lots of questions with 4 month's routine

[Kriegs mom]

I would love some help with our 4 month ds's routine, or lack there of. He is spirited, has been a chronic short napper, but lately we've had all kinds of problems. during june he slept from about 8 til 8 with a df and one feed at around 4-5am. But this month he has been waking at least 3 times a night, not hungry though. Then lately, after I feed him around 5 and put him back to sleep, he'll wake at 6 then again at 7. And yet another issue, is that he's been waking before the df.
So, I've been trying to increase his A time by a bunch, trying to increase naps and decrease nw's. It helped with naps for about 5 days, and then he reverted back to short naps, now almost always an hour, but sometimes 30 or 40min. I think it might also be time to cut out the df. So, here's the schedule that I've been attempting, but never quite make it to...

7:30- W and Feed  (bf exclusively)
9:30-S
11:00-W and E
1:00-S
2:30- W and E
4:30-S
6:00-W and E
bath, winddown, top up
7:30- Bed
df used to be around 10:30, but ds is waking up before that.


I would love any help or suggestions to fix or start a better routine. I feel really confused!

[* Paula *]

Can you post what a typical day looks like, so that we can help you tweak your routine?

[Kriegs mom]

there really isn't such thing as a typical day. No two days have ever looked alike. the last few days he's been waking around 7:30ish. I try for a 2 hr A time after that, but since his naps aren't consistent, I just wing it from there. If he takes a nap of 40-60 min, I usually cut the next A time to 1hr 40 min or so. If it's only a 30 min nap and I can't extend it, then I try to put him back down before his feed, in 30 min or so. If I get all or mostly all short naps, I end up having to give him 4 naps to keep him from being OT. I try to have him in bed between 7:30 and 8 at night, making sure the last A time is no more than 1 hr 30 min.
Sorry I can't be more specific. I sure do wish I had more consistency!

[* Paula *]

Could you post what your day has looked like today or yesterday, just so that we can get a better picutre.

30 minute naps generally = OT, so it might be worth shortening your A time slightly to see how things go.

[Kriegs mom]

Ok, our last few days have been crazy b/c of traveling and church, but here is an idea of what a short nap day might look like...

7:30- W/E
9:30- sleep
10:30-W
10:45 E
12:15-S
1:15-W
1:45-E
3-S
3:45-W
4:15-E
5:45- cat nap
6:15- E
7-bath, winddown, top up
7:45- bed

usually once I lose the first nap, the whole rest of the day I get short naps, no matter how long I keep him awake. And yes, 30 naps are definitely OT, so I just can't figure out the amount of A time. in order to get him to 2 hours, I am ignoring tired signs for at least 10-15 min, but if I don't, I am sure to get a 45 min nap. Do I need to increase it even more in the AM?

[* Paula *]

It might be worth trying a 2.25 hour A time, and see if your lo sleeps longer.  An hour nap, I would say that your lo probably is not tired enough to sleep longer.

As they get older, their tired cues change quite a bit, so the yawns etc, can also mean boredness.

[Kriegs mom]

what about rubbing and barreling his face into my chest and shoulders? Tired cue or something else. That's the one I get most of the time. And I am thinking that I do need to up his A time, even though it seems like a lot already. Yesterday after he had only taken a 45 min nap, I still kept him up for the full 2 hours, and I was able to keep him asleep for 2 hours!

[* Paula *]

Yes, that definitely is a tired sign, but when he starts doing that perhaps try and do an extended windown routine, by going into his room, and perhaps doing a story or something like that.  The extra quiet time before putting him down for a nap could help him settle more easily.