Author Topic: Struggling with A times for 6 mo (Read 3753 times)

sunny90 · « **on:** July 26, 2016, 21:20:57 pm »

He was having 30 min naps and it was suggested on the boards here that his A time may be too short. I pushed it to 3 hr (because he wasn't managing a catnap) and he's still taking 30 min naps. I can't figure it out. From all the other websites I see it looks like 3 hours may be too long at his age (he's turning 6 months old this week), but he'd have to have seriously long naps to manage less A time and still take two naps. Like each one 2 hrs long. He's not even close. I end up holding him and then nursing him to keep him asleep for the full hour and a half as it is.
It's not a sleep association problem because he falls asleep by himself.
Can you do wake to sleep with a 30 min nap?

becj86 · « **Reply #1 on:** July 26, 2016, 21:59:43 pm »

Yes, 3hr may be a bit much, but sounds like wake to sleep or hold through the jolts might help him learn to get through that stage of sleep that he's clearly struggling with - I'd probably try hold through the jolts first for a week and then if he's still not extending his naps, try W2S at 20min - I think its probably worth a try, though it can backfire.

Are you reducing the next A time at all after the 30min nap?

sunny90 · « **Reply #2 on:** July 27, 2016, 06:50:45 am »

No because I then extend the nap through nursing him back to sleep so he does get a longer nap. I guess I'll try httj. How much A time should I give him? Yesterday when I tried 2.40 he slept for 20 min. Is that OT or UT?

sunny90 · « **Reply #3 on:** July 27, 2016, 07:44:56 am »

I just put him to bed for his first nap. Put him in the crib at 2.45 he fussed on and off for 10 min and fell asleep at 2.55 and then woke up 15 min later! So would that be UT or OT?

sunny90 · « **Reply #4 on:** July 27, 2016, 08:05:29 am »

I nursed him at 11 and he fell asleep right away nursing on and off. So if I wake him at 1130 I should try for a nap at 2?

becj86 · « **Reply #5 on:** July 27, 2016, 09:10:01 am »

Are you sure there's no pain involved? Seems like very short naps. Maybe overstimulation?

Haribo2012 · « **Reply #6 on:** July 27, 2016, 09:42:31 am »

Hi there my DS2 is 6 months this week as well and we do 2.45. A first nap and if it's 1.5 hours plus then 2.50 A second nap.

I often have to resettle at 35/40 mins but just a quick cuddle back in cot and back rub or pat and keep pressure on him for 10 mins.

Agree with pp and wonder about pain, my DS had reflux and wakes a lot if it's playing up, we've also had NW at the min (extra from usual 1) which I think is teeth.

sunny90 · « **Reply #7 on:** July 28, 2016, 20:51:47 pm »

Its starting to seem to me like he's even tired at 2.5 but should I be trying to push the A time at this point?
Not sure if there's pain, he doesn't seem to be. He sleeps through the night TG and takes minimal fussing to fall asleep at bedtime.
Can there be a shorter A time for the first nap and a longer one for the second?
I really can't figure out what to do...do I just play around with A times every day? We're packing to move in 2 weeks in with my parents for a few months and he'll be back in the room with us unfortunately and I wanted to get this down pat before then. As far as I can remember all my kids settled into a decent 2 nap schedule at this age. I remember doing w2s with them all but don't remember if they were 30 or 45 min naps...
Today I went in to try to resettle at 30 min, no chance, he was totally not going to sleep again.

Haribo2012 · « **Reply #8 on:** July 28, 2016, 21:03:59 pm »

You could try a push of just 5 mins sometimes that's all it takes hold for a few days and push again.

Yeah some have shorter first A then bit longer until the next if it was a good nap. It's a bit trial and error to get the sweet spot.

With DS1 we weren't on decent 2 nap schedule for a month or so from now, so I'm not expecting it yet.

I used to hover outside the room at the 30 min mark then as soon as I saw a twitch I'd put some pressure on back or hip and shush to transition to next sleep cycle.

sunny90 · « **Reply #9 on:** July 29, 2016, 07:18:10 am »

The question is a push of 5 min from 2.5 or 3? Whats better OT or UT? Should I be erring on the side of UT at first to see when his ideal A time is? Like maybe go back to 2.45 and see what happens?

Haribo2012 · « **Reply #10 on:** July 29, 2016, 07:20:27 am »

Well if 2.5 gives you UT 45 min nap push from there. I personally prefer OT as wake at 30 min is easier to resettle.

sunny90 · « **Reply #11 on:** July 29, 2016, 07:44:58 am »

I just did w2s on my baby at 20 minutes. He slept a grand total of...36 minutes instead of 30!
HELP.
Because he kind of fusses himself to sleep, I think I'll leave him in there for 10-15 min to see if maybe he can settle himself back down.

Haribo2012 · « **Reply #12 on:** July 29, 2016, 17:48:38 pm »

I never actually touched mine unless he was really twitching and not looking like going back to sleep.

If he's not crying is leave him, my DS2 at BT fidgets, shouts bangs the mattress but doesn't cry so I just leave him to it x

sunny90 · « **Reply #13 on:** July 31, 2016, 06:52:56 am »

No he actually cries at 30 min. I try leaving him for 15 min or so to see if he can get back to sleep, no dice.
Although on Friday he actually slept for an hour and 20 min without any intervention and I'm still trying to figure out how!

sunny90 · « **Reply #14 on:** July 31, 2016, 06:53:55 am »

What puzzles me is sometimes (like today) he seems tired at 2.40ish so I start changing his diaper and getting him ready for bed and he suddenly cheers up and looks fine. I just put him in today and he cried for 1 minute and fell asleep at 2.45 so we'll see if this helps!

Haribo2012 · « **Reply #15 on:** July 31, 2016, 08:29:07 am »

Honestly mine baffles me some days I just think I've cracked it and boom he's changed his mind lol. We're getting nearer 3 hours last couple of days but often means naps are a bit touch and go. Hope this nap goes well x

sunny90 · « **Reply #16 on:** July 31, 2016, 20:14:42 pm »

He slept for all of 40 min.

Haribo2012 · « **Reply #17 on:** July 31, 2016, 20:48:37 pm »

We are in the middle of a wonder week maybe it could be the same for you!?

sunny90 · « **Reply #18 on:** August 02, 2016, 20:06:13 pm »

I'm not exactly sure how many weeks he is--turned 6 months this past week--as I mentioned above, fourth child!
Buuuttt...for two days in a row I got a long nap!
A time 2.45.
Yesterday he got down at that time and slept an hour and 15 min! I saw him transition at 30 min and go back to sleep!
Then had a crap second nap but today this morning slept 1.25 and 1 hr. Much better than he'd been doing til now! The weird thing is for the second nap it was at like 2.50 and it took him ages to get down, just like yesterday! He seemed super OT at 2.45. Have to figure this out, he may need an earlier bedtime if his A times are that much shorter...but then what do I do with my other 3 boys? #largefamilyquandaries

Haribo2012 · « **Reply #19 on:** August 02, 2016, 20:38:44 pm »

It is tricky I have an older DS so he gets to have a bit later BT. Sounds like the change in A was working. I had to push ours to 2.50 this morning and got 1.5 hour nap no intervention which was nice x

sunny90 · « **Reply #20 on:** August 03, 2016, 04:52:28 am »

The question is, this morning he woke at 615 and wouldn't fall back asleep due to outside intervention...so his first nap would have to be at 9 instead of 10? I'm concerned because what if he sleeps for too short...should I be keeping set nap times or just going with A times?

Haribo2012 · « **Reply #21 on:** August 03, 2016, 05:50:09 am »

I'd personally go with A times at this age, if you push to 10am you'll prob get a short nap from ot.!?!

We had a day of 1 long nap then 2 short naps and he was ok.

sunny90 · « **Reply #22 on:** August 03, 2016, 09:44:13 am »

Interestingly enough he seemed tired at 9 but then wouldn't settle and cried and cried and I tried getting him relaxed and rinally rubbed his back a bit in the crib and he fell asleep at 950 and slept til 1135 when I woke him!
Just to confuse me a little more, why not 😉j

Haribo2012 · « **Reply #23 on:** August 03, 2016, 12:17:34 pm »

Ha ha well they like to keep us guessing....great nap though

becj86 · « **Reply #24 on:** August 04, 2016, 07:12:48 am »

Quote from: sunny90 on August 02, 2016, 20:06:13 pm

for two days in a row I got a long nap!A time 2.45.Yesterday he got down at that time and slept an hour and 15 min!

This here is a clue that he's probably ready for another A increase. When a previously long nap shrinks...

sunny90 · « **Reply #25 on:** August 04, 2016, 18:49:33 pm »

No his previous naps were 30 min long! 1.15 was actually fabulous, considering.
But I would still like his naps to be longer. I got into a habit of rubbing his back to sleep for his naps but I'm in the process of moving and he's still transitioning between sleep cycles so I'm not going to try to train him out of it until we're settled at my parents house where we'll be for the next few months 😬

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Author Topic: Struggling with A times for 6 mo (Read 3753 times)