not going back to sleep after 45 min mark

[Henna20]

My 4 1/2 mo ds has been on a good easy routine since about 6-8 weeks old.  he barely ever sleeps through the 45 min mark in his naps on his own but usually will settle back down quickly and then sleep at least another 45 min or more. for the past 3 days he has been waking up at 45 min mark and then not going back to sleep! he cries and cries but then when i unswaddle him and take him out of the room he is cranky. it also messes up his whole routine because then i don't know when to put him to sleep next. by the end of the day he is so overtired and is taking over an hour to fall asleep for the night.
his awake time is about 1 hr and 45 min. i take him in the room at 1.5 hrs and do a wind down for about 15 min. 

i would say a typical day looks something like this:
6:00am wake up
7:30-wind down
7:45-sleep
8:30-45 min mark, put back to sleep
9:30-wake up
11:00 windown
11:15 sleep
12:00-45 min mark
1:00 wake up
2:30-wind down
2:45-sleep
3:30-45 min mark
4:15 wake up
5:45-winddown
6:00-night sleep

the day does vary. i am usually out most mornings from around 9:30-12:00. so he could end up just getting short naps in morning and then taking a longer nap in middle of the day.  i have a toddler so we go out in mornings and then middle of they day we are home and toddler naps. its veyr good for me when baby takes a longer nap in middle of the day so that i can get a nap also. 
these 45 min naps are killing me!!! what should i do???

[Shiv52]

Are you able to resettle him back to sleep after every 45 minute wakening?  Am I reading your EAS right?  I'd thought reading that you can't get him back to sleep but your EAS seems to indicate you do get him back to sleep.

{{hugs}}

[butrfly462]

I have the same problem and was just about to post my Q about it!  My LO is only 3 months and I've heard short naps are normal at this age, but sometimes I can get him back to sleep after the 45 min. mark, sometimes he just cries and cries.  How long do you try to get him back to sleep for w/ pat-shhh?

[Shiv52]

If you are strictly sleep training you would extend for as long as the nap is meant to be.  For my sanity sake I tried to extend for 10 minutes, maybe 15 if I thought she was close to going back over but if she wasn't back asleep by then I just got her up and got on with our day.  You can shorten the next A time and go from there.  I know with my DD1 naps lengthened by 5 months and whether it was developmental or all the shh-patting fell into place I'll never know but it did get better. 

HTH x

[purlycurly]

I have no answers.  Just eagerly watching this thread because my 3 month old angel baby is taking short naps now, and is starting to turn into a very grizzly grumpy baby by the endnof the day!!  Not easy to deal with when there is a toddler who needs to be taken care of too.  I wish there was a video of shush pat son I could see it done properly.  My baby sleeps on his back, so do you roll them on their sides and prop them up with something, or do you lower them gently back?   Maybe he'll grow out of it when he gets to 4 hour easy.

[Shiv52]

With shh-pat I just patted my LOs tummy or legs and that worked fine.  Some babies like that, some like their head being stroked.  Just depends what your LO likes but there is no right or wrong way x

[purlycurly]

Looks like I'll have the opportunity to try it out right.  he beckons!

[purlycurly]

...sorry...I meant right now...

[purlycurly]

OMG! Sh-pat worked for the first time ever!  Thank you Shiv52!  He woke up at 40 min.  I went in and tried to stay low so he wouldn't focus on me.  Quietly shh'd while patting his thigh.  It seemed to keep him from escalating.  He mantra cried for 15-20 min and then nodded off.  Thank goodness.  I'm looking forward to a calmer more sane evening.

[purlycurly]

P.s. He ended up napping for over 2 hours after I shh-patted.  The evening was a delight with a happy content baby - no OT monster.  he was so well rested, he needed no assistance to fall asleep.  After a feed, diaper change and swaddle, he just turned his head and went to sleep.  Ever since the short naps started he'd been crying to sleep.  I wonder if I can repeat this tomorrow.  Fingers crossed!!!

[Shiv52]

HUrray!!!  Glad it worked!!  Hope it continues x