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Hi Jennifer,
It’s great to hear about the progress you’re making with Eva’s sleep routine!
I’m glad you’ve been able to move away from rocking to sleep, using singing and patting instead. However, I understand your concern about these becoming new sleep crutches. To prevent this, you can gradually reduce your involvement before she fully falls asleep. For instance, you might start by singing to her as she lies in your arms, then place her in the crib and move up the settling pyramid as needed and then back down so that she does the final step of falling asleep by herself. For example, once she’s calmer, slowly decrease the patting, eventually resting your hand on her chest, and then step back, continuing to shush from a distance, and finally stopping altogether before she falls asleep.
You mentioned her naps are going well. Does this mean Eva is settling easily, or are her naps becoming longer? Based on your description, I’m picturing a daily schedule like this:
- 7:30 AM wake-up
- 9:30 AM nap for 2 hours
- 11:30 AM wake-up
- 1:30 PM nap
- 2:00 PM wake-up
- 4:00 PM nap
- 4:30 PM wake-up
- 8:00 PM bedtime
During the night:
- Wakes at 10:30/11:00 PM, stays awake for about 1.5 hours
- Sleeps from 12:30 AM to 1:30 AM, wakes for a feed
- Wakes again around 4:00/5:00 AM for another feed, followed by contact napping until 7:30 AM
Is this correct?
Additionally, when she wakes for the 1:30 AM feed, does she return to sleep immediately, or does she stay awake for a while? Are you feeding her when she wakes at 10:30 PM?
I’d love to hear how the last few nights have been for both of you.
Emma