Help! What causes a 30 minute nap where baby wakes up happy?!

[momto4cs]

Hi everyone!

I am currently working on finding the "sweet spot" for getting my 5 1/2 month old down for a nap.  He had been going down for most naps with just a winddown, swaddle and off to bed.  Then last week he started having a very difficult time going down for his morning nap which would throw off the rest of the day.  Today he went down and took a great 2 hour morning nap, but his 2nd nap was only 30 minutes.  He went down happy, slept for 30 minutes and then played in his crib for 30 minutes before starting to fuss.  At that point I just went in and got him up.  Normally I would think that a 30 minute nap meant that he was OT, but wouldn't he wake up crying instead of happy.  Here's our EASY from today -

fed once last night at 4:30 (we don't do a dream feed but probably should).

Woke at 7:35

E-8:00
A-just floor time -started to get fussy at the 1 hr 20 min mark so I went ahead and started winddown.  He continued to fuss on and off during w/d but I kept him up until he started rubbing his eyes at 1 hr 35 minutes of A time.  I swaddled him and he was in bed by 1 hr 40 min.
S - 9:15-11:15 (at which time I actually woke him)

A- went for a walk
E-12:00
A- hung out and then I started w/d at the 1 hr 40 min mark.  Again fussed on and off but I kept him up until he rubbed his eyes at the 2 hr mark.  Swaddled and in bed at 1:20.
S- actually fell asleep at 1:28 (we have a video monitor) and only slept till 2:00 when he woke up and just "played" in his bed until 2:30 when he started to cry a bit.

A- floor time
E- 3:15
A- diaper, hung out in the kitchen with me. W/d started at 1 hr 40 min. mark because he just didn't seem sleepy before that even with the short 2nd nap.  Swaddled and in bed at 3:50.
S- fell asleep around 4:00 and is still sleeping.

Any ideas if that 2nd nap was that short due to being UT?  I hesitate to push him passed the fussying and eye rubbing in fear of making him OT.

Any insights would be greatly appreciated.  After months of doing BW I still get so confused !!

[momto4cs]

Update on the 3rd nap and the rest of the day in case anyone has any suggestions-

3rd nap was also short - in bed at 3:50, asleep at 4:00, up playing again at 4:35.

I ended up putting him to bed early at 6:45 (compared to 7:30 or so) because of the two short naps. And he went down great.

Thanks for the help!

[~Alexa~]

Hi there!! I'm sorry you are having a tough time!
I think some of your lo's As are too short and that's why it is so hard for him to fall asleep.  You may be putting him down for his naps Ut, so it is very hard for him to fall asleep, and ends up being OT. 
At 5.5 mo, bubs are able to handle 2.25-2.5 hrs A time.  http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=64158.0

If the first A is working, then keep it as it is (1 hr 40 min).  For some bubs, the first A time in the morning is the shortest.  But then, after that 2 hr am nap, try to add 15 min to the A.  Remember that you have to do the A increments slowly, by adding 10-15 min every 3 days until you get longer naps.  Does this make sense?

Hope this helps,
Alexa

[momto4cs]

Thanks Alexa for the advice!  We got off to a crazy start today.  My little guy actually slept through his normal "wants to eat" time of around 4 and woke ready to start the day at 6 am.  The EW could be related to putting him to bed earlier due to short naps yesterday - couldn't it?  Anyway great that he slept through the night, but it started the day off at a totally different time.  I had put him down at 1 hr 50 min yesterday and got a great 2 hr nap out of him, but today he just didn't seem at all tired at that time so I ended up putting him down at the 2hr mark and he was asleep at 2 hr 10 min.  After that he only slept for 45 minutes though and then played in his crib.  I left him for 20 minutes and he never dozed off again (he didn't cry at all either - just played) so I went ahead and got him up.

I wasn't sure of what to do to his next A time since he had been happy after just 45 minutes, so I put him in bed at the 1 hr 50 min mark and he was asleep again within 10 minutes.  He cries for just a second when I first put him in his crib but stops by the time I reach I even close his door and then just lays there and plays until he dozes off.  Again he woke happy and just played in his crib for 20 minutes before I got him. 

Thinking that maybe he is UT I lengthened his next A time to putting him in his bed at the 2 hr 15 min mark and again he was asleep within 10 minutes.  I noticed that he awoke at the 30 minute mark, but this time after about 10 minutes he dozed off again and is still sleeping now.  That would mean his total A time this last time was 2 hr 25 min.  Is it okay to go that long after a short 45 min. nap where he wakes up happy? 

I think that I noticed that your little one is just a few months older...did you notice his sleep cues change around 5 or 6 months?  My little guy used to cue me by getting a little fussy but that just doesn't seem reliable now?  It seems like I have to go past that point.  I'm wondering if I need to go more by the clock now in hopes of getting a bit more structure to our schedule.  I've always gone mostly by his cues, but here we are at 5 1/2 months and still everyday is so different.  Also does it matter at this point that he was 10 days early by scheduled c-section which would put him more at a true 5 months compared to 5 1/2?

Thanks for all of your help!
Christine

[momto4cs]

Oops - I left out that his second nap was also only 45 minutes - again he woke happy and just played in his crib.

[pinkbull13]

my lo is exactly the same age and was born 3 weeks early due to a cheduled c section and i am having the exact same problem!!! I ant wait to read the insights:)

[~Alexa~]

Hi Christine!! If your lo was a premmie (2 weeks), then he may be able to handle less A.  More what a 5 mo would handle.  But it all depends on your lo.  I remember this mom who had a 1 mo premmie, so he would get really OT, but now, her lo is 7 mo, and he can handle more A than my lo.  So, every bub is different, you will have to experiment.  But it is definitely a possibility!

About your routine...When you have a short nap, you will have to reduce your lo's next A time b/c if you push it too long, then you will end up with an OT bub. 
I think your lo had a short am nap b/c he slept all night and that made him wake up well rested and ready for more A time.  Just remember that the A increments need to be done slowly b/c some babies can get really OT if you add 30 min all of a sudden. 

My lo's tired cues change a lot when he turned 5 mo.  He still rubs his eyes after 2 hrs A, (he can handle 3.5 hr).  I used to put him down, but ended up with an UT nap, so now, I always change the scenery before putting him down.  If he is happy with the new activity, then I keep him up, but if he gets fussy and cranky, then assume he is tired, so I put him down.  Now, I've learnt that I need to wait for the 3rd eye rubbing to have a nap. 

How is it going now? Which As did you try today? 

If he STTN, try 2 hr A for one more day, if he still takes a short nap, then tomorrow, you can try 2 hr 15 min and see what happens.  After a short nap, I would go for 1 hr 45- 2 hr A. If that still doesn't work, then you can add 15 min. 

HTHs,
Alexa

[momto4cs]

Hi Alexa!

Thanks again for the help! 

Yesterday's EASY was:

STTN
up at 6 am happy and playing in crib

E- 6:20
A- 6:00-8:15 (in bed at 2hr A time, asleep 2hr 10 min)
S- 8:15-9:00 (left in bed for 20 minutes playing to see if he would resettle)

A- 9:00-9:50
E- 9:50
A- 9:50-10:50 (in bed at 1hr 50 min A time, asleep 2 hr)
S-11:00-11:40 (again woke playing in bed left playing 20 minutes)

A- 11:40-1:20
E - 1:20
A- 1:20- 2:00 (in bed at 2 hr 20 min, asleep at 2 hr 30 min)  I now see that this A ended up being longer than I had thought it was. 
S- 2:10 - 3:10 (woke up playing in his bed at 2:42, dozed off again at 2:50, woke at 3:10, left him till he started to fuss at 3:35).

A- 3:10-4:00
E- 4:00 (squeezed in feed a little early to get him to make it till bedtime feed)
A- 4:00 - 5:20 (in bed at 2 hr 10 min, didn't settle on his own which isn't uncommon for him at this time of the day.  Resorted to our one form of AP and bounced him on the exercise ball for just a couple of minutes until he settled)
S - 5:30-6:00

A- 6:00-7:30
E - 7:30
S - down for night at 7:45.  He actually cried out at 8:40 and resettled himself and again at 9:45.  At 9:45 he didn't settle so I went in reswaddled him loosely and put him back down).

Any ideas on how I could have worked the afternoon to make that third nap and bedtime easier?

Here is today-

Again he STTN and woke playing in his crib at around 5:45

E - 6:00 but I put him back to bed and he played until 6:50 and then dozed off until 7:30

Up at 7:30

A- 7:30-8:45
E-8:45
A- 8:45-9:45 (in bed at 2 hr 5 min of A time, asleep at 2hr 10 min) - is falling asleep this quickly a good thing or am I skating close to being to late?
S- 9:45-11:30 - stirred once but went back to sleep without a sound - 1 hr 45 min!

A- 11:30-12:15
E- 12:15
A- 12:15- 2:00 (he started rubbing his eyes at the 2 hr mark so I went ahead and put him down.  I could tell immediately that it was too early by the way he cried.  Pulled him back out of bed and played with him on his floor until he started getting fussy at 2hr 20 min, reswaddled him and put him in bed.  He fussy cried for a few minutes and settled at 2:00 ( 2 hr 30 min). If I get him down at the right time he doesn't hardly peep - do you think that I just waited too long and should have gone for 2 hr 15 minutes from the start?).
S- 2:00 and he is still sleeping now at 2:35

His lack of reliable cues is driving me bonkers!  I know that when I get the timing just right he does great, but it becomes so stressful to try to do that for every nap - and still take care of our three other boys !

Any insights would be great!!

Thanks!
Christine

[momto4cs]

Update - he ended up waking at the 45 minute mark from nap 2 and started fussying after a couple of minutes.  I could tell when I went in that he was still tired but after 10 minutes of trying to resettle him I just called it good.  I will keep the next A time short and see how his last nap goes.

Thanks!

[~Alexa~]

Hi Christine!! I hope things are going great with your lo! 

It seems that 2 hr 15 min A time first thing in the morning, your lo sleeps a long nap.  So keep that A the same.      I would have done the same thing about that second A, in fact, I don't think it was too long.  My lo would handle 2 hrs in the am, and then 2.75 hrs after his am nap.  That is a big difference, but that's what worked for him.  So, keep that second A as yesterday.  And see if after 3 days, it helps.  If you still get a short nap, then we can add more min. 

If you need a catnap before bedtime, then I would try to push it earlier, so that after it your lo still gets 2 hr A time.  So you can do some APOP to get him to sleep the catnap!

How is it going now?
Alexa