If the 1st nap is a disaster, what do you do for the rest of the day schedule?

[marymustsleep]

The title says it all. I spent an hour doing PU/PD with DD this morning for her first nap. She finally went down and slept for 35 minutes. (Before we were doing BW, her naps were consistently 1.5 hours.) Now I don't know how to handle the fact that she is tired too early for her next nap.
Help!
Sarah

[KathrynK]

Hi Sarah
please can you post your normal daily routine including usual nap times and lengths and usual amount of time she is awake between naps?
Also how old is she?

[marymustsleep]

We're just getting her EASY schedule ironed out. But this is what we're working with as the new "ideal":
(by the way, DD is 7.5 mo and before all of this BW and PU/PD stuff she was taking two solid 1.25 hour naps a day and one 1 hour nap-- now I've screwed all of that up )

6:00 wake and quiet play in crib
7:00 nurse then play
8:00 breakfast then play
9:00 nap (1.5 hours)
10:30 nurse then play
12:30 nurse (eventually this will be lunch)
12:45 quiet play
1:00 to 1:30 nap--this is where I might have to slowly help her adjust
2:30 or 3:00 nurse then play
4:30 nurse
5:30 dinner
6:30 bedtime ritual
7:00 in bed for the night


Today was this-- she was super tired so I tried to put her down just before 8:00, it took until 9:00 with PU/PD. She only slept until 9:35. At 11:00, she was so exhausted that I let her go back to sleep with a much easier PU/PD session. She slept 45 minutes then woke up. I started PU/PD at 2:30, she fell asleep at 3:10 and needed shush-pat at 3:45, but now has slept for 2 hours total and we're about to wake her up so that it doesn't screw up tonight's sleep. Today has been totally SCHIZOPHRENIC!!!!

I feel like I'm losing my mind, but I truly BELIEVE that this is all going to sort itself out if we just stick with this board and all of the great info about the BW plan.

Thanks!
Sarah

[KathrynK]

Hi Sarah
Are you doing pu/pd to teach her to sleep independently? Is she used to falling asleep in your arms or some other way?
I think if you can hit on the right amount of A time between naps it will help her fall asleep quicker (and be less exhausting for you!) as she will be ready for sleep without being overtired. At 7.5 mos some lo's are having 2 x 1.5hr naps during the day, some who need a little more sleep are having 2 x 1.5hr naps and 1 x 30 min nap. A sample routine with 2 naps might look something like this:
6am wake
9am nap 1.5hrs
10.30am wake
1.30pm nap 1.5 hrs
3pm wake
6.30/7pm bed

If she needs less A time then a 3- nap routine would look something likethis:
6am wake
8.30am nap 1.5hrs
10am wake
12.30pm nap 1.5hrs
2pm wake
4.30pm nap 30 mins
5pm wake
7pm bed


I would guess that she is going to find pu/pd mentally and physically tiring, so you might be best on the 3-nap routine for now, especially as she is taking short naps at the moment. If she can last 2.5hrs of A time after a 1.5hr nap, then if she only sleeps for 35 mins she will likely need another nap after about 1.5hrs of A time. When my dd went through a short nap phase we just did 4 short naps a day to keep her rested. Takes some juggling with eating times but can be done!
I don't have any experience with pu/pd so will ask the other mods to have a look to see if they can offer any more advice. You are doing great so far, keep going! xx