Too early mornings

[Mami]

Hello,

Please give advise how to get the room pitch black, there comes light from above and sides of the blind curtain, of course I could tape it but then would have to do it every night, it would be nice to get the room light in the day-time and to get the window open

It may be one reason why she wakes up too early, I give her jingle as soon as I hear the first sound from her room, then nothing, but she does not fall asleep again. We should have the following schedule:

Emma, now 7.5 months old:

7.00 wake-up
8.45 - 9.30 sleep 45 minutes
11.30 - 13.00 sleep 1.5 hours
15.40 - 16.00 nap 20 minutes
19.00 good night

We have had the above schedule for 5 weeks now and the mornings do not "sit" yet. Sometimes she wakes up 5.30 when her daddy wakes up, sometimes at 6 or 6.15, I never pick her up before 6.45.

Previously she had night-time from 7 p.m. to 6.30 a.m. and it worked fine, never protested when putting in the evening to bed either, with the good laugh of course. Now she can "disagree" for about 15 minutes, some times more before falling asleep in the evening
I have tried to think positive and figure out what might cause this but I do not know what I do different this time. I do not stick or overconcentrate, nor do I jingle too many times. Today I thought for the first time that maybe I should take back the 11.5 hours night-time sleep.

Any suggestions how the schedule could look like if I change it for 2 naps in the day-time? (This change has to be made sooner or later anyhow) She did not sleep that 20 minutes yesterday and was overtired in the evening. She likes to sleep more in the mornings and the above has worked out perfectly in the day-time except that 20 minutes nap, it can take some time before she falls asleep.

Thank you in advance!

[/LO]

Hello and welcome!

I just have one advice. When she wakes up in the morning - too early. Don't think of it as morning but as it is night, because it is.

What would you have done if she woke up around 2 a'clock - and more important, what would your feeling in the stomak be? I believe that (and I've done it so many times myself) it is so easy to slip into your mind that it is morning so soon and what if she doesn't fall asleep again. If it was 2 in the morning you wouldn't even think that she never sleep again that night - right?

Do you follow?

/LO

[Mami]

Yes, I get your point, thank you!

[Ewa]

Any suggestions how the schedule could look like if I change it for 2 naps in the day-time?

If she prefers her long nap before lunch, this could work for you:

7 Good morning
10-12 Fst nap
15-15.45 Snd nap
19 Good night

Good luck!

[TorsMamma]

Hi, I'm not sure but do you read swedish as well?

Please give advise how to get the room pitch black, there comes light from above and sides of the blind curtain, of course I could tape it but then would have to do it every night, it would be nice to get the room light in the day-time and to get the window open

I really think you need to consider this a little bit more. It needs to be pitch black. I know that Ewa who just answered you hs 3 layers to make it dark in their bedroom.

The fastes way to do this and to se if things get better is to tejp up aluminum foil on the windows. This way you can still open during the day but not get any daylight in. But just to se if it helps it might be worth it is my thought.

http://www.annawahlgren.com/forum/viewt ... 060ed74459

My son is 10 months old an has 2 naps that look like this.

19-07 night
9.15 nap 45 min
12.30 nap 1,5 hours

I like havng the long nap as nr. 2 right after a steady lunch. But it also has to do with if they are more sleepy in the morning or during the day. If you have early wakenings she will be able to sleep more the first nap, but if she starts to sleep without wakenings, this might not work as well then. So think it trough.

[Mami]

Hi,

Thank you so much for advise!

I do read Swedish but sometimes do not understand everything:

Quote:
"...Vi har en "slaktad" rullgardin som vi sytt kardborrband på runt 3 sidor och sen klistrat motsvarigheten på väggen..."

Could you please explain the above in English?

I put the aliminium foil in the windows last night and there was a big difference, she made a small sound at 5.30, I jingled and she fell back asleep. Then she woke up at 6.35 (she is used to being picked up at 6.45 because have started to sound unhappy), I jingled and went back to bed. She did not fall asleep but did not sound very alert either, i.e. she did not get unhappy or frustrated but kept small mur-mur sound till 7 o'clock when I picked her up. I jingled only once at 6.35 when she woke up and did not make any sounds in the house, is it necessary? Also, somebody said that alarm-clock at wake-up time is handy, is it really so, I think she might confuse daddy's alarm-clock and her own time to wake up if I started to use that.

Regarding pitch black, what do you do when you travel?
As the child grows older, for how long is the pitch black room necessary for uninterrupted sleep?
When it is time to sleep in bed at day-time also (too big for the pram) if I have aliminium foil in the windows it is dark also at day-time, I wouldn't want to accustom her to sleep only if it is dark.

[Ewa]

I'll try answering as many of your questions as I can.

"...Vi har en "slaktad" rullgardin som vi sytt kardborrband på runt 3 sidor och sen klistrat motsvarigheten på väggen..."

Could you please explain the above in English?

Use Velcro on both windowframe/wall around the window and on the material (curtain or whatever it is you use). That way you won't get any light seeping through.

I put the aliminium foil in the windows last night and there was a big difference, she made a small sound at 5.30, I jingled and she fell back asleep. Then she woke up at 6.35 (she is used to being picked up at 6.45 because have started to sound unhappy), I jingled and went back to bed. She did not fall asleep but did not sound very alert either, i.e. she did not get unhappy or frustrated but kept small mur-mur sound till 7 o'clock when I picked her up.

See - great difference! It may be hard to believe, but the light does really disturb them in the morning.

I jingled only once at 6.35 when she woke up and did not make any sounds in the house, is it necessary? Also, somebody said that alarm-clock at wake-up time is handy, is it really so, I think she might confuse daddy's alarm-clock and her own time to wake up if I started to use that.

You used the jingle after 6 (i.e. 6.35) correctly. I take it you've read about the "pangramsa". So yes, only once. And then nothing. No need to make any noise. I never do. The entire house is still asleep, is my message. No need to use alarm clock either. Unless you get more trouble. But you seem to have figured out what disturbed her .

Regarding pitch black, what do you do when you travel?
As the child grows older, for how long is the pitch black room necessary for uninterrupted sleep?

When you travel you could bring either black bin bags, or aluminium foil, for instance. Very easy and doesn't take up any space.

I can't say for how long pitch black is required - maybe it differs. I STILL require a pitch dark room, and I'm nearly 40 .

When it is time to sleep in bed at day-time also (too big for the pram) if I have aliminium foil in the windows it is dark also at day-time, I wouldn't want to accustom her to sleep only if it is dark.

She can sleep indoors from any time you choose. If you don't want to remove the foil, why not leave the window open, that way you'll allow some light into the room. Or use black bin bags, they're easier to remove.

Best of luck![/quote]