6 month old routine all over the place - where to start???

[Carryonregardless]

Hi everyone

I really need some help with my 6 month old who almost always naps for just 30 mins and has done so for the past 2 months.

We have recently successfully moved to a 3.5/4 hour feeding routine (from just feeding whenever) and I am trying to feed him at the same ish times every day, give a half hour here or there, just to create a bit of consistency in the day.  He is EBF, not on solids yet although we will start that in the next week or so.

However, it seems there is nothing I can do to lengthen his naps.  I'm finding it really hard to get the right A time because every day he is different.  He has recently been waking up at erratic times of the morning (used to be consistently 7-7.30, now anywhere between 5.30 and .  I've tried counting the A time from when he wakes up but obviously that means the first nap (and subsequent naps) are at completely different times each day and I'm not sure it's working for either of us.  Also sometimes he seems really tired and will fall asleep just an hour after waking up, other times he's wide awake for 3 hours or more.  There doesn't seem to be any pattern.  Yesterday he only had two 30min naps and yet was really alert and happy all day.  Today however he's been really tired and grumpy.

I've been aiming for 2h15 - 2h30min A time recently but it's not working and I just don't know where to go from here.  Help ....

If it's of any use our "routine" last night and today has been as follows:

S 7pm
E 10.30pm
S
Woke at 1am, managed to resettle without feeding
S
Woke at 2.50am, fed
S
Woke at 5.15am, fed
Stayed awake, eventually fell back to sleep at 6.30am
Woke at 7.20am
E
A
S 9.35am for 30 mins.  Awoke alert and happy.
E 11am
S 11.45am fell asleep nursing for 5 mins (this is unusual for daytime)
A
S 1pm for 30 mins (tried to get him down earlier but took half hour to settle).  He just woke up in a really grumpy mood so I just managed to settle him again and he's gone back to sleep (about 15 mins ago).  Again this is unusual, I don't usually manage to resettle him after a nap.

Not sure this really tells you anything but hey-ho ....

Any thoughts on strategy are very welcome or just reassurance that it will get better, please 

[amayzie]

Bumping this one for you hun- Have a look at this link to see if any of it is ringing a bell for you

All about the 3-2 transition- 5/6 months

[Carryonregardless]

Thanks - it definitely does ring a bell although I have been a bit confused about increasing the A time as I thought 30min naps were usually OT.   But it's worth a try anyway.

Still not sure what to do with erratic wake up times though - should I go for set nap times or vary each day according to when he wakes up??

[sjwills01]

This is pretty much exactly what my little lady is like! She is a week off 6 months!! Have u found the magic solution yet? X

[amayzie]

How are things going now hon?

[Kjasper22]

I am having the same problems with my youngest. We are in the car a lot so he naps at different times. I have to leave him with a sitter twice a week and she tries to do what I do, but I am finding the inconsistency so hard. When we are home I get nothing done because I am trying to calm him, settle him, get him to sleep.... I am exhausted. I feel like I just want to be out all day so he can sleep in the car. But he sleeps awful at night (doesn't sleep really) It's a continues pattern that I need to break but having a hard time knowing how or where.....

[LadyBugggz]

Same problem here.....I am transitioning my LO out of the swing...she would get almost three hour naps there but she is now too big for it. I used EASY with my first daughter but it's a little tricky with my six month old because her naps are all over the place too. She never seems to show she is tired and even when she does (yawning) she won't go to sleep. Then after she doesn't sleep, she will eat and then sleep on me which is what I am trying to avoid. Hopefully we can all get some answers! Thanks!

[Beezer007]

I am having similar problems  My DD is 7 months but was 3 weeks early. I had her on a fantastic schedule while she was napping in her swing, but since converting to crib for naps, they have been erratic. Sometimes 1h30...but afternoon is usually 40 mins. I've tried increasing/ decreasing A time, I've done things exactly the same as days she has slept the 1h30 in the afternoon-No luck. Here is out "rough schedule"

Wake @ 6 ish.
Eat @ 7:30 (I spend 30 mins trying to get her back to sleep, then have to administer meds and wait 30 mins to eat).
Nap # 1 @ 8:20. Usually naps 1h30 here.
Awake @ 9:50.
Eat @ 11
Solids @ 12/12:30
Nap # 2 @ 12:30 (this is when I put her in crib. Takes 10-20 mins to fall asleep.*Here is where she does her 40 mins.
Eat @ 3 ish.
Meds @ 5
Solids @ 5:30
Bed @ 7.

*She will not do a 3rd nap. It ends in 30 mins of crying and her throwing up.

I've read all the Baby Whisperer books, I've read other sleep books (both online and from store) and I cannot get her on a more consistent schedule.