one hour naps... long enough? Please help

[mommyof2boys]

Hello all,

My little guy is 14 weeks old and has recently changed nap patterns.  He used to sleep for a couple of hours twice a day, and then another hour for a 3rd nap.  Now he's regularly sleeping for exactly one hour each nap--waking up fussing a bit, but not crying and with eyes wide open.  He'll occasionally go back to sleep with a little help from the pacifier, but that's spotty.

He does want to sleep crazy long at night.  It's hard to keep him up past 6 or 6:30 (regardless of whether he awoke from his last nap at 4 or 5), and I give him a 10 o'clock feeding, then he's sleeping through till 6 am, eating for a bit, and then going back to sleep till 7:30 or 8.  It's often 13 or 13 1/2 hours!

Is that the problem?

He's usually up one hour before his morning nap, then 1 hour 15  or 20 minutes between other naps.

Are one hour naps acceptable, or should I try to get him to go longer? 

Any guidance anyone could provide would be much appreciated.  As an aside, I was very regimented with my first son's schedule and am much more relaxed with this one; it seems to suit us both better.  Thus, though I am feeding every 3 hours or so, it's not exactly at the same times each day (though within an hour).

Thanks!

[Meg's Mom]

Hi

First, let me say - this is VERY normal at this age!

How is his mood when he wakes from the 1hr naps?

I'll check back.

[mommyof2boys]

Well, his mood after sleeping one hour varies.  He's usually fairly cheerful for a while after wakeup, but has a somewhat shorter attention span than after a long nap.

However, his mood is much better after a one hour nap than after a 40 minute one--we got one of those again this morning.  He was miserable!

I've been using the pacifier to help him go to sleep; otherwise he fusses and fusses and then misses his window and gets really upset!  I've also been using it to try to get him back to sleep after the one hour mark; I usually have to go in about 4 times, at 10 or 20 minute intervals, so I think he's falling asleep in between times, then dropping the paci, then waking up, etc.

Will this end by itself eventually, or should I intervene?  With my first child I got some advice that ended up with me letting him cry it out at four months old after months of 40 minute naps.  It worked in about 2 days, but it was miserable.  Is there a less heart-wrenching way that doesn't require 40 minutes in my new one's room?  I am, after all, caring for a toddler as well and that just isn't practical or safe.

Please help!!

[Meg's Mom]

I don't think night sleep is the problem, but that is a lot.

He's usually up one hour before his morning nap, then 1 hour 15 or 20 minutes between other naps.

Those sound okay, but he is almost 4mos...to help transition to the 4hr EASY (which Tracy recommends at that age) i would maybe try pushing those A time VERY gently to 1.5.  So maybe 5 or 10min every 3-5days.  This may help w/ those short naps.

I've been using the pacifier to help him go to sleep; otherwise he fusses and fusses and then misses his window and gets really upset! I've also been using it to try to get him back to sleep after the one hour mark; I usually have to go in about 4 times, at 10 or 20 minute intervals, so I think he's falling asleep in between times, then dropping the paci, then waking up, etc.

This may also be a problem, if he has it in his mouth when he falls asleep then he may need it to STAY asleep and Tracy calls that a prop.  In the props forum there is an excellent announcement on how to address this.  You can still use it, just not when he drops into the last sleep stage.

Will this end by itself eventually, or should I intervene? With my first child I got some advice that ended up with me letting him cry it out at four months old after months of 40 minute naps. It worked in about 2 days, but it was miserable. Is there a less heart-wrenching way that doesn't require 40 minutes in my new one's room? I am, after all, caring for a toddler as well and that just isn't practical or safe.

This may sort itself when you move to 4hr EASY and my advice on the A times might help.  But PLEASE don't let him CIO!  I believe the suggestions you will find here from myself and others will help you sort it out w/o having to do that!

It sounds like you both are doing great at learning/teaching sleep.  Tracy always cautions against any form of crying it out/controlled crying because dc feels it breaks trust between parent and child. She has said many times that there is a gentler solution for every situation, we just have to find it.

As a Babywdcperer Website, we can only offer strategies that Tracy Hogg would have encouraged. So on the site, we can not encourage the use of CC or CIO.

Ultimately, the way you want to parent your child is up to you.

Here is a link to research on the subject:

http://www.babywdcperer.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=19710&highlight=