5 mnth old 40 min catnapper...need help

[X-LUV]

Hello! My ds only naps about 30-40 mins each time. Sometimes (rarely) he naps for 1.5-2 hours but only when he is in his carseat or if its in the late evening and it is dark. I've tried to shhh/pat and even p/up p/dwn when he wakes after 30 mins but that only worked once! Usually he is wide awake and is smiling when he wakes up so its hard to get him back to sleep. But I've noticed that if it is really really dark he sleeps longer. Also, putting him down to sleep at night is usually pretty easy since the room is totally dark and he closes his eyes faster. Is he too stimulated to go back to sleep after his short naps?? Should I make his room completely dark? Any suggestions? p/up p/dwn only makes him more awake I've noticed.

[deckchariot]

Can you post your EASY routine?  It's possible he needs a bit more A time if he's waking from short naps and is happy.  Also, is he a spirited bub (have you taken the temperament quiz?)?  If so, he may indeed need all stimulation blocked out in his room in order to sleep.  You might want to consider blackout curtains for his room - or I know some moms who use aluminum foil on the windows.

pu/pd will only work if he wakes crying, and both pu/pd and shh/pat may be too stimulating if he is a spirited bub.  Many moms find some alternate form that works - either their voice, or just a hand on their bub and no noise, etc.  It can take a little experimenting to find out what works best.

hth
michelle

[X-LUV]

He is both Spirited and Touchy...both describe him exactly. I can tell that he is easily stimulated when he is trying to take a nap because he looks very tired but he won't close his eyes and will look all around the room or stare at his mobile while crying. However at nighttime its MUCH easier putting him to sleep. I will try putting up blackout curtains and see if it helps. Here is our EASY routine... (varies a bit, but this is pretty close). He gets tired and cranky every 2 hours but even if I push it to 3 hours he STILL naps for only 30-40 minutes. 

E 8:30 a
A 9:00
S 10:30

E 11:00
A 11:30
S 1:00

E 1:30
A 2:00
S 3:30

E 4:00
A 4:30
S 6:00

E 6:30
A 7:00
E 8:00
S 8:30 p

(he still doesn't sleep thru the night. wakes every 3-4 hours for pacifier)

[deckchariot]

Does he wake during his naps for his pacifier too?  If so, that's probably the real issue with the short naps, not A time.

At 5 mos, most bubs can do a tad more than 2 hrs, though the first A time of the day is often shorter.  so your routine doesn't really look all that off.  One thing I do notice is that even when he has a short nap, you still have him at 2 hrs of A time.  If he takes a short nap, he won't be able to handle a long A time, because he won't be as well rested.  So I would shorten the next A time if he doesn't nap well.

Is he swaddled?  Also, since he's spirited, his environment will be really key to helping him sleep well - so darkness is key (blackout curtains, foil or something to block out daylight), and even things like a mobile on his crib, or a bumper with lots of things on it, or even stuff hanging on the wall can be a distraction - so take a look for those things.  Additionally, spirited bubs often need a really short winddown, so that may help as well.

hth
michelle