When do you stop living on a timer??

[Flightmommy]

Hi!
  My DS is 9 months old and on the low side of A time (2.50-55ish). I've been battling chronic OT and short napping for a couple of weeks (see  http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=157808.0) but have had some improvements, with some great help from this board. With DS, the key is to keep A times rather short and to be VERY CAREFUL of not letting him get past his max A time. He seems to be extremely sensitive to the smallest increase in A time and ends up doing short naps and OT....for example, this morning, I was off by only 5 minutes and he went down for his am nap after 3 hours A time and had a short nap, was beyond crabby and it just snowballed from there for the rest of the day. I feel like i'm living on a timer...just watching the clock and not having any flexibility on his part, not even 5 minutes....it's no way to live. My question is for those with older LO's....Does it get better? Do they eventually get to a point where their A times are flexible and changes in their sked don't result in short naps and OT??
  I spend my days dancing around ridiculously short A times and often short naps....it's exhausting and very restricting. Any advice or thoughts are welcomed!! Thanks!

[Peek-a-boo]

When they drop to one nap--usually between 12-18 months, things get a lot easier.  For some LOs who are sensitive to OT, you still have to be pretty careful of A time, but because it's only once a day you're getting them down and because the A times are much longer, you have plenty of time to go out and do something and get back in time for a nap, so you lose that "on a timer" feel. 

Guarding your LOs sleep is something that never really ends because we live in such a crazy go-go-go society, but as their sleep consolidates with age, it gets easier to manage.  My almost 4 year old has dropped his nap, but I still have to be careful about his bed time.   His dad wants to take him out and do stuff in the evening sometimes and being a little late to bed once a week is no big deal, but several days in a row it adds up and starts to affect his behvior. 

[annette.xx]

Hi

my LO is also 9 months and I had exactly the same problems in the past...even the slightest change would end up with OT ...

I had loads of help here and actually found that I actually did need to increase the A time...the way I did it was 10 mins extra for 3 days...and yes it was touch and go... I found that I had to literally spend the last 30 mins of her A time with her in my arms walking around with her and slow dancing cuddling etc... she was practically begging for bed by the time the 30 mins was up...but amazingly I found I was able to stretch it...

and once I got it stretched out to 3 hr 15 mins I found things much easier ...but again she still is very touchy to timing so struggle if im out by 10 mins!! but so much better than it was!!

I have found the key to good naps is mainly all to do with the last half hour...if she gets OS then its game over...so its calm calm calm!! but prior to that I have to really let her go for it and burn all her energy!!

I will be interested to see what other mummys say...i too need to stop timing everything!

Annette.xx

[Flightmommy]

Thanks Ladies!!
   I agree, this won't get any better until we increase (slowly) his A time....it just never seems to be the right day and time though, always something. Especially lately as we've not been able to get back on our schedule and DS's naps are unpredictable and so are his nights....it's like a vicious cycle, since he needs more A time, he's doing EW and as a result is tired earlier so I'm unable to extend his A time as he wants to go for a nap...and it's been going on like this for weeks now. Of course, with this DLS time change today, it's even worst....did a catnap around dinner time last night, then put him to bed one hour later AND HE STILL WOKE AT THE SAME TIME.....6:15am, but really 5:15am with the new time!!! ughhhh....so now, do I do a 5:15pm bedtime? Isn't that just going to encourage an early waking tomorrow morning and so on? How do I get out of this hole???

[blessedbear]

Totally agree with Annette's formula to let them go wild the first part of A time but the last 30 minutes quiet and calm.  This has really helped us in regards to making it easier for DD to wind down and drop off once in crib.  I never considered OS but it is a very real aspect of the EASY and we have toned down a lot.  As far as the dreaded DLS I posted about that in EASY forum too.