A time for 9 month old---HELP...I've got it all wrong!

[~Alexa~]

Glad things are getting a bit better, hun!! As you said, at least that short pm nap will get you till bedtime!!
So tomorrow try 3 hr A first thing, and then if he has a good am nap (more than 1 hr), then go for 3.5 hr and see if that gets a better pm nap! Fingers crossed for tonight!

[Isabellasmummy]

It sounds like things are getting alot better for you, you are bound to have the odd bad day.

You are so lucky that the bad naps don't spread to your night, as ours do and have done since she was born...

We are really struggling at the moment and she has gone from STTN to waking up at night for hours and hours... I feel like giving up.

For us it's one step forward and ten steps back.

So you are doing 3hrs A in the Am  and 3.25/5 in the Pm.

Ok so we are going to try that.

Someone suggested set nap times... have you ever thought of that?

[babyboy26]

Toni,

I forgot to mention...while he seems to sleep good at night...we are battling the EWs, every other day or so it seems!!!  I guess it's the naps that are doing that!!! 

Last night was 7:30 - 5:55 (Only 10 hrs 25 min )  Maybe I should have put him to bed earlier, since he had a super short pm nap!

The past few days we have been doing 3 or 3.25 in the AM and the same in the PM...BUT.........I am wondering if the short A in the AM is reinforcing the EWs...I get so confused, as every day is soooo different!!!  We seemed to do ok with a 3 or 3.25 before the PM nap if the AM nap was short, but yesterday, since the AM nap was 1hr20m, it didn't work, and he got so wired.  I know how you feel about giving up...I absolutely hate thinking about A times and tip-toeing around all the time! 

I have not thought of doing set nap times...have you tried?  I wonder if it would work?

I guess I'll do a 3 hr A this morning, since he had a short night and an EW...ugggghhhh!

[Isabellasmummy]

We are a bit like you no day is the same, so some day she could wake up at 5am or 6am or as late as 8am so can's really do set naps.

Alot of people on these boards are and they say that the baby adapts and come to expect a nap at that time and sleeps better.

I think if things don't improve over the next few day then next week we will give them ago.. no idea what times but anything is worth a go isn't it?

On the plus side you don't have to keep worrying about A times.. that's what gets me as i don't always know exactly what time she woke as she can be quiet.

Plus I NEVER EVER get the A times right UT/OT i haven't a clue neither seem to work and seem right for me.

We can do it together at least then we have support... 

Hope your naps are going well today.

Where abouts in the world are you? we are in Nottingham UK

Hugs
Toni x

[babyboy26]

We are in the US.  A times drive me crazy!  I seem to get them right for a day or two, then things go crazy again! 

Alexa, what do you think of the set naps?

[~Alexa~]

Hi Kara!! Sorry about the EW! Things may be haywire until your lo moves to one nap, so just keep that in mind!
I have no real experience with set naptimes.  I have read that this has worked with lots of moms on the boards, but I've no experience with that myself.  It may be worth it trying it!

[babyboy26]

Thanks, Alexa!  I think I'll try and keep working with these As for a few more days and see what happens (also see if we get a tooth or not, as I still am not convinced that's what it is!) 

With the 5:55 wake up, he napped from 8:45 - 9:50...not quite a 3 hr A.  So this 1hr5min nap was just an extension of his night, I think.  Do you think I should maybe push for a longer A in the mornings?  Yesterday I did 3.25hr, which he woke briefly at 35m., but continued on for 1hr20m total.  I don't want to get into the pattern of the EWs, because that means earlier naps, and hard to get to bedtime!

[~Alexa~]

I would still have normal A time after an EW.  Unless you will do some 10 min short nap and then go for his normal naptime.

[babyboy26]

Ok...so do you think our "normal" A should be 3hr or 3.25hr?  He'll be 10 months next week...so 3 hrs is a little on the low side, isn't it?  Also, I was reading on another thread about the 10 min thing...how does it work?

This boy has me so confused.  Around 12, which was just over 2 hrs A from am nap, he was drowsy.  Tried changing his activity, but was still quite drowsy, so I put him down and he slept from 12:15 to 1:25!  Strange!  Now this doesn't get us to bedtime, so I'll have to try and APOP a nap.  I'm thinking from 4:30 - 5:00.  If it doesn't work, I will just have to try and get to bedtime, as last week when I did 2 cnaps from 5:30 - 6, he had EWs 2 days in a row.  He has already had 2 hrs15m of nap time today, but I'm sure that 1st one was just extending his night.

[Isabellasmummy]

Your little boy woke at the exact same time as dd today.. strange.

I still did 3.30hr A and i only got 1hr 10 mins am nap...

My dd is the same always shows tired signs at the 2.5 hr mark, i just ignore it now and distract her.. i used to think she was tired take her upstairs and suddenly she was full of energy and not in the least bit tired!

Good luck tonight hun xx

[~Alexa~]

Hi Kara!! So 3.25 hrs at 10 mo is a bit short, especially if getting a short nap.  But that's ok if he is not fighting the am nap.  Remember you'll have one long and one short nap a day.  So you just need to choose which one you want to be long and which one short so we can work on the right A time to have the long nap.  Does this make sense?  The problem with changing every day the A times is that there is no consistency.  That's why you feel like every day is different b/c every day there is a different A time.  So, have a plan and stick with it no matter what.  That's why sometimes the set naptimes work b/c there is A LOT of consistency.  So, there is no point in extending an A time if you are still going to have a short am nap b/c you will wake your lo up to fit the pm nap.  Does this make sense? So, choose which way you want to go.

1) long am nap...So then we would add A to the first one to get a long am nap and a short pm nap

2) short am nap, long pm nap...So we keep the 3.25 hr A time first thing in the morning, and play with the second one to get a long pm nap.  But you can't have 2 long naps at this age, you would run out of hours! Also, you could also get EW and NWs. Too much daysleep may rob sleep from the night. 

About the 10 min nap when having an EW...This works when EWs are a habit and there is no other way of breaking them b/c that would push bedtime too early and keep the EWs too.  So, the point is to fit 10 min of sleep but without it being a proper nap, so you don't end up with an am nap at 8 am, and then a 5 pm bedtime. So, imagine you have a 5 am wake up, then you would rock your lo for 10 min at around 8.30 am, and then shoot for his normal naptime, at around 10 am. 

HTHs
Alexa

[babyboy26]

Ok, ok, ok...I've been naughty!  *Scolding myself*  Yes, everything you say makes sense, I must be consistent!  No more of this putting him down less than 3 hr A business!  So, the goal is for a short nap and a long nap, not for 2 x 1.5hr naps.  That's what I was trying, but it wasn't working anyway.  I'm sorry if I've been a bother!  This is the plan I think you gave me last week: (which never really worked out exactly because he was in an awful OT cycle)

6:30 wake
9:45/10 - 10:45 nap
2:00/2:15-4:00 nap
7:30 bed

So we will go for something like this!!!  I will do a 3.25 A in the morning no matter what!!!  Nap will be no longer than an hour no matter what!  Unless, of course, he decides not to fall asleep   A couple of questions on this:  If the am nap is only 30 min, should the next A still be 3.25?  What if the pm nap is only 30 min also?

On a different note, I was able to APOP a nap from 4:35-5:05...since this was an hour earlier than the cnaps I gave twice last week, I'm hoping that it doesn't rob his night!  He went to sleep at 7:30.

**Update: slept 7:30 - 6:55...wooohoooo! So, the catnap seemed to work ok at this time.

[Isabellasmummy]

Well Done, so pleased for you.. 

I bet you enjoyed your lay in... finger crossed it continues.

How is today going so far?

We had a very good night also slept 6.15pm till 6.30am

We are doing
NAP 1 9.30-  1 hour
NAP 2 14.00  1.5

I think I might need to extend the 2nd A, does waking after 30mins mean UT/OT?

Alexa- I am also following your every word, so thanks.

[LucySol]

Hi Kara,just jumping in! if Daisy did a 30 min nap am i would have to bring her next A down to 3hrA and hope for a good nap but now im doin the set nap times(as you know) she just goes down at the next nap time whatever.i think it depends what time she wakes up from the 2nd nap if you get 2 short naps.personally i would do an early bedtime rather than a catnap cos cn always give me EW.
if you get a 45 min nap tho id go for the usual A! just my opinion

[~Alexa~]

30 min naps may mean UT or OT.  It all depends on the mood your lo wakes up.  For instance, now I know my lo wakes from 30 min naps when OT, but some time ago, he woke up at the 35 min mark when he was UT b/c he would coo and play in his crib for hours after that.  So, technically 30 min= OT, 40 min = UT, but I've learnt that it is not such a reliable rule,  every baby is diff, so I always think that the best way to know is to watch your lo's mood.

Kara,
I'm so happy you had a good and long night!! So, now we know that a catnap works perfectly fine with your lo.  As Lucy, when I did a catnap, I sometimes got an EW, but as I said, every baby is diff, so I'm happy a catnap worked with your lo. 
Sorry if I sounded like I was scolding you!  I didn't mean it like that! Sorry! haha
I agree with Lucy about having a 30 min nap.  30 min is not even 1 sleep cycle, so usually babies can't handle their usual As after a 30 min nap, so your DS may only handle 2.75-3 hrs A after one.

Isabella'smummy,
I'm glad you're following along.  Your routine looks pretty good to me!

Lucy, I'm still following your other thread, I'm not posting coz I don't want to give contradictory advice, but I want you to know I'm still reading, and in case you need anything, just let me know!

Let me know how it goes
Alexa