How long before next nap???

[clairemk88]

My lo is slowly making improvements, she's been doing 1h+ naps the past few days. However, I don't always time it right and therefore she ends up either UT or OT. Take this morning for example...

A 7.20
E 7.25
A put down for sleep at 8.55
S 9.02 W2S @9.35

A 10.00
E 11.00
A put down for sleep at 11.30
S 11.42 was going to W2S @12.15 but she woke at 12.10

I obviously kept her up too long before her last nap but she wasn't showing any definite signs of tiredness so after a while I thought this is long enough. Now as she's only slept 30m she was clearly OT but what's the max I should now keep her up until putting her down again???

I did try ssh/pat but she was having none of it, just started smiling at me... lol

My lo has just turned 16wks and has been on 4h feeds for a while (this morning was 3.5 otherwise she would've been way too tired for her feed). Having difficulties with 4h EASY, guess she'll make it in her own sweet time.

Would be grateful for any advice ladies xx

[mumplum]

Hi,

not sure if I can help at all, but am in similar spot with my 19 week old dd.  I thought (from things I have read) that I should be aiming to keep her up for 2 hours at the most. This works perfectly with 4 hour EASY, if they can make the distance, and my dd is struggling with that. She is only taking 45 min naps, having to resettle with pat-shush.

What is the W2S? are you waking her or just patting her through transition?

[clairemk88]

I'm trying to stretch my lo to 2h but have been increasing it by 5-10m every few days.

W2S means wake to sleep. So I creep in at btwn 30-35m and gently stroke her arm or tummy, whatever it takes to stir her. Sometimes she'll open her eyes slightly but generally she just wriggles then settles down back to sleep. After that one I go in after every 22-23m to do the same. The best she's managed so far is about 1h 30m nap by doing this.

Can hear her getting ancy so best dash. Be back in a bit.

[emmas]

I would knock 15 mins off her usual a time so you are putting her down 15 mins earlier - that usually works for me after a short nap.

Just one thought is she swaddled?  That can sometimes help through the jolts.

[clairemk88]

golly, would never have thought to keep her up that long but will definitely give it a go... thanx

yup, partially swaddled - leave one arm out to hold onto her lovie (we're trying to swap this for the paci) however as she still needs the paci more often than not she also uses this free hand to pull it out, oh the fun we have... gotta laugh

[emmas]

Sorry - just checked how old she is - I would say put her down about now!

[clairemk88]

Well she took a nap at 1.30ish thanks to a car journey. Went to meet up with gal pals, so she slept for at least 40-45m in the car. Stopped for a couple of hours then she had another sleep in the car, similar amount of time. Unfortunately she always wakes when the car stops
Plus I've put her down slightly earlier today. Decided as she woke from her nap at 5pm to aim for a 6.30 bed time. So she's just down, fingers crossed

[emmas]

Good luck - I've had to do very early bed tonight too so I'm hoping for a good night!

[clairemk88]

Fingers crossed for both of us then

[clairemk88]

Morning emmas... how was your night??

My lo woke at 9pm but I was able to resettle quickly. Then she slept through her DF and woke again at 4am, was able to resettle quickly again, phew! She woke up a very happy bunny at 6.20... bit early for my liking but hey ho

[emmas]

Must if been something in the air at 6.20 - I got the same wake up LOL!  I had a wake up at 7, 8 and 9 but like you very quickly settled - thats his usual OT behaviour.

Hope you have a good day today and I'm glad it all worked out ok for you in the end.

[olivetshka]

Hello ladies
Can anyone tell me what OT and UT means? OT is overtired, right? And UT? Tired not enough?
I have problems with my 4 months old naps - she sleeps only 45 min. We're on PU/PD for a 1.5 week now and I see some improvement, while we were co-sleeping since birth (she had - and still has - gas problems) and she had my boob in her mouth all night long :/
I have tried to extend her naps doing PU/PD, but no results. That makes her angry even more. Her eyes are usually wide open when I come into the room and even when she seems tired she won't settle down.
I wanted to do W2S yesterday, but she ended up sleeping for 30 min. 5 or 6 times/day.
I try to keep her on 3 hr EASY for a 1.5 week now, but with her short naps is the mess. I have try to put her to bed every 2 hrs, now trying 1,5 hr. Nothing better.
She is DF at 10.30 - 11.00 pm and then wakes up every 2 or 1,5 hr. Today she started her day at 5 am :/
I know she should be sleeping thru the night at this age, but PU/PD is so hard at night! And I understand there's no easy solution.
But I'm happy anyway, cause she was killing me sleeping with my breast and using me as a paci (she won't take paci or bottle into her mouth).
Maybe somebody has any idea what I should do? Will be appreciated

[emmas]

Hi Anna - Yes OT - is overtired and UT is undertired.  The usual awake time for a 4 month old is 1hr 45 mins to 2 hours.  45 min naps usually mean undertired but they can mean OT too - or that your baby can't make it through to the next sleep cycle (the jolt wakes them)

Is she swaddled for naps?  That can help - you can go in just before the 45 min mark and put gentle pressure or pat her through the transistion. 

PU/PD is very stimulating for young babies - and is usually the last resort - if you say it makes her angry have you tried shush pat?

I would maybe try an a time of 1.45 mins - but if she has a short nap you need to reduce the next a time but about 30 mins.

Well done for your night success - that must of been hard work - I know its tough to be consistent when you are tired but if you are it teaches them quicker.

Does that help?

[olivetshka]

Hi Anna - Yes OT - is overtired and UT is undertired.  The usual awake time for a 4 month old is 1hr 45 mins to 2 hours.  45 min naps usually mean undertired but they can mean OT too - or that your baby can't make it through to the next sleep cycle (the jolt wakes them)

Is she swaddled for naps?  That can help - you can go in just before the 45 min mark and put gentle pressure or pat her through the transistion. 

PU/PD is very stimulating for young babies - and is usually the last resort - if you say it makes her angry have you tried shush pat?

I would maybe try an a time of 1.45 mins - but if she has a short nap you need to reduce the next a time but about 30 mins.

Well done for your night success - that must of been hard work - I know its tough to be consistent when you are tired but if you are it teaches them quicker.

Does that help?

Thanks for your reply.
No, she's not swaddled - she hates it. We stopped swaddle her when she was tiny - around second week of her life. She cried a lot when I swaddled her, she tried to kick out. Even now, when she sleeps, I have to cover her with a blanket very carefully, cause she kicks and moves a lot (hmmm, touchy type?)
I have tried the shhh/pat when she was newborn. Sometimes it worked, many times not. When she had those gas problems, she wasn't good napper, she cried a lot and we rocked her in our arms and walked with her. She hated to sleep in her crib (30 min. naps), but loved on our bellies (even 2,5 hr naps). And she slept in our bed at night with my breast in her mouth. Later, when I couldn't help myself, I went to bed with her (when she suppose to start her nap), feed her there and when she was asleep, sneak out of the room. But 30 min. later, when she wakes up, I went to bed again and give her my breast as a paci ;/ Terrible, brrr....
Right now she's pretty good with settling herself down without patting - I noticed, it makes her little bit angry. I put my hand on her back or on her diaper instead.
Thanks again