Am I misreading the signs?

[mumofbub]

Hey!

I have been doing EASY 4 hour now for 2 weeks solidly and we have certainly have many improvements- he is now sleeping in evenings and well at night (wakes once for feed) BUT, we have had bad naps from week 2, 45 mins etc.

I think I have started misreading his tired signals.....yesterday we went out for first time so he had two short naps before we left- then didn't nap at friends between 1 and 5....so 4 hours awake time...he then cat napped in car, got him home, did bedtime routine and he was out like a light all evening and had DF and woke around 3am and had a night feed. This suggests to me he was not OT as slept so well. Am wondering whether I can increase his A time beyond 2 hours- he seems to wake from most 45 min naps very smiley and content. He is a textbook baby with a hint of Spirit, but is generally a happy boy. He sometimes wakes teary, and we get him back to sleep with shh pat or pUPD and goes back for 45- but sometimes I can tell he wants to get up. I am putting him down around the 2 hour mark and he is squawking lots, kicking his legs, but happy and drifts off after about 20 mins. Am I putting him down too soon? Do you think its possible that given yesterday he had best sleep after fewer naps, he is one of those bubs that is ok on shorter, fewer naps?

Or, does the squawking indicate OT or does it mean 'Im still ready for action mummy!'......have been doing it for 2 weeks and maybe my head is so foggy from being in, I am now misunderstanding what my bub is telling me......

He is feeding well every 4 hours and is 5 months old.....

Can anyone shed any light for me please?! 

[deckchariot]

Can you post your normal EASY routine?  It's possible he's ready to extend his A time a bit, 45 min naps generally indicate undertired.  So lets have a look at your routine and go from there....hang in there!!

michelle

[mumofbub]

basically it looks like this at the moment
7am wake, feed
activity
8.40am shows big tired signs so to bed after windown, sleeps within 20...wakes within 45 (tried 9am but same)
activity
11am feed
11.30/11.50 depending on tired signs and earlier naptime and length, sleeps within 20, wakes within 45 try for 20 mins to get back to sleep, always have to get him up and he goes back down
2- 2.45- another nap!!
3.00pm Feed
5.00pm Catnap for 45 mins
6.15pm Feed
6.45pm Bath
7.00pm Bed- usually settles well and will sleep all eve
10.00/10.30pm Dream Feed
Then we still do night feed anytime from 3 until 4am. He tends to wake maybe once more around 5 but amuses himself and goes back to sleep.

As you can see- erratic and confusing, would much prefer it was like textbook 4 hour easy as he was first week we did it...but fact he is sleeping good at night is amazing progress in itself. Generally wakes from 45 min naps happy, when he is still fussy, he goes back to sleep quite easily, but not always. Today for example- he was still tired after second nap, but couldn't soothe him to sleep- was quiet after pupd, but didn't sleep- it was like it woke him up. Then, I had to wake him at 3 today for his feed..........

Crazy......

Thanks in advance for help. 

[deckchariot]

I'm guessing it is an A time issue.  You said you got 45 min naps when you extended the first A time til 9, right?  I'd push it longer then.  Between 5 and 6 mos, most lo's can handle 2.25 - 2.5 hrs of A time.  The tired cues that you are seeing at 8:40 could actually be "bored" cues - I noticed around 5 mos that my lo's tired cues were almost never tired cues, and started paying more attention to time cues.  Try switching up his activity when he starts to act tired - but keep it really low key.  See if you can wait til 9:15 to put him down.  I wouldn't extend all that in one day.  Just push it 10 min at a time, every other day or so and see how that goes.

If he wakes early from the nap, keep doing what you're doing to try to extend him - looks like you've got a good routine there, and I'd keep doing the only trying for 20 min deal, and then just get him up.  If he has a short nap, cut his next A time really short though, or the OT cycle will just build throughout the day.  Maybe after the next feed, only keep him up for 30 min, then back to nap.  That may mean a lot of short naps throughout the day while you're extending A time, but it will fight off the OT disaster.

Other than maybe too short A time in the beginning, your routine looks really good, so try extending that and let's see what happens.  Hang in there!