Stopped long naps

[Sebastian's mum]

Thank you for your quick response.  His schedule (give or take 15-30 minutes or a day of international travelling which we have done a lot of with him and to date it doesn't knock his schedule much the following day where I try to ensure he is back on his routine albeit in another location - his first trip, not through want, was at 10 days old).

7 Wake
7 - 7.30 Eat (Bottle)
7.30 - 8.30 Activity
8.30-9 Eat (breakfast solids)
9- 9.30/10 Activity
9.30/10 Sleep/You THIS NAP HAS SHORTENED TO 45MINS BUT HAVE KEPT TO ROUTINE WITH "PD" AND VOICE CALMING -IF I CAN KEEP IT CALM WHICH DEPENDS ON WHERE I AM AT!
11/11.30 Eat (bottle)
11.30 Activity
1.30/2.00 Eat (solids)
2/2.30 Activity
2.45/3.00 Sleep/You THIS NAP HAS SHORTENED TO 45 MINS BUT HAVE KEPT TO ROUTINE WITH "PD" AND VOICE CALMING
4.30/5 Eat (bottle)
5 - 6.30 Activity
6.30 Eat (solids)
7/7.30 - 7.30/8 Bath, Bottle Bed WHERE HE GOES TO SLEEP LIKE A DREAM ALTHOUGH LAST NIGHT HE WOKE AFTER 45 MINS SLIGHTLY SHAKING WITH WHAT I CAN ONLY SAY LOOKED LIKE FEAR AND I HUGGED HIM AND PUT HIM IMMEDIATELY DOWN AND HE SLEPT THROUGH TO 7 WHERE I WOKE HIM.

Today he woke on his morning nap 45 minutes in and I have just spent the past 45 minutes voice calming him until he eventually went to sleep.  I am now about to wake him up after a 20 minute nap at 12 so that the routine does not stop.

Your thoughts will be gratefully received.  Again thank you for being so quick.  Michaela

[Sebastian's mum]

P.S. Forgot to answer I am basing his nap times on a combination of all 3

[Colesmom]

Hi there,

You are right in that PU at this age can often wind them up.  Stick with PD.  Wait until he stands up before laying him back down. 

It looks like a great routine.  Has anything changed with windown recently?  Be sure to keep that consistent.  Have you just returned from one of your international trips?  Maybe it's possible that they may start to throw him off now when they haven't before?

My only thought is that if you're putting him down for first nap at 9:30 some days after waking at 7 this might be too early. My DS is the same age and needs 3 hours before he'll settle for nap 1 and 3.5 hours before nap2 and bed.  Does he go down well for the naps...or is he fighting them?  If he's fighting them I would try extending his A time by 15 minutes.  He may just not be tired enough.

I believe that waking after 45 minutes at night is a sign of overtiredness. When you solve the nap issues this should solve itself as well.

HTH

[Sebastian's mum]

Hi again,

He has just had a 2 hour nap - straight.  Yipee!  The fact that I managed to get him back to sleep on voice alone this morning I think has broken the pattern.  Well I hope.

He is only at the "creeping" stage at the moment and is beginning to rock on his arms and legs for the beginning of official crawling.  This has meant he falls asleep on his front rather than back and so when he "turns over" at 45 minutes he finds himself in strange position and I think wakes?  Is sleeping on their front still a danger at 9 months?

No international trips but it always seems to be a combination of events that affects his sleep and this instance I think it was the "rocking" initially and then I asked my partner to put him to sleep for his naps and possibly he got a little of the seperation anxiety on top?

I totally agree with you about the increasing time needed to be awake but this has been posing a dilemma i.e. it means that bedtime is getting later.  When does your little one go to bed for the night?  I am very wary of going past 8pm.  Also I thought that naps are reduced to one at around 15 months so does this routine stay the same until around then?

Hope you don't mind me asking the extra questions re: naps.

Michaela

[Colesmom]

that's great about the 2 hour nap!  of course i don't mind the extra Qs...I'll do my best to answer.  This is as I listen to my lo try to settle unsuccessfully for his nap (babbling and playing when should be sleeping!)

Is sleeping on their front still a danger at 9 months?

as long as they are able to lift/move their head then there is no danger.  My DS has been tummy sleeping since he was 5.5 months old.

I asked my partner to put him to sleep for his naps and possibly he got a little of the seperation anxiety on top?

not necessarily sep. anxiety...but just a change in routine can throw them off.  If you would like your partner to participate regularly with nap/bedtime then try to have them do so on a regular basis.

I totally agree with you about the increasing time needed to be awake but this has been posing a dilemma i.e. it means that bedtime is getting later. When does your little one go to bed for the night? I am very wary of going past 8pm. Also I thought that naps are reduced to one at around 15 months so does this routine stay the same until around then?

You should be wary of going past 8.  Ideally it would stay before 8.
Our day is like this:

6:30 wake
9:30-10:45 nap 1
2:30-3:30 or 4:00 nap 2
7:00-7:30 bed

LOs their age need about 14 hours of sleep total.  So if you're DS is getting 11 hours at night, aim for 3 hours of day sleep.

HTH

[Sebastian's mum]

Very funny.  When I was reading your posting my LO was also playing and babbling and not going to sleep as requested!  Thank you for your insights.  All very useful. 

I just wanted to post this just in case anyone who is at their tethers end might read it and feel there is hope around the corner.

I have been using Tracey Hogg since the beginning (have all three books) and find her indispensable.  Admittedly desperately flicking through the book by candlelight whilst baby is having problems going to sleep is tricky!  I have found as long as you commit and don't fall at the first or second post, a lot of her solutions work without breaking the trust between you and your child which for me has meant a very content little boy who crys very rarely.  He moans if he wants a change of something but with the routine I can usually guess what it is quickly.  Long may it last!   When I felt it was all going pear shaped (mainly the sleeping through nights which took us a lot longer as we moved country when he was 6 weeks old and were on flights backwards and forwards every few weeks) all I kept on thinking to get me through is "you are in control you just need to keep on trying to communicate to him" and "you can't change tactic now as that would really confuse him".  As I say I came out the other end (frazzled admittedly) but feeling like we were building on the two essentials in life - sleep and eating- whilst still keeping the trust.

Anyway, thank you again.  Have a fun 2006 with Cole and you may hear from me again!