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

[~Alexa~]

Hi hun!! It looks like your lo is a bit OT, you know? I would try to reduce your lo's As and see what happens. 

After what A are you putting your lo down? how long is it taking him to fall asleep? I'm thinking that you may be putting him either too early or too late for the nap and that's why he is finding it so hard to fall asleep and ending up OT.  So may be try to elaborate more on this so we can know exactly what's going on with your lo.  Do you do a wind down routine for naps? Does he play as soon as you lay him down? Does he keep playing until he falls asleep or does he fuss and needs you to go inside?

I think I would try 3 hr A time in the am and then put him down and see what happens.  So if it takes him 20 min to fall asleep, he will have a total of 3 hr 20 min A in the am.  Then, after a short am nap, i would aim for 3 hr A as a total, so put him down after 2 hr 50 min A, so he is asleep after 3.25 hr A.  Does this make sense?

He is having crappy nights and crappy naps, so that makes me think OT.  If he sleeps 11 - 12 hrs with crappy naps, then that would be fine, but less than 10 hrs a night does sound like OT. 

[babyboy26]

He is not having crappy nights, though...he has been sleeping anywhere from 10 hrs 45 min - 11 hrs 30 min @ night.  Although last night, he only slept 10 hrs 30 min...WHY???  I will repost yesterday:

Wake:  6:10
Nap 1:  10:00 - 11:10
Nap 2:  3:45 - 4:30 (OT...I'm sure)
Bed:  7:35 - 6:05 (Why so short?)

[~Alexa~]

To me...It looks like a bit OT! Sleeping less than 11 hrs a night with short naps, sounds like OT to me.  What I would do, is try to reduce As to 3 - 3.25 hrs and try to extend naps for a couple of days so he can catch up on sleep!

[babyboy26]

Ok...I will try that.  But...if I decrease morning A, doesn't that keep the EW??? 

And, sorry, I forgot to answer your questions!  Yes, I do a wind down.  The past couple of days I have been trying for 3.5 A first thing in the morning.  He always played when I put him down.  So, yesterday, I put him down after 3 hrs 40 min A, and it still took him until 3 hrs 50 min A to fall asleep.  He wasn't playing very actively yesterday, but it did take about 10 min. to settle.  He did not fuss, went to sleep on his own, and I got a 1 hr 10 min nap.  He usually doesgo to sleep on his own, unless I know he is def. OT, like yesterday afternoon. 

[babyboy26]

Well, this morning I was trying for 3 hr A, which would mean nap at 9:05.  There was no way he was going to sleep!  He was not tired.  I had to let him play and repeat wind down.  He went to sleep at 9:40, which was 3 hrs 35 min A...but only slept for 40 min.  (Woke at 10:20).  There was no getting him back to sleep. 

Yesterday he had a 3 hr 50  min A, and gave me a good 1 hr 10 min nap.  Are you sure I should be trying to decrease his A?  I am pretty much ready to give up, and just deal with whatever naps I get.  Nothing is consistent.  No two days are alike.  I am wasting energy being obsessed with this, and I'm not sure it's worth it.

[~Alexa~]

How old is your lo now?

If you don't think he is OT, then don't reduce his As.  You know him better than I do! It sounds OT to me b/c he has been sleeping poor naps and short nights (less than 11 hrs), and you say there's nothing else going on, but it could be that he is not OT and I'm wrong!  So, listen to your hunch if you think he is not OT!

 Your lo may be getting ready to make the 2-1 transition and this may be upsetting his nights and naps.  You will have one short nap and one long nap.

This is what I would do:
6.30 am wake up
9.45/10 - 10.45 am Nap 1 (wake him up)
2/2.15 - 4 pm Nap 2
7.30 pm Bedtime

What do you think?

[babyboy26]

I think anything is worth a try!  You may be right on the OT...you're the expert, not me!!!!!  I just questioned that because he had a longer nap on a longer A yesterday morning!  As for today, since he had the 40 min am nap, waking at 10:20, he seemed really tired at 1:00, so I did wind down and put him down at 1:10.  He moved a little, but very quietly, and fell asleep at 1:15 (which was 2 hrs 55 min A)...so I guess you are right...he's OT if that short of an A.  I don't know what kind of nap I'll get, because he normally eats solids at 1:15/1:30.  So, he might wake hungry.  Should I have tried to feed him earlier?  If he wakes after only 30 min, or even an hour, I will have to get him up and feed him.  In this case, should I give a catnap in order to get to an appropriate bedtime?

He is 9 1/2 months.  The routine you just posted looks GREAT to me...if I could get that long of an afternoon nap, I would love it!!!  Would also love the 6:30 wake up!!!  I am sorry if I seemed frustrated in my previous post...didn't mean to take it out on you! 

***Update...woke at 1:50, a 35 min nap, as I suspected.  I tried to extend, but I'm sure he was missing his lunch!  Any suggestions on a catnap and bedtime for this horrid day?

[~Alexa~]

Don't worry hun!! I didn't take it personal!! Besides, you are the mummy, so you definitely know your lo better than I do!! So, don't worry! Just do whatever feels better for you!

Ok, so I would definitely offer a catnap today so you can make it till bedtime.  I bet that after 2 short naps today he will be OT, so I would try 2 hr 45 min A then a catnap, and then bedtime after 3 hrs MAX! So may be 4.30-5 pm catnap, and then 7.30 pm bedtime. 

So tomorrow, try the routine I posted!! We will have to experiment with the second A so we get a long pm nap.  It will be a matter of trial and error until we get the right mix of am nap length and A times. 

Hugs hun!! Feel free to vent whenever you need to! I know how frustrated you must be feeling! Just remember that we are doing everything we can to make your lo take good naps and nights, the rest is up to him!
Keep me posted
Alexa

[babyboy26]

I decided to go for a car ride to get the catnap...got in the car at 4:25, did not fall asleep until 5:30!!!  No clue why.  Slept from 5:30 - 6:05, so 35 min.  I didn't want to keep him up too late, so I put him down at 7:45.  He was asleep at 8:00.  This is the latest that I've put him to bed in many months.  I'm scared!

The routine you gave me for tomorrow is based on a 6:30 wake up.  If I get a 6:00 wake up, or a 7:00 wake up, should I try to get the same morning A?  3.25/3.5 A was what you said to try.

**Update:  He slept from 8:00 - 6:20...only 10 hrs 20 min, which is the shortest night he has had in months!  So, I'm sure he is OT, since his total daytime sleep yesterday was only 1.5 hrs. 

[babyboy26]

I tried the A you suggested, based on a 6:20 wake up.  Put him down at 9:35, but he had a crib party.  I went in several times to resettle him, but, honestly, I think it makes it worse when I go in.  He did not fall asleep until 10:10!

[~Alexa~]

Don't worry hun! It's ok if he fell asleep at 10.10 am.  Tomorrow try to put him down earlier.  Put him down after only 3 hrs A time and see how he reacts.  I've discovered that my lo has loooong crib parties when I've missed his sleep window.  So now, I always put him down after only 2.45 hr A, so he has time for his short crib party and he goes to sleep after 3 hr A.  So put him down after 3 hr A tomorrow morning and see what happens. 
If going inside his room upsets him more, then let him have his crib party and don't go to him unless he starts crying.

I would wake him up at 11 am, so just let him sleep 50 min.  Then have the second nap at 2 pm.  So if it is taking him so long to fall asleep, put him down at 1.45 pm.  If he totally fights the nap, then get him out of the room have 10 min A, do wind down again, and try again.

Let me know how it goes

[babyboy26]

Well, I didn't have to wake him...he woke at 10:40...a 30 min nap!  Definitely OT, since he had 3hrs50min A.  I think I might try only 2.5 A before this next nap, since he got such a short one this morning.  Yesterday the 2nd nap was 2 hrs 50 min A after a short nap, and he still woke OT.

**Update:  Put him down at 1:02...was asleep by 1:05...that was only 2 hrs 25 min A, but coming off of crap night and crap am nap...we will see!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[~Alexa~]

How did it go?

[babyboy26]

I thought it was going well, but he woke at 2:00...55 minutes.  Well, at least that's better than 30!!!  Again, I tried to extend, but did not work.  So, I put him down for a catnap at 4:45...almost 5:00 and not asleep yet.

[~Alexa~]

Can you do some APOP to get him to sleep at least 20 min? If he totally refuses the CN, then put him to bed early.  May be 6 pm