6 1/2 mo suddenly doing 1h 10m naps. Why?

[fc12]

Hi there

Since 3 months, my DS has consistently done 2 naps per day of 1h 45m - 2 h and then a catnap of 30-40 mins. He is on 4 hour EASY. In the last week his sleeps have gone down to between 40 mins (very occasionally) to about 1h 30m (usually around 1h - 1h 10m). He is quite tired most the time because of this. He was still having 2 hours A time and I"m realising that might be too short but in the last week we have been very busy and sometimes the A time can stretch to 2h 30 - 3 h and still he does short naps (I've kind of been experimenting with A times accidently!).

On top of this, for about a week (2 weeks ago) he was STTN. Heaven! Now, with short naps, this has stopped and he's up mostly once (last night twice) a night. Can you imagine being given that 'taste' only to have it taken away from you so quickly:(!!!

Also, he's about to start daycare 2 days a week. I've been taking him for the odd morning and afternoon and he will not sleep there! The first day he wouldn't sleep at all and on the second he took 30 mins (after 2h 30m A time) to sleep with me by him rubbing him and continually sticking his dummy in. The environment is just too stimulating for him to sleep especially compared to home where he has an absolutely pitch black room with a fan.

Anyway, I'm stuck to know what to do. I can experiment with his A time. I guess he can cope with more than 2 h now but I feel I've kind of been doing that inadvertently and it hasn't made a difference. I can't help but feel that since we've been visiting daycare, his sleep has become awful again.

I have no idea what naps of 1h 10m mean - OT or UT?

Can anyone help?

TIA
fc 12

[deckchariot]

Can you post your typical EASY routine (as best as you can)?  My dd dropped her catnap at 6 mos and went down to just 2 naps and a bit more A time, so it could be that he's ready for that as well.  I'm pretty sure the NWs are because of the poor daytime sleep.  Also, daycare really, really, really messes up with the sleeping routine, but bubs do adjust, it generally takes awhile though, and I know loads of mums who try to "catch up" with early bedtimes or extra catnaps when they are home.  Good for you in taking him there early to give him a bit more time to get adjusted.  That transition is tough.

hth
michelle

[fc12]

Loosely, the EASY is
630 (bottle)
730 solids
825 in bed
835 asleep
950 wake
1020 solids
1145 bottle in bed
12 asleep
130 wake
2 bottle
4 catnap
530 solids
600 bath
630 bottle
7 bed but sqwarks and screams til about 745
3-5 bottle (sometimes other wise he sleeps til 6-630)

I sometimes give him a dummy to fall asleep. Sometimes he wakes from a nap after 40 mins. I used to be able to get him back to sleep but not now. I also try if he wakes after 1 h but that never works either anymore. My presence seems only to stimulate him.

As I said the nights are getting worse which I'm trying to avoid because we had simple hell for his first 3 months. No sleep at all.

Any ideas?
TIA
fc12

[deckchariot]

I'm guessing he is ready for a bit more A time - I'd start extending just 10 or 15 min every 3-5 days.  It can take several days for an A time change to result in longer naps, so try not to change it every day, give him a chance to adjust.  As you extend A times, you can probably skip the catnap as his naps lengthen.  You may want to put him down to bed a wee bit earlier as you're doing this.  I'm guessing he's OT by the time bedtime rolls around, and that's why you have the screaming.  Your EASY does actually look pretty good, I'd just start extending A times and go from there.

Whenever Abby naps over 1 hr, I never bother extending, as that's a good UT nap for her, and she will not go back to sleep.  So I wouldn't bother extending if the nap is over an hour, but just watch for tired signs because he may not be able to handle an extension of the next A time.

hth
michelle