naps down to 10 mins since we changed routine - aaaaarrghhh!

[harrietevie]

Hi
We decided to increase our 3.5 month old from 3 hour EASY to 4 hour EASY using the technique outline in the BW book plus using PU/PD. Things were going pretty well until yesterday (day 5, moved feeds from 7,10,1,4,7 to 7,11,2.15,5.15,7). Now it seems our LO cannot nap. We find we don't have to do much PU/PD just sh/pat but around 5  mins after we remove our hands from her and leave the room she wakes up. We're wondering if we've misunderstood sh/pat? From the book I understand it that you sh/pat until baby is calm and then put into cot then you continue for another 10 mins or so... Should we stop once she is calm as we are finding that if we stop before she falls asleep she just wakes up and gets upset again and we have to start all over again. It's really confusing and extremely tiring as we are having to send her back off to sleep every 10 mins for every nap until it's feeding time. Our routine for today is:
7 - feed
9 - nap (had to stay with her pretty much the entire nap)
11 - feed
12.45 - nap (had to stay with her pretty much the entire nap)
2.15 - feed
3 - nap (was going to try for 3.30 but lo very tired)
5.15 - feed
7 - bedtime routine including feed

We have never left her to cry it out so I don't think there is a trust issue and I'm aware of regression so I guess it could be that but just wanted to check that we are doing things right!! Any ideas would be greatly appreciated

Thanks

Harrriet x

[brenda2]

hi
at 3.5 mo she may be a bit young to be on a 4 hour EASY with 2 hours A time.  my LO didn't go to 2 hours A time first thing until about 4.5 mo.  so it may be that she is a bit OT after 5 days of trying to extend her A time on the new routine.  especially the first A time often lags behind.

i would shorten up her A times.  if she is a bit OT this could be why she is waking at the jolts which are every 10 min as they go into the sleep cycle.

aas for technique:  usually you shh pat until they are calm and put them into the crib.  if they are able to fall asleep independently at this point you can leave them be.  but if you are trying to teach them how to go to sleep and they need a bit of help you stay with them and do shh pat until about 10-12 min after their eyes close which would be after the first jolt.  then stay with them with your hand on them for another 10 min because there is another jolt at 20 min.  if they get past 20 min usually you're ok.  then you try to slowly give less support and less shh pat as they learn to do it themselves.

try shortening up the A times first though, you may have done too much too quick and after 5 days of it the OT has caught up with her and she's too OT to get past the jolts on her own.