Couple of short nap questions

[RNmommy]

First off I want to say, Thank God for Tracy Hogg and the baby whisperer!  So we have been using EASY for about 5 days now and DS has taken to it wonderfully!  Previously I was just doing baby led parenting but it wasnt working for us and a schedule is exactly what he needed!  My biggest problem is the short nap syndrom.  He usually wakes about 50 mins into the nap.  I have been doing a w2s at the 30 min mark.  Is this too early?  Also I have had about 50% on getting him back to sleep in the S time so I end up getting him up after about 20-30 mins off shh/pat and the occational PU/PD.  Some days he is ok but others he is a bear till his next nap.  So my second question is, if I am unsuccessful at getting him back to sleep, what do I do?  I have been waiting till to feed him till his scheduled feed at the 4 hour mark but then he usually will only end up going about another 30 mins after that then need to go down.  So yesterday he had 3, 1 hr naps.  Any ideas? Thanks in advance!

[Shiv52]

Hi and welcome!! 

What age is your LO?  Do you want to post your EASY and we can take a look?

If he's having short naps i'd be sure to shorten the next A time (if you can't extend) so your EAS may look more like EAS AEAS.

If you've only been establishing EASY for 5 days it could be the naps will lengthen when he's been on the routine a bit longer.

W2S-if he's wakening at 50 minutes maybe try it at 35-40 minutes and see does that help. 

HTH x

[RNmommy]

Well here is our schedule
7-up
720-E
735-A
900-s
930 or 950 awake, shh/pat and PU/PD for aprox 30 mins usually or whatever takes us to the 1 1/2 hr mark in the nap
1030-A
1050-E
1110-A
100-S
150- this nap is usually a bit better but still end up having the shh/pat for about 30 mins
245- E
300-A
430- attempt CN, don't usually get him down, just fight for 20-30 mins
6- Bath (or lotion massage), book, nurse
630-start shh/pat
645-asleep

He is 5 months old and acually he has really regressed in the last 2 days, only taking 30 min naps and I have missed the wake up each time and havent gotten him back to sleep.  I even went in at the 30 min mark with his last nap and did w2s and he still woke at the 50 min mark!!!!!  Then he took 40 mins to go down for bed tonight.  What the heck.  Im super frustrated. Can anyone give me some help, just feeling a little desperate right now.  thanks

[aidenmc]

I've had more success with httj (even though he is not exactly jolting). DH is also 5mo and I've been doing this for at least 2 months  , but generally have pretty good success, as compared to at the beginning. Usually i go in at the 35 minute mark. However, if he has trouble going down or is OT, he might wake suddenly at 30 minutes so I now generally go in then just in case. What I do is hold down his arms, basically to prevent him from stirring. W2S would not work for me as 30-35 minutes is right when he comes up from deep to light sleep. If he's not OT he generally passes through this shift okay with me holding him. Occasionally I have to put in the soother. If he wakes fully I end up picking him up and patting, rocking, anything to extend the nap (my experience is he is better if I do that than if I accept the short nap - it just really messes with the day). DH will also stir at the 45 minute mark and then sometimes at about an hour. Usually between 45 and 1 hr he transitions to deeper sleep. Lately he has sometimes woken at the 50 minute mark after not stirring earlier (could be undertired).

I know, sounds very detailed but I've learned a lot about his sleep by sitting those hours by his crib. I is definitely time consuming but for now I am willing to do it. Apparently they are supposed to mature out of the short naps. I suspect it will only happen for us once dh is going down independently. 

Also I notice your second A time is pretty long. DS still only tolerates about 2hr or a little more of A time. Less if short napping. That could explain your difficult settling at catnap and bedtime - your lo is likely OT by then.

[choc]

Can I ask a question?  Could the short napping be related to his levels of tiredness then?  Sorry if this seems obvious!  I thought my DS woke after 45 mins because he couldn't ride over the sleep cycle to the next cycle.  Can how long he has been awake affect his ability to do this?

[aidenmc]

Generally a 30 or 35 minute nap is due to overtiredness and 45 minutes is due to undertiredness. But i your lo doesn't self settle I think that makes it more difficult to transition regardless. I am hoping that when we sleep train my lo will get better at this. You will have to watch your lo carefully to see what A times work best. And, of course they are always changing as they age.

[choc]

Thank you!

[Lemonthyme]

Well we're having a similar problem - 30 min naps but my LO is 7 months old, goes down independently not OT, not UT and used to sleep for longer (but I've extended his A time just in case!)  No idea I'm afraid but I can sympathise.

[janelsee]

DS is 5 months, as well, and every so often we'll get days when he'll only take 45 min naps too (even though we have the same routine everyday).  He also regressed pretty bad a week or two after we started him on EASY so don't lose hope, it happens, and sometimes it happens really hard!  I hope you're doing better and have figured out A times (or at least gotten a handle on them).  I may not be of any immediate help but I just wanted to let you know that it does get better if you stick with it.  My LO is a little stubborn (it took us 3 hours to put him to bed at night one time!) so we'll have some good days and then a really bad day every now and then but in general things are much better. The same will happen for you too!