Over the past week there has been a huge change in Edie’s sleeping and it is hitting us hard over here. Edith has been pretty consistent with her sleeping patterns since day one. Around 80% of the time we spend 30-90 minutes getting her to sleep and then she sleeps 4-5 hours, nurses, sleeps 1.5-3 hours, nurses, 1.5-2.5 hours, nurses, lounges and sleeps 30 minutes -1.5 hours. Don’t get me wrong we have had a few cluster feeding nights and a few lucky nights of 7-7.5 hours of straight sleeping but in the past week our routine has completely shifted.
Edith is still taking 30-90 minutes to get to sleep but now she is sleeping 2-4 hours then waking up and nursing but not going right back to sleep for 30-90 minutes and then sleeps 1.5-2 hours (if we’re lucky) and then is up for 1-2 hours and then sleeps for 1-3 hours and then is up again for the day with maybe a nap in the morning if I’m lucky. On top of not sleeping as well she is having fussy, crying, screaming fits when she is awake during the night. I nurse her, change her diaper, and burp her but nothing seems to help except a little bouncing or back patting and of course just when I think she has settled down and is back to sleep as soon as I put her down she is fussing and eventually wailing.
I know that she is still so young that sleeping is pretty unpredictable but during the first 9.5 weeks of her life she has been pretty predictable and consistent. Neil and I are the most exhausted that we have ever been with him working crazy hours and then being woken by a screaming baby just hours after going to bed and lately as soon as I go to bed (which is like 9:30) Edie is waking up and doesn’t want to go back to sleep. Last night I went in to bed at 9:30 and spent an hour trying to nurse and sooth her back to sleep but eventually gave up and put her out in her swing in the living room where Neil was working so that I could get a few hours of sleep since I didn’t get any when Neil was away this past weekend.
I spent the morning googling what might be going on and for the most part the responses I have found are:
Until babies are closer to four months their sleep schedules are unpredictable.
Could be sleep regression due to developmental changes. This could be a possibility however the generally timeline for developmental phases at this point is at 8 weeks and 12 weeks so she is right in the middle however from what I have learned babies don’t always fit the standard timelines.
Could be that she is not feeling well. This is very possible has she has been stuffy and we have been watching her temperature because it’s been between hovering around the high 98’s to low 99’s (doctor is to be called at 100.4F).
After a hectic weekend alone (which I’ll blog about soon) while Neil was away at a work conference this whole not sleeping thing is really exhausting me to the point where I have developed a bit of a cold and so has Neil.
Any suggestions or words of wisdom on how we can get back to a better sleeping situation? We are headed out of town for Neil’s 1/2 Marathon this weekend and I am really hoping that maybe Edie will sleep better before then because Neil is exhausted and now worried that he won’t do well at the race.
Hey Linds! I am so sorry to hear that Edith is being a little fussy! I am NOT a parent, but I do know that my parents always swore that what worked for them was to keep my brother and I up until the 11:00 news came on. They would bounce, poke, talk to, play music- whatever it took. Once the 11:00 news came on, we’d be exhausted and would sleep through most of the night. One of my closest friends has been doing the same thing with her 5 week old and is having great success! Just thought it might be something you may want to try if you haven’t already!
HI Martha- we just might try this whole letting her stay up later. Maybe it will make it easier for her to sleep longer spurts at night because right now she is going down around 6:30-8 and lately has been waking up anywhere between 10p-12a.
Making Time for Everything. - Running With Tongs
[…] work schedule, his training schedule and Edith’s lack of napping or now sleeping at night (read more here). Lately Neil has been getting home later and later from work to turn around and have to do more […]
The only advice I have to say is to hang in there and accept any extra help that you can. Sam always slept pretty consistently, but he has definitely gone through various things that have disrupted his sleep for extended periods of time. When he was super young, Bob and I lived in Toronto and had zero help from friends and family. I always envied those that had people to help out. Things like sleep regressions, developmental periods, sicknesses (my least favourite thing), and night terrors can REALLY take a toll on your sanity. But it’s all about the ebbs and flows, I guess. Kids definitely keep you on your toes! The moment you think everything is going great, they surprise you with something!
I had a girlfriend over on Sunday who was amazing and cleaned up our kitchen, played with the cat and cleaned his litter box and fed him for me.
We have been lucky to have a few friends bring over food here and there but otherwise it has just been Neil and me doing it all on our own.
Oh, I wish I had some sage advice! It seems that once parents get used to a routine, a baby will change. It will eventually settle down, though. With my son, it took a year until he was in a sleep routine that’s remain somewhat unchanged (he’s 2 1/2 now). My 5 week old is starting to sleep 4-5 hours per night, with a brief feeding. His daytime naps are getting shorter, too, which has put a cramp in my routine. I’ve learned that parenthood is largely about being flexible, and adapting to change. Once I accepted that I wasn’t really driving the bus anymore, it was easier (mostly) to handle. But the lack of significant sleep is so hard to deal with, I know. But it won’t last forever! 🙂
Yeah I hear you on the daytime naps! From 0-6 weeks E was taking at least one morning nap around 1-2 hours and then an afternoon nap usually 2-3.5 hours and then from 6-9.5 weeks I was lucky if I could get her to take two 15 minute naps. Over the past week E has been napping around twice per day for 35-90 minutes which is really helpful for me to be able to get things done around the house, however who knows what next week will be like!
I found your post through Daily Buzz Moms and clicked on it because I am dreading this lack of sleep that will be entering our lives soon. I can’t offer any advice since our first daughter didn’t sleep through the night (or really at all!) until she was a year old. But, I can offer my sympathies as the mama of a past non-sleeper. We have another one on the way in November, so I am hoping this one will be a better sleeper! Good luck and hang in there…those first few months are definitely the hardest.
Daily Buzz Moms? Where did you see it on there?
Congrats to you on your second baby and yes I hope that s/he will sleep better for you!
Hi Lindsay, here’s the link: http://moms.dailybuzz.com/blog/168723-i-miss-sleeping
it was under the “Nurture” heading.
Naturally Family Best of September - Running With Tongs
[…] i miss sleep.: Over the past week there has been a huge change in Edie’s sleeping and it is hitting us hard over here. Edith has been pretty consistent with her sleeping patterns since day one. Around 80% of the time we spend 30-90 minutes getting her to sleep and then she sleeps 4-5 hours, nurses, sleeps 1.5-3 hours, nurses, 1.5-2.5 hours, nurses, lounges and sleeps 30 minutes -1.5 hours. Keep reading… […]
I miss sleeping. part 2. | Naturally Family
[…] back in September when I wrote about missing sleep? Well shortly after that things improved and in November when Edith was four months we transitioned […]