go by cues or go by time? argh!!

[{{{Angela}}}]

This morning DD woke at 6:45am.  By 8:15am she was showing all the tired cues: crankypants, yawning, rubbing eyes.  But she can usually do 2h to 2h15m of A time in the morning, so I took her upstairs and lay with her in bed for some low key A time.  Then I held her a bit in her darkened room.  I managed to stretch her out to 1h45min and she was sooo tired I put her down and she was asleep before I left the room.   

Anyways, she had a 40 minute nap - so does that mean she wasn't tired enough?  She woke up happy so I don't think she was OT.  Should I have stretched it out to 2hours?  I really don't trust her cues.  Sometimes she has no cues and BAM! she's OT suddenly. 

This is really irritating.  I need her to have a good morning sleep b/c we have to go out to get DS at lunchtime from school and she doesn't really sleep well in the car.  Plus I wouldn't count a car nap as a real nap.  

[Colin Macs Mom]

It depends a lot on her temperment - do you know what personality type she is? The spirited and touchy often don't show any signs at all. The other types of course will. Colin has always been spirited and never showed any signs at all until it was too late. We became clock-watchers by necessity    but I wouldn't recommend doing that unless your LO is a similar temperment.

[{{{Angela}}}]

Well I just went and did the quiz again and she is mostly textbook with a hint of angel and a hint of touchy.  But probably like 85% textbook.

After her 40 minute I tried putting her down again after 1h10min, just in case so I wouldn't miss her sleep window.  She ended up babbling in her crib for almost 40 minutes and then fell asleep.  I had to wake her up after 40 minutes to get DS.   She is now asleep again after 1h40min A time.

I try not to watch the clock and go by her cues but then we end up with short naps anyway.  Silly baby - hurry up and straighten your day sleep out!  

Thanks Jessica.

[Colin Macs Mom]

That 5 - 6 mo age is tough on sleep

[*Natasha*]

I do both if she shows signs before her normal awake time i put her down if she hasn't showed signs by her awake time then i put her down.

[{{{Angela}}}]

Thanks Natasha, good advice.