Thursday, August 23, 2012

Schedules... (please help!)

It seems to me that commenting on blog posts has become a thing of the past.  We're all so used to clicking "like" on facebook, that commenting takes way too much time (hello, I am so guilty of this!)  But... for all you experienced moms out there... I could use some suggestions.

I'm having a really hard time getting Jordan onto any kind of schedule.  And for someone (me!) who loves schedules and routines, it's driving me CRAZY.  Seriously.  He's 5 months (will be 6 in 2 weeks).  He's sleeping through the night, which is fabulous.  But... he never wakes up in the morning at the same time.  Therefore he doesn't have his morning nap at the same time.  He never sleeps for a consistent amount of time.  Usually he sleeps for 40-45 minutes (sometimes in the morning, it's longer). But then afternoon nap isn't at the same time.  And that nap is always 40 minutes.  He wakes up crying, rubbing his eyes and oh so ornery.  But will he go back to sleep?  Oh no...

So my dilemma is basically that he doesn't do anything at the same time, day in and day out.  Spencer was a short napper, too (40 minutes) until about 4-5 months... then he just sort of fell into his own schedule.  He got up at the same time every day.  Went down for naps at the same time every day.  Slept for exactly 1.5 hours every nap.  Oh it was wonderful.  So easy to plan stuff, since he was on such a good routine.

So... am I being unrealistic in hoping that Jordan would do the same?  I'm no so naive to believe that kids are all exactly the same... but I was hoping for some sort of schedule.  Doesn't have to be exactly like Spencer's was... just some sort of regularity.  Maybe he's just going to take his sweet time?

I dunno.  Anyone else had this experience and have some advice to share?  Please :)

13 comments:

Sarah said...

And yes, I am keeping a "sleep journal", hoping to spot a pattern... but there isn't one. No consistency!

Ben said...

Try waking him up at a specific time every day. It will help get him onto a consistent morning schedule. Also, we covered our kids windows with blankets to darken the room. Now it is almost like night time, and the younger kids sleep a ton better. Hope this helps!

Kirsten said...

Sorry, but kids are so different. B and K are like night and day. He was very flexible and easy to work around, but consistent. Kaia had her own thing--waking up, taking naps, eating. She just did it whenever she wanted. Wish I had advice, but we just kind of went with it. If I had somewhere to go, she slept in her baby seat in the car and I'd just plan to feed her wherever we were too.
Good luck!

Heather & Matt Fisher said...

I wake Addi up by 8 because she will sometimes sleep much later. Days I work she is up earlier but I choose 8 because she doesn't last longer than an hour and I need her in bed at 9 because she sleeps til 11. Then I put her in bed just before Lincoln about 12:15. It may help him to have a more consistent nap if he isn't oversleeping. But I'm not an expert...just one thing that has helped.

Sarah said...

Yeah some mornings he's up at 7:30... others it's 8:30. So nap time is variable. Maybe I just need to wake him up at 8. Then nap time is always the same time. Except he doesn't always sleep the same amount of time...

Irene said...

Read the book "On Becoming Baby Wise." I can't remember much about it since I read it 6 years ago with Owen, but I remember it helping. So, I've started it again now that I have Ava to get on a schedule.

Alisha Oldroyd said...

I'm with Irene on Babywise. It helped me a lot. The question I wanted to ask was do you feed him when he wakes up or before he goes down? Switching that up can make a different in the schedule (meaning never feeding him to sleep- sleep, eat play routine.)

Unknown said...

I'm thinking he is still young for a real good schedule. I think it was a little older for both of my kids and then was still changing constantly. I think both of my kids took 3 naps a day at that age. Maybe that would help. Not a lot of good advice, sleeping is so hard. Good luck!

Sarah said...

So yes, the room he's in has blankets on the windows, so it's dark when he sleeps. I've read "Babywise'. While I don't agree with the book entirely (and the AAP has actually come out and spoken against the book) I agree with the general concept of sleep, eat, play routine. Except ours is usually sleep, eat, play, eat again and then sleep. This boy eats ALL THE TIME. I dunno, maybe I should stop feeing before he goes down for a nap. He doesn't usually nurse to sleep though... so maybe that's not the problem. I dunno.

And he does take 3 naps a day... the problem is that they're almost always just 40 minutes long. So only 2 total hours of napping, which makes for a cranky baby by late afternoon/evening.

Reminiscent said...

Great comments! My suggestions would be the waking to help establish a sleep pattern. Then limit to two naps This
may be a hard at first, but persist and he will take two longer, better naps;)

Reminiscent said...

Great comments! My suggestions would be the waking to help establish a sleep pattern. Then limit to two naps This
may be a hard at first, but persist and he will take two longer, better naps;)

Michelle said...

Ah, sleep schedules...I thought that I had it down by baby #3. HA! I have to say that it took more time, but they do find their schedule...it's just hard in the meantime. It sounds to me like you are doing all the tricks that should work. Hang in there, this too shall pass and it won't last forever. No, I do realize that doesn't help. :( Sorry!

Emily Hamilton said...

I wish I had advice. Each kid is so different. I hope he starts sleeping better, because that is exhausting.