6 months - short naps out of the blue!

[Josiepoo]

Hi All

Well we have been through it all - no naps newborn, colic, short naps, milk allergy, low milk supply, wind - once the last 3 were properly addressed we suddenly had a happy bubba who enjoyed her sleep. Now we have short naps again, I *think* I know why but want other people's opinions.

At just under 6 months (just before xmas) bubs was on a happy 4 hr EASY, 2hrs A 2hrs sleep and a catnap before bed. However, She started resisting bed time and waking in the night wanting to feed and chat - I figured that perhaps this meant she was ready for the naps to change, however she then got a cold/cough/fever and xmas then happened so everything went out of the window.

Now I want to extend her A time but she is giving tired signs at 2hrs, then VERY tired signs by 2.5hrs - if she goes down at either of those times she only sleeps for 35-40mins. I know 35 usually means OT but she wakes up with a brief grumble then is all smiles and chats... until an hour later when she starts to grump again, so maybe this suggests UT.  sometimes when I put her down for her nap she cries loudly and whimpers for a while before she gets to sleep as if she is OT - but she does this if I try naps at 2.5 or 2hrs, so maybe this is just how she acts if you try to put her to sleep UT?

I would wait longer, but by 2.5hrs she is rubbing her eyes like crazy and sulking.

Here are our failed EASYs:

Yesterdays EASY                                                             Todays (messed up worse because our first ever swimming lesson)

7 - Up and bottle                                                               7 - Up and bottle
8 - banana                                                                         8 - Banana
9.30 - sleep                                                                       9.30 - sleep (trying a repeat of yesterday)
11 - Miracle she slept the full 1.5! Bottle                          10 - Up (grrr)
12 - attempt at lunch failed                                              11 - feed
1.30 - sleep                                                                      11.30 - lunch
2.10 - Awake                                                                     12 - try for a nap (no tired signs but wanted a small nap before swim)
3 - Bottle                                                                           12.30 - sleep after cry cry whimper
3.30 - so grizzly trying to get her back to sleep                3 - feed
4 - finally asleep                                                                4.15 - Sleep
4.30 - Awake                                                                     5 - I woke her up (wanted good night sleep)
5.30 - solids                                                                     6.30 - bath, feed, cry cry to sleep by 7.20
6.30 - Bath, feed and cried to sleep by 7.20


So it appears that she Cries more when undertired? I do wonder if teeth have an involvement in her short naps, but she isn't unhappy when she wakes up.

Any thoughts would be grand.

[Josiepoo]

FYI - she woke up early this morning starving hungry (not like her, but she had refused her solids and possibly the swimming had an impact). She was up at 6.20, fed by 6.30 and showing tired signs before 8am. I gave in after a while and she was happily asleep by 8.30 and has now been asleep around an hour.

Not sure if waking up early is what made her so tired after 1.5hrs 

[Papaya]

I suspect she does need that A push - most LOs are up to 2hr30-45 by now and moving towards dropping the catnap. So she could be crying in protest because she's not ready to sleep yet. Is my baby ready to increase his ‘A’ time? (incl. 'A' times for younger babies)   It's also a tough time developmentally, though.

Have you tried teething meds to rule out pain disrupting naps? Any new foods that might be disagreeing with her? Three meals a day is a lot for just six months, I would be inclined to drop back to two, and leave out the dinner solids in case it's too much for her tummy before bed.

Are you staying with her when she cries and can't settle at bedtime? Or do you mean more of a mantra cry?

xx

[Josiepoo]

Thanks for your message. It seemed things worked themselves out - I do think teeth are still playing her up a little but she seems to be going down for naps a lot happier again.

I can't leave her to cry - I'm a cuddly mummy, but I always give her the chance to sort herself out first as sometimes she finds her fingers after an initial cry and happily sucks them back to sleep.

Thanks for your time though

[Papaya]

Glad to hear things are ok now