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

[LucySol]

Hi Kara-so pleased for you what a gr8 night!! im so jealous!!

[babyboy26]

Thanks, Lucy!  I finally got the bedtime and wake time that I wanted, but now I have to try and keep it that way...too bad you never know how the naps are going to go!!!

I was sitting here thinking...3.5A/3.5A/4.0A adds up to 11 hrs, so that only leaves 13 hrs for naps & night.  I had extended the morning A to try and rid the EW and push my day back.  Now that I have done that, do I shorten that morning A again???  or the one before the pm nap???  I'm thinking the one before bed would not be the one to shorten, since that got me the 11 hr night...confused!

[~Alexa~]

Hi Kara!! I'm so happy for your long night!!  

Some thoughts...
Having a long am nap and a long pm nap is something very personal.  I mean, you need to decide which way suits you and your Ds better.  We have a long am nap b/c I love the freedom of going out during the afternoon and being able to have a short catnap on the go.  Also, Patrick can handle long As first thing in the morning, so that helps us in pushing the am nap later when it starts getting shorter than 2hrs.
What I would do is choose one plan and stick to it for at least 3 days and see what happens.  So, if you decide to have the long am nap, go for it, but stick to it for 3 days and see how your DS reacts.  If it doesn't work, you can always go back to waking him up from the am nap.  The only problem you may encounter with the long am nap is that your DS may refuse to take the pm nap once he handles longer As, so you will have to move bedtime earlier.  Also, remember this is a matter of trial and error, so you will have to experiment with different As until you find the right ones.   When having a short pm nap, the next A can be the shortest b/c babies get more tired after a short nap.  iykwim?

Do you think your DS will be able to handle 4 hr A time after a 45 min nap? If so, then go for a long am nap and a 3.15-4 pm nap.  If after having a 45 min nap, your DS starts getting tired earlier, then you will have to put him down a bit earlier to bed.  May be 7.30 pm, and then you can try to push the pm nap later so he doesn't have a long A before bedtime.
Patrick has a 2 hr am nap and a 40 min pm nap, and he can only handle 2.75 hrs A before bed after a 40 min nap, so just be careful not to put him to bed OT after a short pm nap.  

And yes, you run out of hours if you have long naps and long As! So, first choose the way you'd like to go and then we can think of a routine.  What A times can your DS handle happily? 3.5 or 4 hrs? What A time gives you a long nap? How long?

Hope this helps.  Alexa

[babyboy26]

Oh, thanks Alexa!  So glad to hear from you!  I really do value your advice!  My LO seems to handle a max of 3.5A in the morning lately.  More than that, and I have gotten an OT nap.  We were doing 3.25, and that was giving good naps, but then we had the EWs.  I'm not sure what A he would handle before bed if the pm nap was only 45 min.  I do know that he can only handle 3.0A if the am nap is short.  I'm hoping that a set bedtime will really help me in sorting this out!  Like you said, the only was is to try it and see what happens!  Since the am nap seems to be the easiest one to get, and the most consistent, I think I'll try to keep that one long (if he will, ha ha!)  So, we will go for 3.5 A this morning and see what the am nap is like.  I will be posting!

[~Alexa~]

Let me know how it goes.
So, let's see what nap your lo sleeps after 3.5 hr A, if it is short, then we will need to lengthen the A until we get it 2 hr long

[babyboy26]

2 hr long?  Ha!  Tell him that, lol...strange on the am nap.  He actually started to get a bit cranky at 10, and maybe I should have put him down at 3.25A, but I didn't.  I put him in the crib at 10:20, but he started to cry at 10:26.  I went to settle him, and was successful...he fell asleep somewhere between 10:30 and 10:35, which was 3.5A from wake-up  BUT.......woke at 11:10(35m mark).  I resettled.  Had his eyes barely open when I left the room.  I heard nothing, and assumed he went back to sleep, but at 11:20, crying.  Got him settled again.  It is 12:10, and he's still asleep.  I was wondering if I should wake him, as this really pushes that pm nap way back!!!

Ok...so woke on his own at 12:15.  So that was 1hr45m, if you don't count the interruption...I usually do 3.5 before the pm, that puts the nap at 3:45...what do you think?

[~Alexa~]

Go for it!! 3.45 pm - 4.30 pm, and then 8 pm bedtime!

[babyboy26]

Well, I was going for it, but little Mikey decided that he wasn't going to sleep until 3:55.  I put him down at 3:35 (I always try 10 min before I want him to be asleep)  He chatted until 3:45, but quietly.  Then he started whining a bit, so I went to settle him.  I could see that he was definitely tired.  He settled himself quietly (moaning a tiny bit), and  was asleep at 3:55.  So, now the plan is...wake him by 4:40 (if he isn't already awake) and bed at 8:00.  That would be a little less than 3.5 A, but coming off a short nap, so fingers crossed!

**update:  well, he woke himself at 4:30...35m, i guess OT?  He woke crying, but almost always does from naps (not in the morning)  He's been in a great mood since I got him up!  Played in the mirror and is having a snack, smiling all the way!


I'm wondering why he was OT at 3.5A this morning, but not yesterday.  Yesterday was the 1st day of 3.5 morning A.  Do you think I should give it another try for tomorrow morning, or go back down to 3.25, just to play it safe?

[babyboy26]

Uggghhh...I am retyping for the 3rd time!  I don't know what I keep doing to lose it!!!
Anyway, bedtime was 7:55, but he woke at 6:15.  He moaned quietly until about 6:25/6:30, then it would be quiet for 5-10 min, and I would hear another quiet little moan.  I was so hesitant to go peep in, as that usually backfires on me!  At 7:00, I got the courage to peep, and he was asleep.  What do you make of this?  Here's a recap of yesterday:
7:00 wake
10:30-12:15 nap 1 (was interrupted, though...had to resettle twice)
3:55-4:30 nap 2
7:55 bed

Today would be day 3 on 3.5A, but since he was OT for morning yesterday, should I cut back to 3.25A?  Should I let the morning nap go as long as he wants, or should I wake him?  Confused, once again!

***I woke him at 7:35, since he had 10hr20m, and I think he was officially back to sleep at 6:55, that was another 40, so 11 hrs together.  I woke him to try and preserve the routine for today, kwim?

[~Alexa~]

Waking him up from the am nap is your call, hun! If you are going to try the long am nap, then let him sleep as long as he wants.  Are you sure yesterday's nap was OT?
Personally, I would stick to the 3.5 hr A time for 1-2 more days before changing it.  It usually takes 3-5 days for babies' internal clock to switch and adapt!

[babyboy26]

I did go for the 3.5A, to give it this 3rd day and see what happens.  Just put him down, so we'll see!  I think it was OT yesterday, because at 35m he woke crying, and I had to resettle him...then again 10m later. Maybe he was just adjusting?  Since this morning was a little wacky...woke up for 30m and then back to sleep, this am nap is at 11:00.  I guess I will let him sleep as long as he wants again today, and see what happens.  This might mean a late pm nap, and I'm wondering if that's why he woke this morning early...I don't know. 

Let's re-evaluate after today!

[Luara]

Toni - congrats on you LO! and tks for thr tips on links and quotes. 

[Isabellasmummy]

well done mummy, sounds like you are making lots of progress.

I would stick with what your doing for a few more days and see what happens, your so lucky you don;t get night wakes.. we are going backwards each day with night sleep!
x

[babyboy26]

yes, I do feel lucky that I'm not getting NWs. 
The am nap today was 11:00-12:25 (1hr25m on 3.5A)...how can he handle it today and not yesterday???
As for the pm nap, he was looking drowsy, so I put him down earlier than his usual 3.5A, but the nap was only 3:35-4:10...woke really crying.  I rocked him for 20m, but he moaned with his eyes closed the whole time.  I'm thinking either gas or teething?  Who knows!!! 

Since he had that short pm nap, pending his mood, I might opt for earlier than 8pm for bed...we'll see!

[~Alexa~]

Yay for the good am nap!! Hope you had a good bedtime!