Nap and A time help

[debvn243]

I am hoping someone can help me work out A times and nap problems with my DS.

He is 9wo and I've been told should manage 1hr15-20 min A time. My problem is I just don't know how long it takes him to fall asleep so i dont know when to start the wind down or when to aim to have him in the cot. He doesn't seem to need a very long wind so if I start this process at say the 1 hr mark his eyes will be dropping almost the instant he is swaddled and in my arms, ill put him down and we will get a 40 min nap. Today I did the wind down at 1hr 10 mins and he fell asleep instantly again we have had a 40 min nap.  However if I pick him up he will easily finish the nap on me. Yesterday I put him down at 1hr 15 and he didn't fall asleep for another 20 mins so i obviously missed the window. I'm so confused  if he was UT would he be able to finish the nap on me at all? Or is he just not transitioning?

I am also struggling with the evening nap- he feeds at 4pm and I try to put him down at about 5:15, he just isn't tired, he hasn't napped at this time all week now and has been awake from 4-7. He handles it really well and is mostly happy during that time which makes me wonder even more that he isn't getting enough A time during the day. He sleeps very well at night, sleeping from 7pm - 12:30 then a NF at 4am. His is EBF.

Any ideas would be great
Thanks Deb x

[Papaya]

It is a bit of a balancing act, judging the wind down and settling time I think Tracy says to allow 15-20 mins, but tbh if it took my LO that long to settle I knew I had got the timing wrong! I would pick a time, say 1hr10 and put down for the first nap at that time consistently for several days and see how long it takes him to settle, and length of nap. If you keep getting 40 min naps, try increasing by 5 mins for several days. If you start getting OT naps, you'll know you've pushed him too far.

 

if he was UT would he be able to finish the nap on me at all? Or is he just not transitioning?

It could be that he's not quiiite tired enough to transition, but still tired enough to sleep longer. Or it could just be a transitioning problem, very common for the next couple of months. If the A time seems right and naps are still 40/45 mins, it's probably developmental - so you could try wake to sleep.


The catnap is often the trickiest - can you AP it somehow?