Support for Short Nappers

[pbmom]

tysonbing - Should I correct my post that said progress?  Today was a nightmare getting her down for am nap (very unusual - going down is not the problem...it's staying down).  And now she needs to eat so I'll actually have to wake her from a nap.  I also should note that I still go in every time at the 30ish minute mark and turn her on her side.  Sometimes she needs no further intervention from me and other times she needs me.  I know she needs me because she's in that MB and gets in an uncomfortable spot and can't fix herself as it's like a straight jacket.  I never have to pick her up...and, considering where we were...I'm thrilled!!!  Oh...and I think the paci might be becoming an addiction for naps (oops)

nursejulie - here's our 4 hr routine (my lo is 17 weeks old today)

Wake between 6-7 and then every 2 hrs go down for nap and every 4 hrs eat.  Each day is a little different with time slots so it's hard to give you times.  I adjust the day according to how she naps as we have been working on those.  She almost always has A time before a feed so our EASY looks more like EASAE.  I also cluster feed at 5pm as she did not do well with DF and it was actually causing NW for us.  I shoot for Easy with E at 7, 11, 3, (cluster at 5), 7 and A time that's 2 hrs and naps that are at least 1.5 hrs each.  She does better this way.  It's only happened perfectly like that a few times.  

[tysonbing]

Yeah...I think I may try going in before he wakes so I can get him before.  I have been waiting and resettling, but it only works some.  Actually, it works more now than it used to, but it takes a while some days. 

Nursejulie...we are trying out a 4hr routine too.  I found that Brodie can stay awake longer than the average 15 week old, so I went ahead and started with it yesterday.  Our schedule, like pbmom's usually is EASAE.

[valeamalia]

Hi ladies, I am back hopefully for good, I haven't had much  time to write.


Amalia is rolling to her tummy and she gets really mad when she is trying to sleep because she is used to sleeping on her back and eventhough she nows how to roll to her back she is so tired and mad that she only cries and I have to roll her. (its actually quite funny to see her pop her head with such a clueless look) This means that its taking her longer to fall asleep and she gets overtired and we are back to 45 m naps.

Today we started or mommy and me group, its a daily 2 hour class and it went quite well, I thought she was going to be overtired but she fell asleep with no problem. she actually slept pass her feeding time, (45 min) its this OK or should I wake her.

[~*~Little Miss Sunshine~*~]

I would let her sleep Ana     I relish any sleep I can get!!

[pbmom]

Agree with Anne - mine slept through a feed today and I fed her when she got up - 30 minutes late.  I too am thrilled with whatever sleep she will do and I can't bring myself to wake her.

[hannahbanana]

If faced with having to wake a baby for a feed during a nap or feeding early, before putting LO down, which would you choose?

We have been feeding every 4 hrs., but because her naps STINK, they follow their own cycle.  Sometimes, the two cycles converge.  Under what circumstances would you feed first?  Nap first?

[gpmom]

I usually would let her be late for a feed.  I ahev woke her up before but only after like 2.5 hours. 
Just what I do....who knows if its right

[babyboot]

Hi

New to baby whisperer. My wife suggested i get involved as use gina ford site a bit but gina is big into long l.t.nap and our twin boys seem to prefer longer am nap at 9.30am for hour or more. then two 45 min naps later at 1pmish and 4.30pmish.

Big lads (5.5 months old) - they are both 19/20lb+ now and eat at 7am, (8oz) then brekky at 8am, 11am (6oz) plus some food. 2.45/3pm (8oz). 5pm dinner high on carbs. 7pm (9oz).

they sleep at 9.30am for 1hr plus;1pm for 45-1hr and little nap post 4.30pm - 20/30mins if tired.

biggest twin toby sleeps through from 7.30pm til nigh on 6.30am but John (slightly smaller) wakes pretty much on dot at 5.45am.

so a couple of questions really. can we do longer early nap and also any tips on pushing john through to 6-6.30am?

doing better han we were. got an older girl who is nearly three. had a period in first two months when all three were waking through the night. nearly finished us off....

thanks

[pbmom]

hannahbanana - I would feed late as well.  I never wake mine from a nap unless it's been a really good one and it's time to eat. 

Welcome Babyboot - you have come to the right place.  For naps, I would ask first if they wake happy or not so happy?  If happy and do well during the rest of the day then the length they are sleeping may just be all they need.  However, if the are cranky, then you probably have to help them by giving them more A time before the nap or by helping them through the sleep cycle.  It appears that they take their best nap in the am after being up for 2.5hrs.  If they wake from that nap at around 11, then the are only getting 2hrs of awake time before the next nap.  Is this right?  Could you try to play with that awake time in 15 min increments to see if they sleep longer? 

As for the early a.m. waking with John, maybe try w2s?  But, his internal clock might just be that he's an earlier riser.   

[bethanys mummy]

Hi ladies

as mummy to a habitual short napper I just wanted to pop along and show my support - she still short naps sometimes so I have been here for the long haul but it def gets easier, even if its just because they need less sleep in the day

Will pop by from time to time to offer my support

Try to keep sane

[ryancsmom]

Hi all!
I just wanted to share my success for overcoming the 45 mins naps.  My DS was stuggling with the 30-45 mins naps since he was 7 weeks old.  Like all of you, the 45mins monster was driving me insane!  He is now 15 weeks old and sleeps through all of his naps 3 x 1.5hour.  I've tried everything to extend his naps...but not until last week i've succeeded and this is for all of his naps!  He was miserable with his 45 mins naps, always woke unhappy and crying.  The only way i had to extend his naps was to hold him, b/c when i put him back down he would just wake up.  Since he's a Spirited/Touchy baby, patting in the crib was too much for him and never really worked.

This is what i do:
Swaddle him with the aussie swaddle (the regular swaddle and the miracle blanket did not work anymore, he outgrew them and was not comfortable lying on the side).
Put him on the side with a sleep positionner.  Since he can fall asleep drowsy awake on his own, i leave him for the first 25-30mins and sneak back in at that time. 
When he starts to make noise or move between the 30-45 mins, i slowly place my hand on his back, pressing him forward with my thumb on his arm/shoulder.  At first i use quite a pressure but i slowly release it when i see that he settles.  And if he starts to wimper or cry, i shush him back to sleep with my hand still on his back.

It never failed, and i hope that he will slowly learn to transition to sleep himself without my help.  But meanwhile i'm teaching him this way, without picking him up and holding him like i used to.

I don't know if it would work for any of you.  I think that you just have to keep on trying different things or a combinations of things that suits your LO.  Don't despair, they will all eventually outgrow it!

[bethanys mummy]

Hi all

 this "pressure at the jolts" has been the thing which works best for me too - worth a try. Watch a nap first as it teaches you allot. You can add sssh / pat if they wake allot, and be prepared to act like an octppus and hold down allot if they jolt severely

E x

[pbmom]

LOL - "act like an octocpus."  That is how I felt many a day when holding DD during her "jolt."  Just wanted to pop on to say that after a few weeks of using pressure with her on her side, it appears the first nap has sorted itself out.  If I keep A time pretty low key as I have realized that she is spirited and gets OS!  She goes from happy to freakin' out in like 1 second flat!  Glad to hear others have had some success too. 

Does anyone know when the afternoon naps sorts itself out?  I thought I read somewhere that sleep figures itself out in stages...a.m nap, then p.m. nap, then nighttime.  Can't remember where I saw it.  Thanks

[gpmom]

PBMOM I had no idea one nap came together first.  Same here pressure worked for am nap, now hoping for pm!

[pbmom]

gpmom - who knows?  Maybe I'm nuts, but I could have sworn I read that somewhere.  I have found that w2s for the second nap is working though (jinx).  Did you try that?  Although today I was too busy reading a post and missed my 30 min mark, so she stirred/cried out at 35 minutes and I had to replug...maybe I should pay attention. 

ps - for everyone...I got one of those video monitors so I could see Brooke while I'm downstairs with Paige.  It's so great to know when she is really stirring or is just putting herself back out.  Those darn audio monitors make everything sound so loud...it would make me run upstairs only to find her sound asleep!