45 min sleeper - please, please help!

[SleeplessAiden]

I am at my wits end...my lo is almost 5 mos old and has been 35 - 45 min napping since about 1.5 mos.  I have tried shortening A time and recently tried lengthening A time (on advice from my BW sister) but am afraid he's not getting enough sleep over all, and it negatively effected his night sleep.  He wakes from naps all smiley and happy, so i get him up, but I'm afraid I'm encouraging short naps.  Here's the schedule

E 6:00am
A in crib til 6:30, then up
S 7:30 I'm 'called' in once or twice
A 8:25
E 9:30 cereal every other day, then BF
S 10:00
A 10:40
S 12:00pm
A 12:45
E 2:00
S 2:15
A 3:00
4:30 try to give nap, but won't - is all smiley and kicking
4:30 or 5:00 cluster feed
sometimes falls asleep out of exhaustion at 5:50, sometimes not
6:00 bathtime
6:30 feed if exhaustion nap didn't happen, impossible to keep awake
S 7:00 wakes every 40 mins til feed again at 9:30 (I tried feeding at first waking, but doesn't really make a difference)
sleeps til about 4:00am then wakes every 40 mins til 6:00am feed (tried feeding at 4, but no difference)

Before this schedule his A time was 1 hour, S time 40 mins, slept from 7:30pm - 5:00am pu/pd slept til 6:00 and fed.  Sister said I should lengthen A time and now everythings mixed up.  Tried pu/pd when woke, but he would just cry for the hour he would usually be awake for.   I've also tried pat/shh, but rarely worked.
I don't know what to do.  Aiden doesn't get his 15-18 hrs sleep per day.  Please please help me! 
Thanks in advance!
Kate

[Sarah - Enfys' Mum]

Sorry it's so rough right now.  Does he fall asleep on his own?  Does he have a paci? 

I would say I agree with your sister, even 1.5 hr A time is pretty short for 5 months.  When did you increase from one hour?  Did you do it gradually?  When I first tried to extend Enfys' A times, I got all excited and did it too quickly and just messed things up.  So I went back slightly and then tried again more gradually.  Really I think you should be looking at 2 hours first thing and slightly more, maybe 2.5, between naps if the naps are good.

6 am wake & eat
8-9.30 nap
10 am eat
12-1.30 nap
2 pm eat
4-4.45 nap
6-6.30 at the latest, bed

[SleeplessAiden]

He does fall asleep on his own, no paci, but is a thumb sucker.  I thought I was going gradually, but maybe not enough.  For the last couple days I've just been going by his cues.  He did have an hour and a half yesterday, so hopefully...

Thanks a lot for your help!
 

[Sarah - Enfys' Mum]

hey, that's a start.
Is the short napper support thread still going on the naps board?  When we were in the throes of 45 minute naps, that thread was a great help. 

[Sarah - Enfys' Mum]

Here's the link
https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=114846.0