My 13mo is normally a good sleeper, but these days the (lack of) sleep is just torture.
There is nothing predictable about her sleep. She used to take 2 naps, one about 2 hours and one about 45min. Now she is stretching out in the morning and not going down for her first nap until 11 or 12 (she is up at 7:30 most mornings). That nap could be anywhere from 20 minutes to 4 hours. If she wants another nap, it is usually not until 4 or 5PM, and then her bedtime is 9:30 or later. If we skip the nap, she is a total mess and crashes at 7 (if I can even keep her up that late). I haven't seen any connection between getting more/less daytime sleep and getting better or worse sleep at night.
She nurses to sleep rocking in the chair. I have almost never done it another way. She usually only takes 10-15 minutes to go down, then I lay down with her for less than 5 minutes in the bed and she's out. She normally wakes 30 minutes after she goes down, then is down until I go to bed around 11. Well now she is waking at the 30 minute mark and taking a million years to get back to sleep. Tonight, she was semi-sleeping in the bed (attached to the breast) for an hour and half and then was just UP for the night at 9:00. Yeah, I'm not getting to bed until 1AM tonight
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For the last week, she is also waking at 3 AM and staying awake for 2+ hours in the middle of the night. Most of those times, I drag our tired selves downstairs and rock/nurse her in complete darkness and don't interact with her at all for that whole time. She is totally happy to do that, but doesn't go to sleep.
I want some time to myself. I want some time with DH. I want to not have to spend all night putting her to bed every night and have no idea what I can do or not do after she goes to bed. I feel like a slave to her sleep. I never know when I can leave the house for fear that she'll fall asleep in the car and I'll miss getting her to sleep at home where she can get a decent nap.
Anyone have any ideas for me? She is going through a lot right now, obviously (walking, teething, etc.) and I know this is age appropriate. I just wonder if there are any blaringly obvious things I'm doing that are making it worse. Mostly I just need some rest. Bah!
There is nothing predictable about her sleep. She used to take 2 naps, one about 2 hours and one about 45min. Now she is stretching out in the morning and not going down for her first nap until 11 or 12 (she is up at 7:30 most mornings). That nap could be anywhere from 20 minutes to 4 hours. If she wants another nap, it is usually not until 4 or 5PM, and then her bedtime is 9:30 or later. If we skip the nap, she is a total mess and crashes at 7 (if I can even keep her up that late). I haven't seen any connection between getting more/less daytime sleep and getting better or worse sleep at night.
She nurses to sleep rocking in the chair. I have almost never done it another way. She usually only takes 10-15 minutes to go down, then I lay down with her for less than 5 minutes in the bed and she's out. She normally wakes 30 minutes after she goes down, then is down until I go to bed around 11. Well now she is waking at the 30 minute mark and taking a million years to get back to sleep. Tonight, she was semi-sleeping in the bed (attached to the breast) for an hour and half and then was just UP for the night at 9:00. Yeah, I'm not getting to bed until 1AM tonight
.For the last week, she is also waking at 3 AM and staying awake for 2+ hours in the middle of the night. Most of those times, I drag our tired selves downstairs and rock/nurse her in complete darkness and don't interact with her at all for that whole time. She is totally happy to do that, but doesn't go to sleep.
I want some time to myself. I want some time with DH. I want to not have to spend all night putting her to bed every night and have no idea what I can do or not do after she goes to bed. I feel like a slave to her sleep. I never know when I can leave the house for fear that she'll fall asleep in the car and I'll miss getting her to sleep at home where she can get a decent nap.
Anyone have any ideas for me? She is going through a lot right now, obviously (walking, teething, etc.) and I know this is age appropriate. I just wonder if there are any blaringly obvious things I'm doing that are making it worse. Mostly I just need some rest. Bah!
. This is definitely a tough age! Just wondering...why do you leave the room when she wakes at 3am?
Because we've been trying unsuccessfully to nurse back to sleep in the bed and she sits up with that grin on her face that says "Hey mom, guess what?!!?!"
