we have a bath, walk, books, lights out then.... 1.5 hours of stories, singing, cuddling, crying, exasperation until finally he conks out.

[Kazbah]

I remember with Pip I'd put his rocker in front of a window and he'd watch the leaves on the tree move, that would settle him / wind him down. Guess you're already trying the low light approach in the half hour leading up to sleep?

[beckoes]

we had very similar problems with DD at about the same age. i would end up trying to put her down for her day sleeps and she wouldnt go and would just end up being awake for HOURS...then her night sleeps she would take three hours to get down with rocking, pacing etc etc...She ended up dropping the second day sleep, it made such a difference, i didnt think she was ready cause she was so young and her night sleeps were so bad but she went right back to feeding to sleep for both day and night sleeps and her night sleep improved almost right away, went from waking three plus times to once or twice!! her new afternoon sleep time was 10am till about 1pm. Good luck

[Shanti]

So perhaps she may be transitioning from 2 day sleeps down to 1.... if she is, then I will just need to go with the flow..... however let's say she falls asleep around 10am (she's rubbing her eyes, getting cranky etc so i put her in bed and she falls asleep next to me) but then wakes again by say 11:30am.... she'll definitely need another sleep that arvo!!!

So... should I try and hold off letting her go to bed until say 12pm? By that stage, she'll be so tired she won't fight sleep as much!!!! drag it out then hoping she has a big 2-3hr sleep in the middle of the day like 12-3pm would be good..... ?

Is this what others did when their baby transitioned to 1 day sleep? Interested to hear how it all works and how do you get them to have the big sleep in the middle of the day not the morning or arvo????

[Beautitude]

So perhaps she may be transitioning from 2 day sleeps down to 1.... if she is, then I will just need to go with the flow..... however let's say she falls asleep around 10am (she's rubbing her eyes, getting cranky etc so i put her in bed and she falls asleep next to me) but then wakes again by say 11:30am.... she'll definitely need another sleep that arvo!!![/I]

Its diff for every baby but this is my experience. Ds dropped to 1 day sleep at around 11 months. He always seems really sleepy in the morning so will be up for 2-2 & 1/2 hours max in the morning and then will have a 1.5 hour-2hours sleep at around 9/10ish (depending on when he wakes up) and that is it for the day. Iv tried to put him down for a sleep in the arvo on occasions but he just wont go to sleep. If i try and stretch him to lunch time he will only sleep for about 45 minutes and it makes for a very difficult day. He will then go to bed around 6:30 7ish for the night.

[Arcadia]

Oh hun it sounds crap!

You have been given some awesome advice, but I wonder if perhaps you gave yourself a holiday from thinking and trying things. What happens if you just do what you want and dd has to fit around? So she may not sleep in the day and that might improve the night, or she may have one sleep or she may go to bed later.

then in a few days reassess and see if you can see a new pattern...

You're such a great mummy!! Squishy hugs to you!

[Olive]

if you try the blankie pop it between you and her when you feed for a few days so she gets used to it,
i really hope it works as well for you as it does for us

[Shanti]

Oh hun it sounds crap!

You have been given some awesome advice, but I wonder if perhaps you gave yourself a holiday from thinking and trying things. What happens if you just do what you want and dd has to fit around? So she may not sleep in the day and that might improve the night, or she may have one sleep or she may go to bed later.

then in a few days reassess and see if you can see a new pattern...

You're such a great mummy!! Squishy hugs to you!

Anna, sorry i missed your post!
Do you mean just let DD stay awake ALL day and not sleep? I dont think i could do that as a) I'm so tired from the previous night wakings and need my rest away from her and b) she would be sooooo cranky all day with no sleep!

Did you do this with your DD? What happened?

[BekZ]

I haven't read everything but I would look at moving from 2 sleeps to 1. When I did this with my girls at around 12 months I brought their lunch forward to 11.30/12 and then put them straight to bed. I found that they both settled easier and slept for 2 to 3 hours.

When you do this you will still have to set up a wind down routine like book and lie down/pat etc. If she starts acting up I would keep telling that it is time to sleep and I would leave the room. I found by staying in the room my 2 wanted to play and muck up too.

You might find that DD gets a big grumpy in the arvos but she may go down better and earlier for you at night. hth...and hugs

[Skyeblue]

Hey Ren! Long time no speak! Ive missed ya

Just wanted to say when we cut DD down to one sleep a day it was the best thing ever. She was a shocker until she was 14 months old. Now she is not.

She goes to bed at 11.30 and sleeps for around 2-3 hours, then we keep her up til 7pm, bedtime.

When transitioning her to the one sleep I just slowly moved the morning sleep later. I founjd that she "was" having 2x 40 mins sleeps, so when I swapped her to one, she slept longer.

Also re the night feeds.....I was giving DD night feeds til she was over 14 months, I just kept doing it, and she stopped on her own. I never thought she would, I had images of me feeding her in the night when she was 16! Lol.

Are you back on fb? Havent seen you for ages! Hope you are well x

[Heaven]

You have been given some awesome advice, but I wonder if perhaps you gave yourself a holiday from thinking and trying things. What happens if you just do what you want and dd has to fit around? So she may not sleep in the day and that might improve the night, or she may have one sleep or she may go to bed later.

ANNA!! Thanks for this post!!!!!! Last night was hell again, at least 6 wake-ups (teething) and I got the ****s and thought well stuff this, if I'm not going to get any decent sleep at night buggered if I'm going to make sure you get good day sleeps (i.e. giving her 2 sleeps and resettling if she doesn't sleep long enough), I give up!! LOL.

So, DD woke up at 5am! We went to the shops this morning when she would have already been asleep. I wouldn't normally go bc I would be thinking it would be terrible, she'd be cranky and whingy, etc. She was fine, and at the end (10.30am) while I was walking out to the car, she layed down on my shoulder and went to sleep!! Just like that!! Put her into the car (which she hates and will NEVER sleep in the car, maybe twice in her life). She woke up a bit and cried a bit til we got moving, then just put her head back down and went to sleep!! Got home and transferred her to her cot, and she didn't wake. It's almost 12 now and she's still snoozing!!

I gave up on the nights ages ago and have been much happier and feeling well rested since. I should have known to have the same approach to day naps too!! So that is it! No more trying to get her to sleep, if she wants a sleep she will eventually get tired enough that she WILL sleep, I have seen that now.

Thanks

Sorry to hijack Ren!! LOL. You know how bad my DD has been for day and night sleeps so if it can work for her it can work for your DD too hey!! Hope you're having a good day today!