Sleep

RiseToMe

Hi all!

I'm a (mostly) stay at home (work from home) Dad and I'm just wondering sleep wise what everybody else's little one is up to.

Our baby turned six months and at the moment, she goes to bed about 7pm and then wakes at 2am or 3am, at this points she's inconsolable but falls asleep immediately in my arms and I've kept her there til she's in deep sleep but once I move her into her cot she's up again and in tears. So she ends up in the bed with us until 6/7 at which point she gets up. (she settles in the bed and goes back to sleep).

We don't want to create a rod to beat ourselves with sleep wise and have her depend on getting in but she is putting together 7/8 hours in her cot (in our room). Sometimes she settles back and has the whole night there.

Not sure what exactly I'm looking for, but does that all seem pretty OK?

s4uv3

It sounds to me like you're very loving parents who are responding to your daughters needs. She's very young and knows no comfort other than what your arms can give her.
Trust your gut, you know what's best and what she needs.

For what it's worth, she sounds like an excellent sleeper to me! My daughter had just turned one and if she had that kind of routine I'd do a dance of joy

ax530

yes sounds good, so long as they sleeping its good and only awake once at night great at such a young age.
I wouldnt worry about baby in your bed so long as its safe (wont fall out, no blankets over them) my son was a very bad sleeper when he got to stage that would fall asleep in my bed I was delighted (walking about in arms as they get bigger and stronger not easy) he came in most nights until shortly before next baby born almost 3 years later, at that stage he just stopped himself.
I suggest trying gripe water when baby wakes at night, I find that good with my baby he will settle back into cot fine when comfortable again. I try feeding also but usually find he not hungry and does not want it just needs to pass wind. Also putting into cot on their side can then keep arm around them little while until settle.
Good luck

Bacchus

RiseToMe wrote: »

Hi all!

I'm a (mostly) stay at home (work from home) Dad and I'm just wondering sleep wise what everybody else's little one is up to.

Our baby turned six months and at the moment, she goes to bed about 7pm and then wakes at 2am or 3am, at this points she's inconsolable but falls asleep immediately in my arms and I've kept her there til she's in deep sleep but once I move her into her cot she's up again and in tears. So she ends up in the bed with us until 6/7 at which point she gets up. (she settles in the bed and goes back to sleep).

We don't want to create a rod to beat ourselves with sleep wise and have her depend on getting in but she is putting together 7/8 hours in her cot (in our room). Sometimes she settles back and has the whole night there.

Not sure what exactly I'm looking for, but does that all seem pretty OK?

I've recommended it before, but get yourself Lucy Wolfe's book, the Baby Sleep Solution. It was our bible around the 6 month mark when we wanted to have our daughter sleep more independently. She co-slept with mom up to that point and loved nothing more than a mid-night cuddle up with mom. Lucy's approach is very gentle and reassuring for the baby (minimal tears). She covers all ages. There are no hard and fast rules, but she has great guidelines on how to deal with most common sleep crutches or problems. You sound pretty much like where we were around the 5 and a half month mark. Within a week of following "the bible" she was going to sleep herself after a few minutes, and aside from the occasional "dummy run" she was sleeping through the night. There have been (and continues to be) bumps on the road which is natural as your babies brain develops but for the most part we've had a good run with Lucy's approach. Good luck!

RiseToMe

Hi guys,

Sorry it's been a mental few days!!
Thank you so much for all your advice and kind words!

The last few nights she's been down in her cot from 7pm to 4/5am with only the odd soother run or just the need for bit of reassurance. Popping her onto side really works!! But then I find myself sitting there watching her til I can roll her on her back in case she rolls onto her face

I really just needed reassuring that we were doing OK, I know there are plenty of people that would give their eye teeth for sleep like hers but you always doubt yourself.

Bacchus

RiseToMe wrote: »

Hi guys,

Sorry it's been a mental few days!!
Thank you so much for all your advice and kind words!

The last few nights she's been down in her cot from 7pm to 4/5am with only the odd soother run or just the need for bit of reassurance. Popping her onto side really works!! But then I find myself sitting there watching her til I can roll her on her back in case she rolls onto her face

I really just needed reassuring that we were doing OK, I know there are plenty of people that would give their eye teeth for sleep like hers but you always doubt yourself.

She's 6 month's old, if she's able to move around a bit on her tummy I don't think you have any reason to be concerned about her sleeping on her tummy.

7pm to 4/5am is good going. It'll start to stretch out as she gets older. We went through a few months of pretty much exactly that. Going down at 7pm and up at 5am. She was on 3 naps a day at the time. It'll just happen one day for you that she'll sleep until 6am... and one of her day naps will become shorter... then sleeping until 7am and she'll drop to 2 naps! That was our experience anyway.

Right now we're on the edge of going from 2 naps to 1 and it's tricky. She's not ready for 1 nap but some days she just won't go down for a second nap. So, come 6pm she is ready for bed... which has pulled back her waking time to around 6:30am (it was 7:30am for a good while there).

The most important thing to understand is that everything is a phase and nothing lasts forever. You can have a few good months of a routine and then it gets turned on its head. It doesn't mean you're doing something wrong, it's just the natural way of things for a developing baby/toddler.

annoyedgal

Please don't worry about creating a rod for your back! Our guy slept in my bed until he was one and succesfully transitioned to own room and cot with no issues.
Sounds like your doing great.

fits

a rod for your back! .

If ever I could get rid of a saying. As if baby cuddles are something to be ashamed/ afraid of.

Currently snuggling with one twin falling asleep as the other naps away happily in his own bed.