Nap help....PLEASE

[nolejen]

HI, I am new here. We have been doing the pu/pd with our 9 month old for about 2 weeks. Nighttime is beautiful now, he might fuss for 20 minutes, but then he sleeps for 11.5 hours. We might have to go in there once and do one pu/pd.

Naps are another story. He looks to be ready at 1.5 hours after he wakes up. He is yawning and is really fussy. I do a nap time routine we had previously established and put him in bed. He suddenly is wide awake and plays in his crib. We will do pu/pd for 1.5 hours, no matter when we put him down...at first sign of tiredness or closer to 2.5 hours. He will then nap for 30 minutes and be done. When we first started the pu/pd, it took 3 pu/pds to put him to bed.

What can I do?

Here is our routine.

7 wake up
9-9:30 nap
11:15 snack
12:30 lunch
1:30 nap
3 snack
5:30 dinner
7:30 bed

[dizzy]

I think your A time (activity) first thing in the morning is to short. My LO is just 9 months and I have been having trouble with naps but because I am trying to put him down to soon I think. He wakes at 6.30 am and I have been starting wind down at 9.30 am and am now thinking more like 1000am. Mine does the tired thing when been up for about 1 hr 30 mins but I ignore now as it says he should be able to manage 3 hrs to four hours so wait for next tired signs. He then perks up again, as if his breakfast has just kicked in. At the minute he keeps crying when I put him to bed and now think he is telling me it is too soon. Just an idea, no real answers. Sorry

[nolejen]

He went down this morning after 2 hours 15 minutes after he first got up. I did the nap routine again and put him in the crib. He started crawling around in there like crazy. Once he stood up, I pu/pd. Once he rolled over on his back, I put my hand on his back. He tried to roll over, but I left my hand there...no real pressurse, not pushing him back down or anything, my hand was rolling with him. But he finally settled down and after 5 minutes, he was out cold.

Is this a bad thing to do?

[brenda2]

hi
i agree with dizzy that your A time is too short first thing likely resulting in a short nap.  at 9 months he should be able to handle 3 to 4 hours A time.  i would try to extend your first A time to at least 3 hours before putting him down in the crib.  this may help him to settle more quickly as he'll be more tired.  tired signs get less reliable as they get older so as dizzy said just ignore them.  my LO rubs her eyes from about 1.5 hours but can do 3 to 3.5 easily.

i would aim for this routine:
7 wake up
10-11:30 nap
2:30 - 4 nap
7 bed

also, as they get older you don't do pu/pd, you just do pd.  i think it was fine what you described as you should always try comforting in the crib first.

try extending and let us know how you do.

[nolejen]

Thanks for the help. I will try the extended A time tomorrow.
We had extended A time this afternoon and he passed out as soon as his head hit the crib. But he still woke up 50 min later. Ugh. I tried the w2s this morning and time got away from me to try it this afternoon. Must set alarm.