short naps

[~Alexa~]

Back for some help, Michelle!! .... So IŽve been doing w2s, as you suggested with my lo in order to extend naps.  It has worked pretty well, because I have been able to extend them all of the times.  I have tried staying less time in his room and helping him less with the jolts, and it has worked, but the problem is that he is napping just for 1 hr 15 min.  If I want him to nap longer, I have to stay in his room for 40 min, so that I am there when he experiences other jolts.  I don't know what to do.  Should I stay and help him for so long? Or is it Ok for him to nap only 1hr 15 min?

One more question....I have tried not intervening at all to see if he has learned to transition from one sleep cycle to the other, but it is not working.  If I don't help him through the jolts, he wakes up!! I'm just getting tired of being there for so long.  SHould I keep it up? Isn't this becoming a prop?

Just need some encouragement words!! 

xxx,
Alexa

[deckchariot]

I'm impressed at your committment!!!  Wow!!!  I'm also impressed that you've been able to extend every nap.  W'ow!!

When he wakes at 1 hr 15 - does he wake happy or is he crying?  If he wakes happy, I'm guessing that's a good nap for him.  He may just need a wee bit less than other bubs. 

I've not heard of w2s becoming a prop...hmmm....you said that you've been staying less time and intervening less, and he's making it to 1 hr 15  - is that with no intervention, or are you still intervening a bit?  I'd say keep pulling back gradually on how much you're intervening and how long you're staying - like every other day, knock 5 min off your time in the room.  I would think that would prevent a prop from forming.

I'm wondering if you could do 2 w2s in one nap?  I've heard of other moms doing that - going in for the first jolt, then leaving, going back in for the 2nd jolt.  That might work too - but if you can get him weaned off your help on the first jolt, then you can tackle the next.

Or, just to throw something else in....maybe it is time for a wee bit more A time.  You could try extending just 10 min for 3-5 days and see if that helps.  He is certainly learning how to get past the jolts (even if he does still need some help), so maybe a bit more A time would help too.

it is a bit of a guessing game sometimes....and just when you get one thing figured out, they're on to something new   Hang in there!!

[~Alexa~]

Yes, I'm impressed too!! It feels so great to have more than 45 min naps!! Thanks Michelle!!
Today was even better!! I just applied pressure for the first jolt during his first nap, and then I didn't have to intervene at all.  He had more jolts, but he got through them and slept 1.5 for his first nap.  Then, for his second nap, I didn't have to intervene, not even with the first jolt, he slept 1.15 min and woke up crying, so I put him back to sleep with shpat and he slept for 2 hours!! Then, at the end of the day he had one 30 min catnap.  He struggled a bit with this one, but after all, he could fall asleep.  So it was really good!! 

I also thought about extending his A times.  So I'll give it a try.  How should I do it? You said I should try extending his A time for 10 min for 3-5 days, but should I do the increment in all his A times, or just the first one?? 

One more question...At this age, how long should his naps be? 1.5 hr or 2 hr? The problem with having 1.5 hr naps is that then my EASY is more like EASAEAS...No big deal, right?    Anyway, I may try doing w2s with the 2nd jolt as well, and see if that helps him have longer naps.

xxx,
Alexa

[~Alexa~]

Ok, so I couldn't wait for your answer!! I need to tell you how last night went!! 
He went to bed at 7 p.m. I started doing the DF 3 nights ago.  It hadn't been working, but you told me I should give it a try for 1 week, so I continued doing it.  And last night.....He woke around 3 a.m., but went back to sleep all by himself, then around 6:00 a.m. he woke up.  I heard him cooing and babbling, but 30 min later he slept again until 7:30 a.m.!!! It was great for me, because it is the first time I don't wake up to feed!

The problem is that he has been waking up around 6 for 3 days in a row.  I don't know if it is becoming a habit.  I never go to his room, he sleeps again all by himself.  Should I worry about this? This causes him to handle less A time before his first nap.  For example, today he was really fussy around 1 hr 20 min, but I put him down after 1 hr35 min A time.  He woke up 30 min later and was really hard to put him back to sleep.  I think he was OT. 

Thanks again,
Alexa
P.S. Don't forget to read my pp!!

[deckchariot]

WOW!!!!  Great success on napping and on nighttime!!! YAY!!!  I am thrilled for you!!!!!!

on extending the A times - I always started with the first one of the day and saw how that went - if Abby took to the extra time right away, then I did all the A times, if not, then I only changed that one and left the others the same.  The key is to do it gradually - thus the 10-15 min every 3-5 days.

Anywhere from 1.5 - 2 hrs is fine for naps at his age - some babies need more, some even less, and it's ok if your EASY looks like EASAE etc. because he naps 1.5 hrs and isn't ready to eat when he gets up.  If he's happy on the 1.5 hrs of napping, then life is good

the 6 am wake up  - how long does he wake for?  If he's happy and goes back to sleep on his own fairly quickly, I wouldn't worry about it.  You're not intervening, so there's not really any thing to be habit forming.  Babies often wake in the early morning hrs and then go back to sleep - their sleep becomes lighter as it nears wake up, so sometimes they just wake easily.  Abby always had her shortest A time before her first nap - til she was maybe 9 mos olds, so if he needs a shorter A time first thing, that's ok.  At this point, I wouldn't worry too much about that 6 am wake up, since you don't go in and he does go back to sleep.

You're doing such a fabulous job!!  I"m really impressed!  Be sure to share that with other moms when you see similar questions posted - that will be a real encouragement to them!!!

[~Alexa~]

Thanks Michelle!! I've already shared my success story with some moms!! And IŽll keep doing it!!

IŽll try to extend his first A time, and I'll let u know how things go!!

xxx,
Alexa

[~Alexa~]

Coming for some help Michelle!! 

My LO has been waking up early all this week.  I don't know if it has something to do with his having longer naps or with the DF.  These are the two things that have been different during this week.  The DF has worked pretty well for 3 nights.  These 3 nights he slept at 7 p.m, had the DF at 10 p.m and then until 6 a.m he coos and then goes to sleep until 7:30.  But the last two nights, he went to bed at 7 p.m., had his DF at 10 p.m. and then woke around 3 a.m., I fed him, and went to sleep until 6 a.m and then again until 7:30 a.m. 

I don't know what to do to avoid the EW.  I have been thinking of putting him down later or earlier, but I don't know if that's the problem.  He has always gone to bed at 7, and wakes up until 7:30 a.m. with a night feed at around 2 a.m. (without a DF)

According to his age, he is supposed to take 2 long naps and a catnap, but he has been taking 3 long naps because he can't handle more A time.  I've tried to extend them because I think they are too short, but he gets pretty cranky and wakes from his naps after 35 min and I have to shpat him until he falls asleep.  Here was our routine yesterday.

Awake at 7:45 a.m.
E. 7:45 a.m. 5 oz
A. 7:45 - 9:20 a.m. (A time: 1hr 35 min)
S. 9:20 a.m. - 11:05 a.m. (1 hr 45 min)

E. 11:05 a.m. 5 oz
A. 11:05 - 12:45 p.m. (A time: 1 hr 40 min)
S. 12:45 p.m. - 2:15 p.m.  (1 hr 30 min)

E. 3:00 p.m. 5 oz
A. 2:15 p.m. - 3:50 p.m. (A time: 1 hr 35 min)
S. 3:50 p.m. - 5:35 p.m. (1 hr 45 min)

Bath 6:15 p.m.
E. 6:30 p.m.
S. 7:00 p.m.
DF 10 p.m.

Last night he woke at 3:30 a.m. for a feed and went back to sleep.  Then he woke again at 6:30 a.m. and I went to him, reswaddled him, and he fell asleep pretty easy with shpat until 7:30 a.m. 
For the naps, I still use w2s.  I go into his room and observe him; sometimes he does the transition by himself without any pressure, but sometimes he totally wakes up and I have to shpat him to sleep.  But I've been able to extend all his naps.  Should I keep doing it?

Do you have any suggestions?? Do you think the problem is the naps? Or may be the DF?

Thanks
Alexa

[deckchariot]

I suspect it's a case of too much day sleep robbing his night sleep - he's getting 5 hrs of day sleep and 12.5 at night, and I suspect after 5 hrs of day sleep, he's just not needing 12.5 at night.  I don't know if the df would cause an EW or not.....we didn't have that problem, but I also did a df from the beginning, so I just don't know.

I do know that most moms suggest doing 2 weeks with the df before deciding if it's working or not, but then again, there are plenty of BW moms who never did a df at all.

Personally, if it was Abby, and I'd probably try 1 of 2 things - shortening that last nap to about 1 hr (since it's usually just a catnap), and if that didn't work (which my gut tells me with Abby it wouldn't, she HATES being woken from her naps), then I'd try a later bedtime - work on a 12 hr day/night, so do bedtime at 7:30 instead of 7.  That's probably what I would do first, and if that didn't work after 3-5 days, I'd try shortening that 3rd nap. 

But you know your bub best, if you suspect it's the df, stop it and see what happens.  He was only waking 1x for a feed during the night before the df anyway, right?  That's pretty normal at his age.  My hunch is it's that 3rd nap and 11.5 hr day that's causing the EWs.

hang in there!!

hth
michelle

[~Alexa~]

Thanks Michelle!! OK, but if I wake him after 1 hr from the last nap, then, he would be up at 5 p.m.  Then, if I also move his bedtime later, he would have to be up from 5 p.m. till 7:30 p.m. and he would get OT.  So what do you suggest?
Should I let him sleep 2 hrs for the last nap and move the bedtime till 7:30? Ggrrr!! I don't know what to do!! I can't think of the solution!! Because, if I wake him after 1 hour from the last nap, he will only handle 1 hr 30 min of A time, so his bedtime would have to be again at 7 p.m. 

Or may be......If I wake him from all his naps after 1.5 hrs, I could fit a short catnap before bedtime....But then he would be having 3 1.5 hr naps and 1 catnap....   I think all of this is related with his short A times.

Totally confused!!

[deckchariot]

I wouldn't push his bedtime if you shorten his naps - sorry if that wasn't clear - I'd do one or the other.  If he has big problems when you wake him from naps early, then I'd leave his naps as they are, but move bedtime to 7:30.  If he's ok being woken from his naps, then I'd cut the catnap a bit shorter and keep bedtime the same.  It is such a juggling game when you're dealing with short A times, but the good news is that every few weeks, you can start pushing A time again - they just change that fast