Confused about short naps.

[xav's mum]

Hi Everyone,

My 15 week old daughter has been on 3 hour EASY for most of her life and was doing really well with her sleeping. When she hit 3 months all started to turn bad. She was harder to get down for a sleep and now only naps for about 30 - 45 minutes. I have decided to ditch the dummy (due to many night wakings) and have just started PU/PD today. She is still waking early from naps and I am so confused as to whether to extend them or just get her up.  I have tried doing shh/pat and PU/PD to extend her naps but after 45 mins of doing, she is still wide awake!

After I have fed her she is usually up for between an hour and an hour and 15 before we start the wind down.  At the moment she usually has about four 30 - 45 minute naps a day, then goes to bed about 7pm, DF at 10:30, E at 4:30 then up for the day at 7:30. 

Should I just keep trying to extend her naps and hope she gets there or should I be following her lead and just letting her get up after her short naps?

Thank heaps,
Vicki

[Meg's Mom]

Hi Vicki, sorry you are having nap troubles.  But i can say it is very common at this age, so you are not alone. 

My LO started the 45min nap at about 3 months.  I search high and low for information and found Tracy’s work, then the site.  By the time Megan was now well into 4mos and I moved dc to 4hr EASY as Tracy recommends and the short naps got a bit better.  I then used shh/pat, pu/pd (very little) and wake to sleep techniques to get dc body used to sleeping thru the 1st sleep cycle as by now it was a well ingrained habit.  We saw improvement almost immediately (although small, but it was improvement) and I was convinced Tracy’s work was a godsend. 

We worked on dc naps for 2 weeks solid and after much shh’ing and back aches we started sleeping about 1.25-1.50 for most naps.

As your DD is almost 4mos have you considered it is now time to move her to 4hr EASY?  Like us, it may help w/ the 45min nap?

[xav's mum]

Hi and thanks for the reply. After trying to extend naps for 5 days, I am yet to see any improvement at all! Very frustrating! Just today I have started working towards the 4 hour EASY. Her night time sleeps have really improved though and she is now going to bed at around 7pm, DF at 10:30 and is sleeping solidly until 5:30.  A big improvement since getting rid of the dummy.

You mentioned that you did wake to sleep - did you do this for naps and if so how?? I should mention also that when she wakes from the nap and I try to get her back down, she does start to settle but can't seem to get past the REM stage of sleep.  I have tried the various techniques and will keep trying. Fingers crossed the switch to 4hour EASY will bring improvements in naps also.  Thanks for your advice.

Vicki

[Meg's Mom]

I am glad you are seeing improvements, we will take them any where we can.  Remember they are just learning this sleep/nap/eat thing and change takes time.

Yes, i used wake to sleep for naps - When i say awake to sleep, i mean go in 5-10min before they normal wake and disrupt the sleep cycle in hopes it will start again and you get a longer nap.

I have used 'wake to sleep" many times during our nap struggles.

1st time when my LO was 4mo and started the 45min naps - I would set my timer, go into her room and when she stirred I would slip in the paci and pray she went to sleep.  I did this for every nap for 2 weeks!  It worked about 50% of the time and if it didn't I used shh/pat to try to get her back to sleep.  Which also worked 50% of the time.  The other % I had a sore back and tired baby :? .

2nd time I used was at age 7mo - she was waking at 4am (or something like that) out of habit.  I set my alarm for 3.45am for 3 days and it worked.

3rd time was when we moved to the 1 nap and she took a 1hr 15min nap, same length as her previous am nap.  It worked immediately and I did it for 3 days (as described in the announcement - wake to sleep).   https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=43311.0

HTH!

[shelliz]

Meg's Mom


   

2nd time I used was at age 7mo - she was waking at 4am (or something like that) out of habit. I set my alarm for 3.45am for 3 days and it worked.

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When you talk about using w2s at 7 months....what do you do when she starts to stir.  I find my dd wakes up more when she feels my hands on her. Maybe I am doing it wrong.

Sorry to hijack the post. Just curious!! TIA

[xav's mum]

Hi Meg's mom,

Thanks for getting back to me.  Just one other question about w2s for naps as i have been trying this for the last couple of days without any success. Do you just want bubs to stir a little like a big sigh or to stir a lot like arm wave and moving head side to side?

Thanks, Vicki

[Meg's Mom]

Hey there

xav's mum - unfortunately there isn't an answer to that, you want to bring your LO from a deep sleep into a light sleep - but not bring them fully awake! 
Exactly how much will depend on your LO.  So i would recommend that if what you have been doing hasn't worked for your LO and she was stiring just a bit, then try getting her to stir more.  If it is too much, you'll know...the hard way.  She will be wide awake! 

Shelliz - I know what you mean, if she feels your hands they wake up too much.  So be creative, try moving the blankie or tug gently on the swaddle, rub their face or arm w/ a blanket, leave the sock half way off and then tug on that....get the idea.  You could also try putting a blanket or sheet down under them before nap so that you can pull it when the time comes.

HTH!  Let me know how it goes!