3 days in a row with a short 2nd nap- please help

[choffmann]

Hey! I need some help.. not sure if my 6.5 month old dd is UT or OT...

The past three days my lo has been waking up early from her 2nd nap (well probably now we are at OT as I write this out)... this is what the last three days have looked like

Friday
615amish wake up/prevacid for her reflux
7ish - breastfeed
815ish - solids
9ish - nap (2.5 hrs today)
11:30 - breastfeed
1230 - solids
2ish - nap (45 minutes - could not extend)
3pm - breastfeed
415ish - solids
6pm  - breastfeed and bed
NWings at 745, 830, 840, 845pm - woke up screaming so i fed - right back to sleep, got up at her usual 130ish feeding and wake up for day at 600am

Saturday
600AM wake up/prevacid
7ish - breastfeed
8ish - solids
9am - nap 2 hrs
11am breastfeed
12ish - solids
130ish - nap (45 minutes - but hubby was able to extend and she slept another 45 minutes)
305 - breastfeed
5ish - solids (went for a walk and didnt get home until then
6 breastfeed
630 bedtime
NWings 745 and 830 but was patted back to sleep/got up at 130 to breastfeed and then woke for day at 550

Today (sunday)
550 - wake
615 got her out of crib and prevacid
7ish breastfeed
815 - solids
915 nap 2 hrs
1115ish - breastfeed
1245 Solids
135 - nap (wouldnt settle herself very well/got up within 25 minutes and wouldnt settle back to sleep)
3pm - breastfeed
4:08 - catnap for 22 minutes (had to pat and she got up heirself) 
430 - giving her a cluster feed today as seemed hungry lately  in late afternoon

This is where we are so far...

She seemed fussy at 115 for nap so that is why i put her up... but maybe she wasnt tired?  Should i have waited? 

what time for bed?

The frequent nwings are new... she usually only gets up once to eat around 130 - 330am each night).. the only time i fed her was the Friday night 845 wake up cause she would not settle and was screaming bloody murder - she never does that... she ate a full meal. Last nights nWings didnt require a feed until her regular "nwing"...

She is teething I think so that could play a part.. but i have no clue what i am doing wrong!

Please help!

Christy

[sbchic1999]

Have you tried a little meds for the teething and see if that makes a difference?  That would possibly explain both short nap and definitely NW"s.

In regards to extend nap-for a little while I was anticipating DS's wake up (I was trying to get him to sleep a little longer than an hour) so I would go in at 45 minutes (while he was still really out) and lay down next to him in my bed.  He would then typically sleep for another 45 mins (=1 1/2 hrs total).  I did this for a few days and then just went back to letting him sleep the whole time to see when he woke up.  That actually worked! 

[choffmann]

yeah i have been giving her tylenol  except i did forget last night..

And i didnt give her any today as she seemed to be doing ok...

but the other times i did...

she naps in her crib so i wouldnt be able to lay with her... she usually does fine with this nap... i am not sure if its too much or too little A time...

Thanks!
Christy

[sbchic1999]

Sorry-my post wasn't clear.  LO naps in his bed too.  I would go and take him out of his crib and then bring him to my bed.

[choffmann]

oh ok... i wouldnt mind a nap myself... lol

The next two days i have to be out during her regular nap times.. ugh... i have no choice though..dr appts... yuck!

Christy

[deckchariot]

is it possible that's her 6 mos growth spurt is just now happening?  That might explain some of the NWs. 

Have you tried extending her 2nd A time a bit?  By 6.5 mos, most bubs are doing 2.75 - 3 hrs (and some even more).  I wouldn't mess with her first A time, since that nap is lovely - but maybe after that, she's well rested and could handle a bit more A time.  Her "tired" cues may be "I'm bored" cues and you could extend another 15 min or so just by switching up what she's doing.

hth
michelle

[choffmann]

Thanks Michelle

That is what i am thinking.. that her A time is too short.. but then i worry too about OT because she gets OT very easily and then settling is so difficult for her. 

Tonight she has gotten up again at the two hour after bedtime mark - i think its teething so i gave her tylenol and patted her a bit and left with her awake - she cried out but went to sleep.  If it is because of a GS would she settle by herself? or keep fussing to eat? 

I hate to think she is hungry and I am not feeding her... but i also dont want to get into the every NWing is a feeding thing... IYKWIM...

But this has been three nights in a row with the more NWings...

Christy

[deckchariot]

If she settled without feeding, it's not a GS - she would definitely keep crying til you fed her if she was hungry.  Good call on the teething  - you absolutely did the right thing!!!  Teething definitely causes NWs. 

If she super sensitive on the A times -just do 10 min every 3-5 days and see if that helps out - and keep those extra 10 minutes really low key - even think of it like an extended wind down.  I suspect once you can increase her A times that the nap will lengthen.

[choffmann]

Last night  she slept through!  .. just a tiny wake up at 1020 that dh was able to pat her for 2 seconds literally and i didnt hear another peep until 630am her normal wake up time!

She had her second nap in the car so it was short anyway but she slept on the way to our appt and on the way home so that works... and today we had another appt at second nap time so same thing happened. She had a later bedtime today than she should have due to me losing track of time at my parents house..oops.. so i hope i didnt mess up her night... we will see..

I appreciate your help.   At least tomorrow she will be in her crib for her second nap!

Christy

[deckchariot]

she sounds like she's pretty flexible bub - if she's taking some catnaps in the car and hanging in there at nighttime   let me know how you get on.