At my wit's end - please help my little one nap!

[JLMom]

Yes, yes I am!!  I was stunned that she napped for 45 minutes after being up for almost 2 hours.  If we missed the boat, she usually naps for 30 minutes or less.  That's why i was wondering if we need to increase her A time.  For her second nap today, i put her down after 1 hr 15 minutes and she woke after 36 minutes.  I don't think that OT.. she is soo difficult to read!!!

Another question.. can the swaddle become a prop?  Leah is breaking out a couple of times a night and waking herself up.  I still will swaddle for naps, but wondering if i should stop for bedtime.  I'm not sure she she has the capability to not hit herself in the head though and wake herself up even more!!!

I'm looking back at my posts in this thread and her wake-ups during a nap are erratic.  She can go down one day at 1 hr 20 minutes and not peep and then another day wake at the 40 min mark or the 30 min mark.  I'm so confused.  Today i got her to 1 hr 25 and she woke at 30 mins.  I've plugged her back in and she's still sleeping.

[becky1969]

Her sleep just sounds really disrupted. Being OT can do that; being UT won't -- if she's UT, she'll wake at 30-45 minutes and won't be able to go back to sleep.  Another thing that might cause sleep disruptions is teeth or ear infections.  But you'd usually see bad nights as well.

I seem to remember you trying 1.5 hours before and it really falling flat.  2 hours is a big stretch for anyone her age, so really not sure that's the way to go.  But they change VERY quickly, and she may have been extra tired due to teeth, fighting a bug, growth spurt, developmental stuff, etc. -- all things that go away after awhile!

So go ahead and try 1.5 hours today and see what happens!  If you can't get any long naps out of her (even if it takes re-plugging) then I think that will tell us a lot.

[JLMom]

She had her 4 month shots today and she's grown 1.5 inches since the beginning of April.. definetly a growth spurt there!!!

Today wasn't a good nap day

Thursday

Wake-up:  6:30

E - 6:45
A - 6:30 - 7:56 (1 hr 26 A time)
S - 7:56 - 9:23 (woke at 30 minute mark.. put soother in and she continued sleeping for another hour)

E - 9:30
A - 9:23 - 11:03 (was out and didn't get back on time.. missed the boat..she woke after 24 minutes.. had to go up and replace the soother multiple times)

So, i think i'll stick with 1 hr 25 mins for a few days..I missed the boat on nap #2 as i was out and the rest of the day..we were out so we'll see how tonight goes.

[JLMom]

Just updating and some questions:

In the last day she is arching her back quite a bit during play, in her crib and even while BFing.  I'm guessing she wants to roll over.  It seems to be affecting her sleep.  Today DH put her down after 1 hr 20 mins A time for her first nap. She had rubbed her eyes and went down easily.  She woke after 30 mins and was really happy.  DH went up there and found her arching her back and not really interesting in sleeping.  A few soother plug ins and she's currently back to sleep.

I know milestones can affect sleep and that maybe she's ready for more A time?  I don't know what to do!!

Wake-up: 6:35

E - 6:40
A - 6:35 - 7:55
S - 7:55 - 9:20 (we attempted to put soother back in..she fell asleep for a bit, but woke at 8:50 attempted again, fell asleep for a bit but woke at 9:20.. guessing UT)

E - 9:45
A - 9:20 - 10:55 (1 hr 35 A time)
S - 10:55 - 12:25 (peeped at 32 minute mark, put soother in and she continued sleeping on her own.. once again showing us how well she arches her back  )

E - 1:00
A - 12:25 - 2:02 (1 hr 37 A time)
S - 2:02 -

She was previously able to give us 2 hrs of sleep (uniterrupted) after 1 hr 20 mins A time.  But she was rubbing her eyes which prompted us to put her down.  Should we stretch her A time (and if so by how much) or ride out this possible milestone?

[becky1969]

Oh fun! The developmental/mobility milestones! Those drove me thoe MOST nuts, I think. Even worse than teeth!

she's on a really short A time right now.  the problem is that eye rubbing sort of suggests that it's where she needs to be.  The thing is I cannot imagine that she's OT at 1h20! That just seems crazy at her age; so the sleep disturbance at the 30 min mark *may* mean she's UT.  We'd actually expect her to do more like 1h45 right now, so we're pretty far from there aren't we!

I think I might increase to 1h30 for 2 days and then try 1h45 for 2 days and just see what happens.  You may just have one of those lovely sleepy bubs that sleep because you tell them they ought too -- so being UT doesn't present like it might with other children.  I have one of those -- he's the kind of kid that if I put him in bed, he'll sleep pretty much, even if he probably shouldn't be tired.  It's not a bad kid to have, but they tend to be super sensitive to being OT -- UT doesn't really exist for them.

Push her a bit over the next 4 days and see what happens.  If she's textbook or angel, then you may have to push her envelope for her in the sleep realm as she will happily stay wherever you put her with regards to A time.

[JLMom]

Hi Becky,

I updated today's events in my post above.
Talk about frustrating.  So DH put her down for nap #2 after 1 hr 35 mins of A time.  She woke after 30 minutes, he put the soother in.. she talked to herself for about 5 minutes and then put herself to sleep for a total sleep time of 1 hr 30 minutes.

So nap #3, he put her down at 1 hr 37 mins of A time.  She was getting fussy.  She woke after 36 minutes and she fought him to go back to sleep.  He had to rock her and put her back in the crib.  Can 2 minutes really make this much of a difference?  The fussiness was the first tired cue he saw so he put her down.

The last 3 nights, we have given her 2 hours of A time between the final/catnap and bedtime and she's handled it really well.  The first 2 nights was great.  She only got up 1x and slept past 6 am.  Last night was rough, she wanted to squirm.. maybe the milestone.  I'm so at a loss for what her A time is.. this is so frustrating.

[becky1969]

Hang in there.  Even if your A time is EXACTLY the same, your child isn't a robot so may have a different level of tiredness!    That's why we do both A time *and* watching cues -- for example, having a shorter nap than ideal may cause her to be more tired for 2nd nap.  Many babies can handle more A time in the morning than they can the rest of the day.  My son has always needed HIS shortest A time right before bed -- just worn out from the day, I'm guessing. 

So watch those cues; in fact, you might want to journal the cues.  Keep track of what you saw before you put her down for nap and record how long/continuous the nap was.  You might start to see a pattern jump out at you, a telltale sign that she MUST nap NOW! LOL!

[JLMom]

Thanks!!
Interestingly the 3rd nap.. she slept for 24 minutes and woke up.. DH went up a few times to pop in the soother.. she was still talking and happy (this is after 1 hr 37 mins A time).  He rocked her, put her down.. she slept for 10 and woke up.  We left her.. let her talk.  She fell back asleep and slept for 1 hr 20 minutes uninterrupted.  Wierd!!  The thing is, we put her down when she started getting fussy and got an 24 min nap.. should we have waited for more cues?  We kept her up after her last nap and we didnt' see any eye rub until 1 hr 50 min mark..  I'm guessing her A times have increased from 1 hr 20....we'll see what tomorrow brings!!

[becky1969]

Yeah, I think I'd wait for more cues than fussy.  Fussy can be caused by oh so many things.  Overstimulated, bored, etc.  Watch for those eye rubs/yawns -- I think those are more reliable cues.  But, keep notes!!!!! you may magically find a cue that you didn't recognize before.

[JLMom]

Okay.. so this morning i put her down at 1 hr 37 mins and she slept for 1 hr 50 UNINTERRUPTED!!!!!!  Yahooo... i'm hoping that means 1 hr 20 mins is now a distant memory!!  She rubbed her eyes at 1 hr 10 mins and i was like, forget it... and we did another activity, sat ourside for a bit, etc.  Phew!

Wake-up:  6:55

E - 6:55
A - 6:55 - 8:27
S - 8:27 - 10:25

E - 10:30
A - 10:25 - 12:29
S - 12:29 - 2:20 (but woke after 27 minutes.  Had to pop in the soother 2x, but she continued sleeping.  I actually had to wake her up in order to make it to an appt i had!)

The second nap.. we went out and came back in plenty of time.  She was in a great mood, kicking her feet happily, trying to turn over while lying on the floor etc.  Didn't see any eye rubbing, yawing or any other sleepy cues for that matter.  So just before 2 hrs, i took her upstairs.  She was still in pretty good spirits while i was doing wind down.  Started fussing a big while getting her into her grobag.  She didn't want to go in the crib so i took her out, walked a bit with her while talking softly, put her back in the crib.. she fussed but then fell asleep.  She woke up 27 mins later.  I had to go in and plug her back in 2x.  I just don't understand.. did I miss the boat, or did she want more A time?

[becky1969]

Hard to say based on 1 nap.  I'd stick with the A time you found worked this AM and just see how she reacts to it.  Then you can adjust from there after you have 3 days worth of data or so.

But WTG on teh long nap! YAY!

[JLMom]

I'm still really struggling with this..  yesterday i put her down around the 1 hr 35 min mark and she woke up after 35 mins and was horrible to put back.  Today i put her down at 1.5 hrs and again up at the 30 minute mark.  I'm so exhuasted by all this.  The sleepy signs are there, but she just will not get past 30 minutes.  Do I have to push her to 1 hr 45?  Where she should be despite the sleepy signs?  I'm so afraid she'll cut it less than 30.

[becky1969]

Yes, push her to 1h45.  That's the bottom range for her age, so those 30 minute naps may have both been UT.  That's where I'd go next!  deeeeeeeeeep breath :in, out, in, out. 

[JLMom]

Thanks!!!  After putting her down for 1 hr 30, going up at the 30 to plug her back in she did go back to sleep for 1.5 hours.  It was far easier to get her to go back to sleep than the 1 hr 35 yesterday.  I'm so afraid of her cutting her naps short like 25 mins if i push her espeically when there were clear drowsy signs just before 1.5 hrs of awake time.  The interesting thing is in both cases yesterday and today when she woke at the 30 mins, she was happy!!!!  She's always happy, never cries.. this is what is getting me!

[becky1969]

If you can replug and she'll go back to sleep, she's not UT.  We need to help her learn to get over the 30 min hump.  I'm beginning to think we need to HTTJ with her -- I'm wondering if eh's just stuck at the developmental short nap that happens at 3 months and needs a little sleep training?  What do you think? What's your instinct?