Should "A" time be shorter if they have a shorter (45min) nap?

[Cari]

Hello,

I am having a hard time reading my lo's cues, she is spirited (surprise, right?)  Anyway, she has started the whole 45 min nap business and I have tried to extend, but have been unsuccessful thus far.  It seems like as the day goes on, and she hasn't had a good nap, it is harder and harder to settle her, and the past few days, she has not taken the catnap, so at bedtime she is not a happy baby.  So it seems in the morning, and after she has had a good nap, she does pretty well with 1 hr 15 min of "A" time.  But if her nap is short, how much shorter should the "A" time be?  What do you do with the feeding schedule if they don't take a good nap?  How does a 3 hour EASY work if they only nap 45 min?  Thanks for you input!

[*Natasha*]

How old is your LO,could you post your routine?

[Cari]

Oops, sorry.  She is 12 weeks, and since naps are all over the place ~ we really don't have a routine.  She  wakes up around 6:30am and goes to bed around 6:30 pm.  She eats every 2.5 to 3 hours.  Thanks!

[meltown]

that is my question too.  is it ok to have a fukk 1.5 hours of awake time if Lo only sleeps 45 min.  or should you shorten it because they didn't sleep long enough to be awake that long?  or is it ok and it wont make then over tired?

[*Natasha*]

DO you try and resettle if so how? When my DD was doing 45min naps i would keep as close to our normal routine as i could if i couldn't resettle her.

[debo620]

ok so I had a 40min napper from early on,also spirited. I really do think you have to shorten the A time on a 40min nap. How long would a good nap be? and how much A time can they handle after that? maybe try reducing A time by 20min or so...
I think the problem becomes "because they only slept 40min--they can't handle as much A time but because they didn't have full awake time--they only sleep 40min"and so the cycle continues....really I think if you can extend their naps then do it but if you can't, you may have to feed a little early and allow for as many 40min naps as possible, you may end up feeding before sleep but just seperate them out with a diaper change etc.

wake, feed 6:30
nap 8-8:40, try to extend but can't
feed at 9:20,diaper change, quiet activity
nap9:40-10:20
activity
nap 11:20-12:00
feed 12:30
nap1-1:40
nap 2:40-3:10
feed 3:30
nap 4:10-4:50
feed, bath, bed 6:30