Help with wake to sleep please!

[Finns mum]

Over the last couple of weeks my 10 week old has developed a 45 minute nap habit. He usually sleeps through his morning nap, but usually wakes during the other two after 45 minutes almost on the dot! I tried wake to sleep the day before yesterday, going in at 40 minutes. After a minute or so of stroking his cheek I had absolutely no response, and must admit I gave up, terrified of waking him right up. And 5 minutes later, he woke up again anyway! It wouldn't be such a problem, but he never settles back down and obviously needs the sleep because he's so overtired by bedtime, it takes forever to settle him down (until the DF if we're having a really bad day). I was out yesterday but asked my husband to try w2s - but during both naps, he woke after half an hour before he had a chance. He did exactly the same with me during the lunchtime nap today. I thought I'd go in just before half an hour this afternoon. After stroking his cheek, head, chest and eventually ear, he finally moved slightly, so I retreated quickly. I heard nothing for a while so was just congratulating myself when he woke at 45 minutes on the dot again! Did I go in too early, or just not wake him enough? Or shouldn't I expect results for a few days? Is it likely that his sleep cycle changes from 30 to 45 minutes, or is there another reason for him waking? Just to make things worse, he's taken to crying inconsolably when he wakes during his pm nap, shush-patting doesn't help and the only thing that will stop him is unswaddling, opening the curtains and getting him up, at which point he stops immediately and is as happy as larry! I wouldn't mind if he wasn't tired, but he so obviously is! These short naps are having such a detrimental effect on the whole day, I'm really desperate for a solution!

[Mom to M&M]

I'm not a W2S expert but I know other mods are - but how long are his A times? Is he overtired when you are putting him down? Perhaps we can tweak his routine and someone else can jump in about W2S.

[Finns mum]

I feed him 3 hourly, & aim for an hour and a half nap, so his A time after a feed is roughly an hour, although it can vary. I try to put him down once I see the signs that he's sleepy - heavy eyes, yawning etc - and that's usually after about an hour. He normally goes down for his naps very easily, although more so in the morning. Of course in theory, his A time is getting longer, because he wakes during his nap and is up before his feed as well as after. He sleeps through the night, from whatever time he eventually falls asleep in the evening (we put him to bed at 7, sometimes he'll go straight to sleep, usuaaly he's asleep by 8, but not necessarily...!) until around 7am, other than the DF, so maybe I'm trying to give him too much nap time in the day? Was looking at the typical hours of sleep, and maybe I'm trying to give him too much, but the suggested nap times didn't allow for 12 hours sleep at night until 6 months, so I'm a bit confused! All suggestions gratefully received!

[Mom to M&M]

So I'm confused - are you saying that he's up for 1 hour or 1.5 hours? Including eating? If 1.5, that may be the problem - that sounds like a lot of A time for a 10 week old and he may be overtired hence the short naps.

[Finns mum]

Sorry to be confusing! He's up for roughly an hour and a half including eating, which generally means about an hour of A time after. That said, his feeds have becme shorter recently, which is adding about 10 minutes onto his A time.

[Mom to M&M]

IMO 1.5 hours is too much A time for his age, hence causing the short naps. I'd try putting him down after 1 hour or 1.25 hours A time most and see if that helps.

[Finns mum]

Would he not be getting too much sleep during the day then? That would be 3 2-hour naps in the day plus 12 hours at night, & 18 hours sleep sounds a bit too much at 10 weeks? I'd also be concerned about putting him down half an hour after a feed as he doesn't look tired yet - having put him to sleep before he was tired before, I only spent the next half hour trynig to settle him instead!