quick answer needed please ...A times what shall i do for this afternoon

[huby]

Hi for the first time ever, LO was doing two long naps of 1.5 hrs each, but now it's all changed. (3 hrs A time, she's just turned 8 mnths)
For the past two mornings she's done 1.10hrs naps (A time 3 hrs) and a 45 mins lap at lunchtime (A time 3hrs 15) .

Sooo, based on todays 1.10hr nap, do I put her down at 3hrs 15 A time of 3 hrs (don't want another short nap really). Got short one y'day based on 3hrs 15, but took ages to extend it (40 mins) which I just can't do today as have people visiting for the day.

eeek, what to do witht he A times?

[~Sara~]

Most babies need a shorter A time after a short nap, so I would watch her cues and see when she starts showing tired signs.  It will probably be between the 2.5-3h mark.  If she short naps again, just try to sneak in a catnap.

I suspect that she's short napping because she needs more A time.  1h10 naps--especially if she was doing 1.5h naps--are typically UT.  Tomorrow, I would crank up her A times by ~10 minutes or so.  You just can't experiment with longer A times right after a short nap, even if the nap was caused by UT.

Good luck!

[huby]

thanks for that, I did put her down 15 mins earlier and got another short nap (could be OT or UT, who knows).
She's 8 months and find it impossible to get her to take a catnap - any advice?

Also, will try 3hrs 10 mins tomorrow for first nap. Thanks

I find reading her cues really hard as sometimes she rubs eyes and yawns but ages before her expected A time and if i put her down then she short naps (45 mins).

thanks

[~Sara~]

She's 8 months and find it impossible to get her to take a catnap - any advice?

Usually by 8 months, the catnap is gone.  However, I found that I could squeeze in an extra nap at ~3-3h15 A times if DS took a short nap; I would just push bedtime back a little bit.  Some babies need the opposite and do better with no catnap and bedtime moved forward.  Sounds like your LO prefers the latter.  And there's nothing wrong with that

As they get older (6 months+), it is harder to rely as much on the eye rubbing/yawning as sleepy cues.  I became more of a clock-watcher, tbh.  Not that I was so obsessed with getting the exact minute right, but I knew that if DS was yawning/eye rubbing ~30 minutes or more before the end of his regular A time, then he wasn't really sleepy.  Many LOs will show "sleepy cues" when they're bored or need a change of scenery.  So, go more by the A time, but also make a judgment call if she's getting sleepy around that time.  Because, as you've experienced, she really isn't sleepy enough to take a long nap.

Good luck tomorrow!!   Let me know how it goes!

[huby]

Hi there, well i did a 3hrs 10 A time this morning and she took a 1.5 hr nap. Tried the same A time this afternoon and she cried as soon as I styarted her routine, and then cried her eyes out - think maybe not tired enough?
I had to do WIWO as she was so riled and she ended up falling asleep in tears (not hard crying, but usually she just settles herself without any tears) after A time was 3hrs 20 mins - i feel rotton.
I really hope this reveals a good nap otherwise the tears (mine and hers) were for nothing!

[~Sara~]

Okay, so it looks like 3h10 is great for her first A time--let's leave that as it is until she starts taking UT naps again...then, you just increase like you did this time.

I would wait and see how nap #2 is for another day, though by now, it's already been another day.  I just prefer to see if there's a pattern to behavior with sleep before trying to tweak.  How did she do yesterday/today (whatever time of day it is for you)?  Did she take a long nap even after the crying?

[huby]

Hi

Yesterday we had an EW so had to do a v long A time of nearly four hours (5.23 wake - sleep at 9am) and she slept for two hours. I wonder if that means she can handle a longer A time?

Then in afternoon tried 3hrs 20 and seemed to work, though I did try w2s for the first time at the 30 mins mark and she did stir and sleep through another cycle - have no idea if it was A time or the w2s.

This morning she seemed very untired before her nap - just put her down at 3hrs 10 so will see.

She didn't take a long nap after the crying, no.

[huby]

3hrs 10 mins in morning gets us a long nap.

3hrs 15 in afternoon - 45 min monster, 3hrs 25 - overtired nap, so am gonna aim for 3hrs 20 tomorrow,but find it really difficult to get her to fall asleep onthe dot of certain times.

Am at a loss again

[~Sara~]

3hrs 15 in afternoon - 45 min monster, 3hrs 25 - overtired nap, so am gonna aim for 3hrs 20 tomorrow,but find it really difficult to get her to fall asleep onthe dot of certain times.

I'm sorry; that is difficult...and you're right, you can't make them fall asleep right on the dot--I completely understand.

Out of curiosity, how long is her long AM nap?

If she short naps for her PM nap (either UT or OT), try to sneak in a catnap (20-30 minutes)...just enough to see her through until bedtime.

Let me know how it goes!

[huby]

hi there

Her morning nap is usually 1.5 hrs with 3hrs 15 A time.

I can't for the life of me get her to take a catnap - not even if I AP it. I got so stressed trying, i stopped in the end...tears both sides!
Will try for 3hrs 30/35 again as she's grown a wee bit too this PM nap

[~Sara~]

Hmmm, yeah, that's a good first nap--definitely should leave it as it is.  I have to run bc of a fussy LO, but keep me posted on how the second nap goes!

[huby]

Hi

first nap are now 1hr 15 mins, but that's ok as second nap (we accidently through a series of  blunders didn't get her down until 3hrs 40 ins A time (a 20 min jump) as she was protesting at being ut down. She's still asleep and it's been 1 hr 15 mins so far. So assuming the protests and resisting nap was UT not OT as thought.

If she wakes at 3.45, when should bedtime be, bearing in mind she wakes every morning at 6 no matter what I do.?

[~Sara~]

If she wakes at 3.45, when should bedtime be, bearing in mind she wakes every morning at 6 no matter what I do.?

I would just keep in mind what her normal A time is and watch her as it approaches.  It's hard to say for sure, just because all babies are different.  Some LOs can handle more A time as the day goes on, and some prefer less.  This is where you being right there is so important, and also your knowledge of her sleepy cues.

What have you noticed her preference as these past couple of days?

[huby]

sigh, i decided to chill a bit with the afternoon nap - it was getting me and her tense and down. If she short-napped, so be it. And she has been. But this morning she woke at 5am, which is back to square one.
I feel a bit fed up of juggling these A times - I get one long nap AM no matter what but never it seems a long afternoon nap and she's in tears by bedtime.
I need to relax a bit about the naps though as it was really getting to me - I never saw anyone, left the house, was tense, clutching the monitor the whole time.