Hi, I am still struggling with the PM nap for my almost 11 month old. I cannot seem to EVER hit upon the correct awake time between his AM and PM nap. I try to keep him up anywhere between 3 to 3.5 hours as that seems to be the time most babies are awake for this age. I can't seem to win. Some days he may sleep an hour to 1 hr. 15 but it isn't enough it seems. But lot's of days, he wakes at the 35 to 40 minute mark and CANNOT get to the next sleep cycle. What should I do?
I haven't really tried PU/PD as he's so heavy. Should I do wake to sleep? Is he too old for wake to sleep for naps? He's usually overtired it seems during the late afternoon as his PM nap is just not usually good. Today, he slept for about 1.5 hrs in the AM. He woke up crying from that nap (which is usual for him, unfortunately). So, I kept him up about 3.5 hours and then put him down at 1:55pm this afternoon. He almost never acts tired anymore in the PM so I just have to go with the hours he's been awake and that's why it always seems a crap shoot! I have tried 3 hours btwn the AM and PM nap and that doesn't seem to work, either. His schedule is something like this:
5-5:45am Wake up (yes, we've been struggling with the early AM waking for too long now!)
6:00 or 6:30 BF
7:30-8:00 Breakfast
8:45-9:30 Nap #1 (depends on when he wakes up and how long he can last. I'm trying to keep a decent nap time for the morning even though he's waking too early)
10:30-11:30 awake
Sometimes will BF after getting up
12:30 Lunch
BF after lunch but he doesn't nurse to sleep
Anywhere btwn 1:30 or 2:30 Nap #2
Wakes up from nap #2 anywhere btwn 35min. to an hour. Varies GREATLY!
3:30-5:00pm Wake time
5:00pm dinner
6:00pm Bath
6:30-7:00pm Bedtime
I know this is a hard age with naps. He doesn't usually refuse his PM nap but just is quite inconsistent with it. Another issue we're having is that it is taking him FOREVER to eat his finger foods. Sometimes I sit there with him an hour!!!! It is really eating into our wind down. I don't know what the deal is, honestly. Actually, as I'm writing this, I am wondering if the early AM waking is causing him to start out his day overtired and by the time he gets to his second nap he is waaaaaaaay overtied and can't sleep well? I have posted before but am still struggling so much. I need this fixed
Thanks in advance for the advice, gals!
Suzanne
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William born 3/23/05