Re: Confused about Tracey's advice for 45 minute naps.

[Wyatts mum]

I am also confused about the 45 min naps.  My son Wyatt (4mths today - 16wks) will only take 45 min naps but to get him to take a nap i have to rock him to sleep then ever so gently put him in the crib.  am I supposed to work on getting him to fall asleep on his own first then work on extending the naps, and do I go in at 40 min to the patting thing or just the pressure thing to get him to go back to sleep should I do the swaddling with one arm out.  he sleeps great at night from7:30 - 7:00am no problems but the days are awfull.  I feel like all day all i am trying to do is to get him to sleep.  He eats at 7:00 then 10:30 then 2:00 5:00 and 7:00 I am scared to move him to only 4 feeding in a day every 4 hours and I don't feel like he needs a dream feed.  Any help on figure out a schedule and how to do the napping would be wonderful.  I can tell he needs more sleep because as the day goes by he gets more cranky.  Thanks so much Beka

[newmommyl]

word is that if your baby is sleeping well at night which it sounds like yours has the perfect night's sleep....don't worry about the naps so much unless he's really cranky.   i would just love that night sched if i were you 

[Wyatts mum]

I dont' swaddle him now.  He does suck him thumb a lot and sometimes I think that keeps him awake.  He is a very active , kicking baby.  A pacifier just gets spit out after 3 seconds.  At night he falls asleep on his own I start our baths at 7:00 and then give him a bottle by 7:15 and if he falls asleep with the bottle fine I will just put him in the crib or sometimes he won't fall asleep and I put him in the crib anyway and leave and he falls asleep on his own.  Thats why I don't understand why during the day he won't fall asleep on his own.  Do you think swaddling will help.  On our worst days he will only take 2 -  30 min. naps and is cranky all day.  On our best days he will take 3 thru 4  45 min naps but that happens so rarely when he does that he is definitley a happer baby.  thanks Beka

[Wyatts mum]

Our routine goes something like this

                 7:00 Bottlefed 7 ounces
                 8:15 - 8:30 put down for nap (usually last 30-45 min) if I wait to long he is overtired
                 9:00 activities

                 10:30  Bottlefed 7 ounces
                 11:00 nap (30-45min) sometimes he won't go down at all but is obviously tired, he yawns and is crabby
                 12:00 activities

                 2:00  Bottlefed 7 ounces
                 2:30  Nap or same 30-45min
                 3:00 activiteis
                 4:00  I will try to get him to nap somwhere between 4-5 o'clock because if he does nothing between then and 7:30 he is horribly cranky

                 5:00 bottled 7 ounces
                 5:20 activities and he is usually tired at 6:00 and crabby and I hold him a lot to keep him happy until our bath at 7:00
                 7:00 bath and massage
                 7:15 feeding of 8 ounces
                 7:30 -7:40 bedtime, down in his crib awake or asleep and he goes to bed no problem, doesn't wake up till 6:30-7:00 in the morning

I think part of the problem is he fights naps during the day the first one is easy to get him to go to sleep as the day goes by it gets harder and I'm thinking of trying the 4 hour schedule and getting him used to napping during the day falling asleep on his own.  He is used to me rocking him to sleep then putting him in the crib.  Thanks Beka
                

[Wyatts mum]

He does not always go on the routine I listed.  His bottles are the same every day but naps are never at the same time.  If he misses a morning nap because I couldn't get him to fall asleep I will let him go to sleep after the 10:30 bottle instead of an activity.  Otherwise I always try to to a activity after a bottle.  My main problem is he has always fallen asleep for naps either in a swing or me rocking him to sleep then putting him in the crib.  I have tried to change that a couple times, but I'm guess i'm confused on how to start doing that.  I know the book says to do the shushing and patting under 3 months but I don't get what to do at 4mths old.  Do I shush and pat?  I think I need to work on him taking naps on his own before I work on his naps being longer than 45 minutes.  Beka