Overtired, undertired, or what???

[KIMMCGOWAN]

My 6month old LO used to nap for a couple of hours twice a day, fed on 4hour EASY and was super happy all the time. I have always struggled to establish when he gets tired as he never yawns or runs his eyes. Instead he get super excited, blows insane raspberries and has a high pitch squeal. Sometimes he will rub his head or scratch his chest... but catching him before he gets overtired is a real challenge.

Recently, coinciding with teething, his naps have shortened. Sometimes its 30mins, sometimes 45, but sometimes I can get him randonly to sleep for 1hr 30. Shh Pat drieves him nuts and makes him cry more, so we hold his bouncing legs down and put a hand on his chest to try and get him back to sleep. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

Then this week he has started waking earlier and earlier.. (used to be 7am) and the past two mornings have been 5am and 530. Yesterday I put him to bed at 5.30pm as he was completely knackered... but woke 12hours later!!!!

Am at a real loss as to what to do. We don't even have a routine to post because it depends on his naps and with these short ones he feeds just before he goes to sleep. Yesterday looked like this:

5am wake
5.45 Up  and feed after trying to get him back to sleep
7am Sleep
8.30am wake
10am Feed
10.30am Sleep
12noon wake
1.30 Feed
2pm Sleep
3.30 Wake
5pm Bath and feed
5.30 BED

Could really do with some help here as have totally lost any perspective as I am barely sleeping... Normally we are on a textbook 4 hour easy with 2 x 2hr naps and 30min CN.
Thanks Kim

[Shiv52]

I think he's telling you he needs more A time.

http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=64158.msg476652

Late 5 months/early 6 months 2.25-2.5 hours
6.5 - 7 months 2.75-3 hours. Some are getting more.

You could try increasing his A time from 2 hours to 2hour 15 and see does that help.  I'd do it consistently for 3/4 days and see how it goes.  He may need you to get him to 2.5 hours A time to see a good effect.

[KIMMCGOWAN]

Thanks for your reply... I have been sifting through the forums and thought that may be the issue... fab to have it from someone with some distance! Gonna give it a go from tomorrow am, plus going to improve his wind down. He goes to bed lek a dream cause we have had a consistent and long bedtime routine since he was about 3 weeks old, so need to learn from that too. Do you think I should extend all the A times or just start at the first Activity?

Many many thanks for getting back to me...

[Shiv52]

I would aim to increase all the A times especially seeing as its only 15 minutes (but obviously if you have  a really bad nap you won't beable to). 

Hope it goes well.  Keep me posted x

[KIMMCGOWAN]

Well, I have tried to be more consistent and have been able to get him back to sleep after 45mins... but think I have been missing his window. We have a few quiet days so going to try and make sure he does the 2hr15.

One thing I am struggling with though is his early wakings. This morning he woke at 520am and I re-swaddled him and I think he dozed for a half hour, but am not sure so then don't really know when he should be going to bed. I am trying to watch him for signs, but as I said before he never yawns or rubs his eyes, just gets progressively more wired! Any ideas what I should do.

Increased A time is definately working though as he is only waking once in the night for a feed rather than stirring every hour!

[Shiv52]

Hopefully you'll see a good improvement after a quiet few days x

Do you do a DF?  What time is his night feed?  What time was bed last night? 

[KIMMCGOWAN]

He goes to sleep at about 7pm most nights unless he had a really early start... Has done since he was tiny. Last night he was asleep by 645, and was really sleepy at his last feed.

I don't do a dream feed as until about 2 weeks ago he was waking at 10pm for a feed anyway, and has only just dropped this one. Generally now feeds between midnight and 2am, then between 6 and 7am in the morning.

[Shiv52]

Was just wondering if he was hungry at that EW but most likely not if you are feeding after midnight. 

Keep going with the A time increases.  It can take a few days of consistency to see a good effect on naps.  Hope you get a later start time tomorrow x

[KIMMCGOWAN]

Well we got a 615 start after re-swaddling at 450am so that felt like a lie in! Yesterday was much better and only took a couple of mins to resettle at the 45min mark, and thats when it dawned on me. About a month ago, I was stretching him to 2hr 30 when we were out and about and he would still sleep fine... so today have taken it right to 2hr 30 and we have had 2 1hr30min naps and just had a 30min catnap! Don't know what I was thinking... I guess that's baby brain for you.

Thanks so much for the support and advice... I think the forum is just incredible and everything works a treat! Here's to it continuing for the foreseeable - and when his naps go wrong next time I will think about A time!

[Shiv52]

HURRAY!!!!  Those are the sort of posts I like to read!!

Hope the great naps continue!  Well done you!!

[KIMMCGOWAN]

Thanks... couldn't have done it without you and this forum!!

Naps are just brilliant now, sometimes 2 hours. However we are still getting the early morning waking. Usually 520am.. any thoughts. He is fed between 1 and 3am, his room is pitch black, he is swaddled (although sometimes he comes undone) and its super quiet. I can usually get him to snooze to 6 or 7am on a good day, but this morning he was awake till I got him up at 6!

Any thoughts greatly appreciated as always

[Shiv52]

Do you want to post your EASY as it is now with your FAB naps and I'll take a look?

He's 6.5months now?

[KIMMCGOWAN]

Sure... He's just 6months and our day looks like this:

520 wake then get him to doze. WAKE around 6am
630 EAT (Still 100% breastfed)
730 Solids
8 / 830 SLEEP depending on when woke. But always 2 and a half hours after wake up
10 wake and EAT (4 hours after last feed)
1230 SLEEP
2 wake and EAT
430 SLEEP for aboout 30 / 45 mins
5 Wake and start wind down (read books quietly, bath etc)
6 EAT
630 SLEEP

Usually sleeps until anytime from 1 and 4am for a feed. If he wakes before then its always because he is unswaddled or has a wet nappy and clothes.

His room is dark, its quieter than when he was in with us at the back of the house. But I was thinking how thi early waking started when he moved into his own room at 5months. He has always slept in the same bed... just can't think what it can be! Would it be that he needs to go to bed 12hours after he wakes? He used to sleep from 7am to 7am and sometimes would need to eb woken up to start the day!!!!

Help much appreciated! And must say that the routine changes you suggested rock so much that he has stayed in his routine on holiday!!!!

Look forward to your thoughts