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Author Topic: 10.5 mos, A time too long or too short???  (Read 1293 times)

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Offline UNCMomma

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10.5 mos, A time too long or too short???
« on: December 31, 2006, 17:13:56 pm »
Our nap schedule is a MESS. Here's a little history... LO always goes down great for her morning nap but in the past several weeks has continuously pushed her PM nap later, some days not taking it... SO, for 2 weeks we have tried cutting the AM nap short (45 min usually) to ensure a long PM nap.  Was working like a charm til she got sick right before Christmas, when I went back to letting her have 2 long naps a day, she was sleeping more b/c she was sick. 

Okay, so she started feeling better towards the end of last week (Thurs/Fri) so Thurs she started herself back on the short AM nap, long PM nap thing.  Here was Friday's schedule...

7:30 Wake
10:10 in bed, 10:35-11:20 (woke her) AM NAP
1:45 in bed, 3:30-4:30 (woke her) PM NAP  :o (notice the 1 hr and 45 min in bed awake)  ::)
7:15 in bed, asleep 7:30

And here's Saturday (yesterday)...
6:45 Wake
9:30 in bed, 9:30-10:15 (woke her) AM NAP
1:15 in bed, 2:45-4:30 (woke her) PM NAP (1 1/2 hours in bed awake)
7:15 in bed, asleep 7:30

WHAT??? WHY is the kid not going to sleep for her PM nap??  She plays for a while in her bed, then starts whining, then starts crying.  So I go in, lay her down, give her lovie, and the cycle starts again (play, whine, cry).  This is the baby who rarely has a rough time going to sleep on her own, usually just plays a while then goes on to sleep.  ???  It ends up being about 4 hours 15 min awake time til she finally crashes and goes to sleep.  No problem at AM nap or bedtime going to sleep. 

So my question is, too much A time (is she getting overtired) or not enough???  I'm stumped. 

Today she got a 1/2 hour AM nap in the car on our way home from MIL's and was OH SO CRANKY so I put her down 2 hrs 15 min after her wake from that, trying to see if it's overtiredness.  She's up there doing the SAME THING as before now, and if she keeps on I guess I'll get her up and put her back down in a while.  Don't know if crankiness is being tired, or maybe ear infection cropping up after last week's cold...

Any suggestions?  She has always seemed to need a little more sleep than the "norm" so I'm desparately trying to avoid overtired...

TIA!  :)
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Offline macsmum

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Re: 10.5 mos, A time too long or too short???
« Reply #1 on: December 31, 2006, 17:52:39 pm »
no expert here as i am having the same trouble on i think this is causing the night wakings again?

have u tried to extend the A time in the am, try putting lo down at 10.30 am for a short nap maybe that is what i am gonna do tommorow.
hth
Emma
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Offline Cohensmom

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Re: 10.5 mos, A time too long or too short???
« Reply #2 on: December 31, 2006, 20:26:26 pm »
Personally I wouldn't wake your lo in the morning to ensure a long afternoon nap.  This could backfire and cause a very cranky overtired baby and can lead to her taking short morning naps.  Is she acting tired when you put her down for a nap at 1:15pm?  I would try putting her down for a nap either around 2 or 2:30.  My lo is almost 10 months old and has his naps around 10am and 2pm each day.  If he takes a long morning nap, like 2 hours, I don't put him down for his second nap until 2:30 or 3pm.  It sounds like your lo isn't tired enough at 1:15 for a nap.  I'd wait until after 2pm and see if that works.

Good luck....HTH.

Michelle
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Offline UNCMomma

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Re: 10.5 mos, A time too long or too short???
« Reply #3 on: December 31, 2006, 22:14:57 pm »
Thanks for both your replies!

Emma, that first A time seems to be right on, she has no trouble whatsoever falling asleep for nap #1. 

Michelle, when I DON'T wake the LO during the AM nap, she refuses the PM nap 80-90% of the time, no matter what time I put her down.  I've tried putting her down later, it doesn't work when she's had that long AM nap.  Then I've got a REALLY overtired baby when she slept from 10-12, even if I move her bedtime WAY early.

Anybody have any other ideas???  Thanks so much, I appreciate any and all input!  :)
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Offline KathrynK

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Re: 10.5 mos, A time too long or too short???
« Reply #4 on: January 01, 2007, 10:18:24 am »
Hi there (and a happy new year!)

as you know we are having similar nap issues to you- I think after a month of tweaking naps we have finally settled down again. I would recommend keep the am nap short- I usually wake dd after 45 mins (some days she wakes herself now)
I think your A times are too short. Around 10.5 months Sophie started stretching her A times to 4 hours in between her 2 naps. At that time her A times were roughly 3 hrs from waking to first nap, 4 hours in between and then 3 hours till bed. I know if I think she should be tired so I put her to bed too early by mistake, she will chat and sing for ages and end up getting overtired as she doesn't go to sleep! Whilst some babies extend their A times gradually, Sophie didn't- just one day all of a sudden she started being awake for 4 hours!
If she's sleeping from 9.30 to 10.15, I would aim to be back in bed at 2pm and see if she settles more easily. Obviously if you get to 1.45 and she is knackered then don't keep her up!
Let me know how you go xxxxx
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Offline UNCMomma

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Re: 10.5 mos, A time too long or too short???
« Reply #5 on: January 01, 2007, 12:11:39 pm »
Ahhhh, thank you Kathryn.  Good to know that these A times can just one day, BOOM! need to be longer.  That's the way it seems with my LO, but I remember the days of extending them 5 min per day which was sometimes too drastic!   ::)  Anyway, I will definetly try this...

Today will be a little wonky b/c of lunch with family so I think I'm going for a long AM nap, followed by a 4 hour A time, then hopefully a short PM nap.  Of course the baby will probably have different ideas...

Happy New year, and thanks again!  :)
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Offline UNCMomma

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Re: 10.5 mos, A time too long or too short???
« Reply #6 on: January 01, 2007, 21:03:37 pm »
Today has gone well so far...

6 Am wake up
8:45-11 nap #1 (2 hrs 15 min)
3:15-4:15 (will wake her) nap #2 (1 hour)
7 PM in bed

This is what we'll stick to for a while, longer AM nap and longer A time in between naps!  Wish us luck, and thanks again for all the advice!  :)
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Offline UNCMomma

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Re: 10.5 mos, A time too long or too short???
« Reply #7 on: January 03, 2007, 17:40:54 pm »
Question Kathryn... (or anyone else)

Here's yesterday

7:20 wake up
10:15 down for nap, asleep 10:30-12 (woke her up)
Put down for PM nap 3:15, got her up after no sleep at 3:45, back down at 4, still no sleep
Gave up!
Bedtime 6 PM

I shortened the A time b/c I had woken her from her first nap, so I figured she would get tired quicker.  Was this not right?  Should I have waited the full 4 hours before putting her back down?  And if so, WHY didn't she go to sleep at 4 when I put her BACK down???

Blah day...
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Offline KathrynK

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Re: 10.5 mos, A time too long or too short???
« Reply #8 on: January 03, 2007, 18:18:18 pm »
see my gut feeling is to have a short am nap to ensure you get a good pm nap- I went with this cos that's what loads of previous posters on the subject had said. I know you decided to stick with the good am nap to ensure you do get at least one good nap but that might be part of the problem itself iykwim
Let's see what other posters have to say......
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Offline Cohensmom

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Re: 10.5 mos, A time too long or too short???
« Reply #9 on: January 03, 2007, 21:11:28 pm »
Hi,

Just curious, when you put your lo down for an afternoon nap, is she acting fussy and tired?  Is she an active baby?  On the days where she doesn't take an afternoon nap, do you put her to bed early?
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Offline UNCMomma

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Re: 10.5 mos, A time too long or too short???
« Reply #10 on: January 04, 2007, 01:28:42 am »
Thanks Kathryn.  I think you're probably right about cutting the AM nap, it's just challenging finding that perfect A time afterwards that will allow her to fall asleep without getting overtired.  I guess that's what I need to keep striving towards!

Cohensmom... my LO is pretty laid back and rarely gets fussy or shows signs of tiredness during the day.  She has to be WIPED OUT before she'll do that.  She does yawn occassionally, but I've found that this doesn't really seem to correlate with a 'good' time to put her down anymore.  She is pretty active, and busy, and probably doesn't pay attention to her tired signs.  Plus if she does give tired signs, I must miss them b/c I have a 3 1/2 year old too.   ::)  On days she misses the afternoon nap she goes to bed REALLY early.  Sometimes 5:30, always between 5:30 and 6 (normal bedtime is 7/7:15 with 2 naps a day).

Here's today...
7:30 wake up
10:30-11:15 Nap #1 (played in crib from 10-10:30 before falling asleep)
3-4:30 Nap #2 (played in crib from 2:40-3 before falling asleep) & (I had to wake her at 4:30)
In bed asleep at 7:15

(she seemed very tired at bedtime tonight)

So today was good, but I'm sure I'll try to repeat it tomorrow and it will be a bust!  Stay tuned!!  :)
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Offline KathrynK

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Re: 10.5 mos, A time too long or too short???
« Reply #11 on: January 04, 2007, 09:31:37 am »
hiya
I know your lo is a few weeks younger than Sophie (who is 1 today!)- we had to start messing with naps around 10.5 months and it's really taken 6 weeks to sort her out- this last 7 days she has stopped waking early in the morning and fighting naps and has really settled back down. Just wanted to warn you it may take a few weeks to feel like you are winning!
sounds like yesterday was good so fingers crossed for you xxx
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Offline UNCMomma

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Re: 10.5 mos, A time too long or too short???
« Reply #12 on: January 04, 2007, 14:02:46 pm »
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SOPHIE!!!  :)

Good to know things will settle down... it IS a busy age! 
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