Does anyone put LO for 1st nap after 1 hour (4,5 mo)?

[mianita]

We are on EASY a little bit more than 1 week and still I can't understand our routine and how to get any consistency...
In the morning she wakes up and seems to be ready for a nap as early as 1 hour or even 40 min after she is awake... Is this possible?
Actually currently I'm trying to increase or A time. It was 1.5, I'm trying to extend it to 2 hrs, but yesterday it was a mess and I got one 1.5 hour nap and 2x30min and my LO had her bed time early at 6.30pm. Today she woke at 6.15... So i think that i have to move her BT little bit later, like 6.45-7pm. And I also will try 1.45 A time today.

But does anyone put LO for the first nap after only 1 hour of A time at this age?

She is a happy baby no matter how many naps she has and no matter how long they are, it seems that it's more for me, not for her. But I need some Y time, just some  

Thanks!

[Shiv52]

My LO is 5 months and generally her first A time is her shortest but manages well if I push it.  You could gradually push it out form 1 hour as the rest of your day gets more settled.  The only issue i see is if she naps too soon then the rest of the day is thrown out a bit as you either need an extra nap or a really long A time to bed or else early bedtimes which mean early wake ups here.

How long does she sleep for at that first nap?

[mianita]

Thanks for reply!
I actually never put her so early... as you mentioned in this case all the day will be thrown away... I usually keep her up. I'm trying to increase her A time now from 1.5 to 1.45-1.50 and it's hard... The first nap is 1.5 hours, but now the second one was 30 min and I couldn't send her back to sleep, she was OT as A time was 2.20 (she couldn't settle to sleep, that is why it was 2.20). It is soooo hard with this A time guessing, I never can understand the right time to put her to bed. I don't know if this will settle one day, but for now I'm so exhausted of this routine guessing and trying to mantain it... I don't know how other moms manage with 2-3 kids, I can't handle even one... So upset, sorry...

[Shiv52]

Awh Hun, you're doing great.  In your first post you mentioned she's a happy baby. That's what's important! You're obviously making her feel loved and secure so remember that if you find yourself getting stressed about naps.

My DD1 was an absolute nightmare napper until 5.5 months and things started to fall into place. My sanity savers were not to extend naps for more than 10-15 minutes, get through to fairly normal bedtime and to get out and about a few days every week.

My DD2 is 5 months and is a pretty rubbish sleeper too (I specifically requested an angel sleeper this time round too!).  This time round I decided I was not getting sucked into A times and timing everything. I follow EAS format and if she short naps then we get up and on with our day. She is a happy wee thing so I try not to worry.

Why dont you post your EAS for the whole day and we can see if there are any tweaks may help you? Does she fall asleep independently?

((((hugs))))) Be kind to yourself. You are obviously a lovely mummy who is trying her best. Remember we can't make them sleep. All we can do is provide the opportunity for sleep and you are certainly doing that x

[mianita]

Thank you soooo much for support!! I had a feeling that I'm getting obsessed with her naps, my poor little girl... several days ago I found myself doing shh-pat kinda too strong, when I was trying to extend her last nap for 40 min, I was angry with her, which is totally wrong! So after that I decided that no naps extending more than 10 min and only if i see her still sleepy and ready for this extencion. So I see you did the same, great to hear! I'm also trying to relax a bit about her sleeping, we had a huuuge progress in last 2 weeks and I don't know why I want everything to be ideal...
Just in two weeks we went from rocking/bouncing/nurcing to sleep, she hated her crib (never slept there since birth), co-sleeping 24/7, only 30 min naps to lite shh-pat before going to sleep in crib (!), sometimes she puts herself to sleep in seconds (this is rare, but happens) and we have some routine, not perfect, but we have it. So I should be very happy and proud with my so intelligent little girl! We did it without any major crying and no PUPD, very smooth. I still have to use shh-pat to extend her naps, she can't pass through sleep cycles.
We still co-sleep at night, this is very comfy for me and I planned to do it untill weaning her from breast (like at 1 year at least), but now I think it may impact her naps. During the night sometimes she eats so much, so possibly that during the day she eats not so much that's why can't nap good... I'll think about this more and see what should I do...

Here is our EAS (all days are different, I'll post 2 of them):
day 1.
6.15 - awake time 1.50
7.00 - E (just liiitle bit)
8.05 - S (1.20)
9.25 - awake time 1.45
9.30 - E
11.05 - S (1.50) - was extending her hap for 20 min, she was very awake, but sleepy and trying to sleep
12.55 - awake time 1.50
1.00 - E
2.45 - S (30 min)
3.15 - awake
4.00 - E
4.55 - Sleep 20 min (veery light) in carrier during walk
5.50 - bath
6.10 - E
6.40 - in bed
7.20 - asleep (she fell asleep on her on after getting out of swaddle)
total day sleep: 4 hrs
night sleep: 11 hrs

day 2.
6.20 - awake time 1.45
7.00 - E very little (as she eats early in the morning a lot)
8.05 - S (1.30)
9.35 - awake time 2.20 (she couldn't settle for nap at 11.40)
9.40 - E
11.55 - S (30 min)
12.25 - awake time 1.25
1.00 - E
1.50 - S (1.30 min)
3.20 - awake
4.30- E
5.00 - S (20 min in carrier)
5.50 - bath
6.20 - E
7.10 - S
day sleep: 3.50
night sleep: 11.30 (before her usual night sleep time was 10.30, should I try to put her earlier?)

Usually after BT she wakes up in 2-3 hours and I take her to my bed untill morning.

Thanks for support!
Will apreciate any advice and help!

[Shiv52]

So I should be very happy and proud with my so intelligent little girl!

Absolutely!!!

I still have to use shh-pat to extend her naps, she can't pass through sleep cycles.

I think this is largely developmental.  I know when my first DD1 got to 5.5 months she started sleeping much better for naps.  Before that she needed lots of help to extend which sometimes did or didn't work.  My DD2 is 5 months and she still short naps and I'm hoping it passes soon! 

How often is she feeding at night?  If she is filling up on calories at night it could be she is snacking in the day and so not full enough to have a long nap.  I notice your E times are at different intervals.  Are you feeding on demand still or sticking to a specific time between feeds?

Does she take a dummy?  The co-sleeping could be affecting the naps as she wakes up and expects you beside her and you aren't so she wakes up more.  With my DD1 I only found BW at 4/5 months and upto then I co-slept alot of nights (when she woke after I was in bed) and I sleep trained for naps first and then tackled nights a lot later on.  Naps here were great in the crib after 5.5 months and then i weaned the feeding during the night by replugging the dummy rather than feeding and then worked on her sleeping in her crib all night but it was slow going.  Naps though were fine once we got them sorted and extended. 

Its still early days and your LO has made FAB progress.  I do think the naps will get longer.   

YOu could try bedtime 30 minutes earlier and see how she does.  Thats quite a long A time to bed after short naps and it would make your day/night closer to 12 hours each.

{{{hugs]}}}  it can be easy to get too caught up in how much they are sleeping and be frustrated if they aren't napping but I think you are totally right to just take a step back and realise your LO has done so so well and you have done an amazing job of getting her to sleep in her crib so quickly. 

[mianita]

Thanks for support and advices!!!
for several days I was trying to extend her A time and she was giving me only 30-40 min naps and only one 1.30 (with my help to extend) per day...
Also I moved her BT one hour earlier thanks to time change. So she has how 12 hour nights...
Today she suddenly gave me 2.15 second nap (first and last were 35 min) without waking... But it happened after 3 hours of A! I had to leave her with my DH and he couldn't put her to sleep. So I don't know what was that
I'm trying to feed her every 3.5, but I always feed her before BT and in the morning as she doesn't eat when she wakes, I'm trying around 2 hours later. Today she slept through her feeding time and had 4.15 between feedings.. Probaby I should see if she can handle 4 hours between feedings? And yes, I think she eats a lot at night and getting all her calories during nighttime, I still don't know what to do about that. Sometimes she hangs on my breast all night through and I can't take it from her, she is getting mad

Something strange going on with our routine, so I'm just trying to see her cues, which are always confusing ... Maybe it is time to move her to crib for the nights? I'm still not sure that we are ready ...

[Shiv52]

I would stick to 3.5 hours between feedings.  It can take longer for BF babies to get to 4 hourly feeds.  I know my 5 month old isn't there yet.  Although she is a rascal like your LO and seems to make up for calories during the night.  we are off on holiday next week and after that I am going to tackle the NFs!  What I plan to do is assume she can go 3.5 hours between feeds so if I DF at 10.30 I won't feed her again until 2am.  If she wakes before that DH is going to settle her however he can and get her back to sleep.  If she then wakes at 3am I'll feed and then not offer food for at least 3.5 hours again.  Thats the plan anyways.  I think she is in the habit of waking and I just feed her as she goes right back to sleep and I know its such a prop.  With DD1 I started to give her her dummy before offering a feed and that helped break the feeding to sleep at night and then she learned to replug herself so NWs became much better.  You could start by allowing her to feed when she wakes but instead of letting her just stay on, wait until she is very drowsy and then unlatch her and ssh/pat her if she stirs. 

She could be just snacking through the day and that is leading the short naps.  What A time is she managing?

Something strange going on with our routine, so I'm just trying to see her cues, which are always confusing

I'd keep watching her cues for a few days and see how she goes. 

{{{hugs}}}

[mianita]

Wow! Amazing! Yesterday I was thinking about the same plan for the NF and NW!!! I think that soon I'll try to put her to her crib for the nights. I plan to sleep first nights in her room at the floor also I'm looking for video monitor right now as I'll be very paranoic first days without her next to me... She will be 5 months in a week, so for now I still will try to work on her naps and then will try the nights. Very often for the morning nap she settles in seconds, but later in the day I have to shh/pat her.
I am trying now to extend A time and now it's 2 hours, let's see how it goes tomorrow.
Yesterday she gave me three naps: 30, 2.20 (without waking!!!), 30. Well, actually 4... I put her for BT at 6.15 as she woke early and she was awake in 30 min and it was absolutely impossible to settle her, she just managed it like a nap.. So her BT yesterday was at 9pm! My DH had to burp her, than she was hungry, then she pooed so finally settled in seconds at 9pm... And awake at 7.30 today (of course with multiple NF). It seems that I can't make her BT too early, I think at 7-7.30 the earliest, as per my log she sleeps around 10.5-11 hours at night, sooometimes 12, but this is rare. What do you think?
BTW yesterday she was not hungry at 3.5 hour mark, so I just waited and she became fussy around 4 hour mark. But it seems that she is not too hungry during the day in generally because of NF. So do you think its better still to feed her every 3.5?

Let me know how the nights will go for you as soon as you start with timed NF! As I want to do the same keep me informed!!!
 

[chocolatecake]

I am new to the forums and have nothing to add.  But I wanted to say it was great to read about others driving themselves crazy with sleeping issues.  I need to learn to relax about it and enjoy this baby.

[mianita]

Chocolatecake, Well, if your baby is not sleeping more than 30 min in a row since birth, so after several months you will get crazy and absolutely obsessed with this, I swear to you
During last 4 months I've got absolutely NO time for myself and my husband, so I decided I just HAVE to do something or I will kill myself one day I have absolutely nobody to leave my DD with, so I spend physically 24/7 with her and it's not easy even with the happiest baby in the world... I really hope to get over this sleep obsession, but it is not easy at all... Really not wishing this to any new mom!

Shiv52, btw my DD is not using paci, I tried 10 different types but she just thinks that it's a piece of plastic and spits it she definitely prefers my boob
I started to swaddle her though as soon as soon as started EASY. I tried Aussie swaddle but this doesn't work for her yet, she just wakes herself with her hands..

[Shiv52]

BTW yesterday she was not hungry at 3.5 hour mark, so I just waited and she became fussy around 4 hour mark. But it seems that she is not too hungry during the day in generally because of NF. So do you think its better still to feed her every 3.5?

If she's only hungry at the 4 hour mark I would leave it at that.  No point in encouraging snacking!  Her daytime eating  may pick up when you start to wean the NFs!

If wake up is 7.30 I would aim for BT at the same.  Even AP a CN to get you through to bedtime if you need to.  Early bedtimes never worked here, my DD always was up for the day 11.5 hours later. 

Let me know how the nights will go for you as soon as you start with timed NF! As I want to do the same keep me informed!!!

I will keep you posted!  We are away for a week next week and I hope to start after that.  Although then we have a wedding and DD1's birthday and away again for Easter so I know if I don't get it started soon it'll be another month before I'll have a good run at it! 

But I wanted to say it was great to read about others driving themselves crazy with sleeping issues.  I need to learn to relax about it and enjoy this baby.

{{{hugs}}}  I was totally obsessed with naps and A time with my DD1 and I did spend a lot of her first months not thinking about much else.  My DD2 is 5 months and this time I have just rolled with it.  We follow EASY but this time if she has a bad nap I just get on with it.  I think having a very busy toddler helps as I don't have time to think about  the bad naps! 

[Rose.]

Hi, I didn't read the whole post, just the first few and wanted to say that my daughter, who is now almost 6, would take her first nap 45 min after waking up... even at around 8 months or so, even after sleeping a solid 12 h night. She's was a champion napper/sleeper and can even now still have a daytime nap. She was taking three naps until almost 11 months, some hours long.Of course I didn't see it for the blessing it was- I was preoccupied with WHY she was sleeping so much.  I don't know if that helps but I just wanted to reassure you that there can be a wide variety of sleep needs among babies... and don't feel bad.

[mianita]

Thank you for comment my DD is now 5,5 mo and I finally feel more relaxed about her naps and try to trust her cues! I just understood that EASY in ideal way will never work for her, I tried many things to extend her naps etc, but finally I understood that she knows how much sleep she needs. So now sometimes I put her for her first nap after 1,5 hour (at 5,5 her A time "should" be closer to 2,5). She can have a catnap of 30-40 min or can go up to 2,5 hours, I never know I just try to relax more about that and not to be obsessed. I got severe anxiety because of her 30 min naps and now try to deal with it, so just try to be more focused on her needs and trust her little body.

Hope this helps a little bit to other new mums who are obsessed with naps length like I was.