Is it ok to not have a 'predictable' routine

[Grace's Mom]

We use to be on a really predictable EASY and could plan around it with ease.  Since about 6 months everything kind of got screwy.  Now our night time issues are some what normal but we still have a non predictable daily routine.  No matter what we do....longer A time, shorter A time her naps vary from day to day (we have tried everything).  Sometime (1/2 the time) her first nap is cut short by a huge poop and then the entire day is already gone - routine wise.  We aren't really stressed out about it just wondering if it is OK to just follow her cues and put her down when she is tired and then just be fine with a nap anywhere from 15 minutes - 1.5 hours.  She is 7.5 months and still can just stay awake 2.5 hours...sometimes (on a rare occasion) in the evening if she has had 3 very short naps and won't take a 4th one will be up for 3.5 hours or so.  I would love to be able to find a solution to get her back to being more predictable but I don't want to stress out about it iykwim. 

She does eat at around the same times everday give or take 30 minutes.

If she wakes at 5am and goes back to sleep at 6am and sleeps till 7 then her feeds are roughly 7, 11, 3 and 6:15ish
If she doesn't wake at 5am than she starts her day at 6am (she only needs 11 hours at night) and her feed are around 6:30, 10:30, 2:30 and 6ish.  That is another issues with not having a predictable routine....it all depends on what happens at night.

Our day pretty much gets determined by her first nap which is usually 30 minutes or so give or take a few minutes.  I want to give her more A time but she starts yawning after being awake 1 hour normally.  She must not sleep too soundly at night. 

I don't know if anyone has any suggestions.  If you need more information please fee free to ask.  Thanks.

Melissa

[binxyboo]

I never woke my lo at a particular time every day, whenever he woke was when our day started. This was usually between 7-8 am. I don't think I would have been okay with a 5 am start. He always took a good first nap at that age, the pm nap was a bit more unpredictable. Rouitne of eat. play , hopefully sleep was fairly consistent.

If he was waking at 5 every day I think I would have been less inclined to go with the flow and may have tried to get a better routine in place

[Colin Macs Mom]

Hi Melissa, I think you're doing just fine! Things tend to get screwy around 6 mo for developmental reasons, so just do your best and do what works. 

[rebecaq]

Hi Melissa 

I don't think there's anything wrong with your routine not being "predictable".  They vary all the time. And as Jessica said, at the age your lo is at there is tons of developmental stuff going on. 

Most babies show sleepy signs and take a longer nap in the am because it becomes an extension of their nighttime sleep.  If you can find a way to maybe extend that A time by a bit it may help the other naps to fall into place.

But I always say, if they are happy and content then you don't have much to worry about 

- Beca

[Grace's Mom]

Thanks for the encouragement everyone. I'll keep trying to extend her A times.
-she just started crawling too!  So much going on at this age.

binxyboo:  When she wakes at 5am she goes back to sleep till 7am ( after rolling, etc for awhile - and a sip of water and a touch of formula) so she actually doesn't start her day at 5am iykwim.  Although I would love it if she did not wake at 5am every day.

[rebecaq]

Have you tried W2S to see if you can eliminate that 5am waking?

[Mum of girl, boy, boy]

Hi ya,

I think the answer to that really depends on your personality. I would be lost without my routine of knowing when my kids go down so I tend to work towards the same day in day out. With DS our blips came around 5 months (3 to 2 nap change), when he started to roll, when he started to stand and couldn't get back down, and during the 2 to 1 switch (which for us has been really early), when he cut his first few teeth.

I can tell you having the naps at a set time (give of take etc) does help me feel more in control and I feel I have something to work from without I feel like the varibles of why my toddler or baby are acting up are overwhelming.

That just the way I am. I admir people that can go with the flow more.

Just my 2pence worth.

Keep going with what feels right for you.

J

[sue]

I just wanted to say I'm with you on this one.  We have the 5am wake up but I just nurse her and she generally goes right back to sleep until between 7 and 8 and that's when we start our day.  So she doesn't wake at a consistant time (anywhere in that hour usually), the rest of her day seems to be different every day.  Sometimes she will stay awake for an hour before her first nap, sometimes 1.5 hours.  Her naps can be anywhere from 20 mins to 2 hours (usually more like 45mins ) but I can't seem to help her settle into a solid routine.  I think it has to do with her being a very light sleeper.  I suspect her morning wake time depends on how well she slept through the night and then how long she stays awake is effected too.  Then she has a really hard time getting into that deep sleep during her naps, and any little sound (or poop!) disturbs her, hence the short naps.  At least I find her cues really easy to read so I end up just putting her to bed whenever she is tired.  In our case, it makes for a difficult day since I'm trying to plan outings and things with a 4 year old around these crazy naps.  I just keep hoping it'll fall into place without too much intervention on my part since she really resists when I try and it usually causes a lot more problems with no real improvement to her routine.  I'll keep following this thread to see what others think- thanks for posting!

[binxyboo]

If you and your lo are happy with your routine, then I would let it be. From your first post, it said she woke at 5 and went back to sleep by 6. I thought being awake for a full hour may be a problem for you. I know when Riley was young, for a long time he had just 1 hour awake time in the morning, then took his first long nap. It seemed as though your lo was treating that first awakening as start of the day from you post.