45 min nap monster

[Pens Fan]

Hello,

My DS is 14 weeks old and has in the last 2 weeks turned into a 45 min nap monster.....

He has been on 3 hour easy since 5 weeks old.  He is swaddled, has one arm out as he has found his thumb and can self sooth,  He falls asleep with no assistance from me.  We are in the process of transitioning from 3 hr EASY to 4 Hour EASY as when he began to STTN at 11 weeks he started to take more at feeds and go longer.  We seemed to initially have issues with his activity time and have been extending that from around 1 hrs 20 mins to 1.45 mins. 

He goes down for his nap without a peek - then wakes after 45 mins - sometimes he wakes and then within 5 mins has settled back down - other times he can be grumbling - asleep and then awake for 20 - 30 mins. 

Its making it really difficult to get him on any sort of routine with timings- he is not hungry enough for a 3 hour feed but with this 45 min napping behaviour is too tired to do EASY on a 3.5 or 4 hour.

I have not tried wake to sleep as had a post in the EASY forum where I was recommended to keep to a 3.5 hour easy and focus on extending his A time.

Any suggestions...  Last pieces of info he is BF and we use a Lullaby CD when he is in his cot in our room.

Thanks
Eliz

[~Alexa~]

Hi Eliz!! Sorry you are having short naps!! 

I would definitely give w2s a shot! If you have already made some A tweakings on the EASY board, then that means you have the right As, so try w2s! http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=64168.0
At 14 weeks old, your lo should be able to handle from 1 hr 20- 1 hr 30 min.  How has 1 hr 45 min worked?

[Pens Fan]

Hi Alexa....  I feel like we are going from bad to worse we have extended his activity time to around 1.45....   He used to be able to sleep for 2 hours and now consistently for the last 3 days every nap has been 45 mins.  Before if he woke after 45 mins he would put himself back to sleep within 5- 10 mins.  Now he is screaming and very upset.  He has never responded to Shhh Patt as it winds him up - but we never really needed it as he always just went straight to sleep.  Now I am seeing him fuss when he goes down and then cryw when he wakes up and its starting to interupt his night sleep - he woke at 3.30, 4.30 and 5.30 last night - I did not do anything (he is right next to me in his cot) and he did settle on his own after a few mins.   He is so tired and getting really fretful. 

I could not read the link above on W2S and am not sure what I should do for it - I have tried going in around 23 mins and calling his name - he seems to startle then pop his thumb back in and bang another 20 mins later he is wide awake. 

I am also starting to get confused as to his needs- is he tired - is his hungry as the routine has gone out the window.  He has been on EASY since 5 weeks and we were doing great. 

Any suggestions?

[Pens Fan]

Oh here is what our day looked like today:

3.30 awake - 5 mins
4.30 awake - 5 mins
5.30 awake - 10 mins
7am awake
E 7am BF (15 mins)
A 7- 8.35 (slightly shorter to accomodate for the NW)
S 8.35 straight to sleep - W2S at 9  Awake at 9.10 Fussing in cot and finding thumb - quiet for 5 mins stretches then crying etc
Got him up at 10am

E 10.15 BF (20 mins)
A 11.45 (slightly shorter by 15 mins to accomodate for 45 nap earlier
S 11.55 -12.45 (W2S around 23 mins in) Got him up as had to take DD to preschool

E 1.15 BF (15 mins feel asleep on boob)
A 2
S 2.30  (30 mins fussing in the cot) awake at 3.45

A got him up at 4 as was fussing
E 5.00 BF (5 mins)
S 5.15 - 6 pm

bath, feed, bed 7.20

I will DF him at 10.30pm

[~Alexa~]

Hi hun!! Sorry you are having a tough time!! 

Ok so I think your lo should be able to handle 1 hr 20 min - 1 hr 30 min A time.  Some of your lo's As are too long (1 hr 45 min may be too much for him and that's why he is waking up early from naps).  It is very very common to have short naps at this age.  Bubs start waking up at the 40 min mark, but by using w2s you can teach them to get through sleep cycles without waking up.  (I corrected my pp, so now you can access the link about w2s).  Read the link on my pp and try to do w2s for extending your lo's naps.

Also, I saw your routine, and it seems that once your lo has a short nap you had him up for more than 2 hrs! That's too long after a short nap.  Every time you have a short nap, you will have to reduce next A time.  So instead of having 1 hr 30 min A, after a short nap you will have something like 1 hr 10 min.  Does this make sense?
It looks like your lo's As are too long and that's making him OT and that's why he is having NWs.  So try to keep those As as close to 1 hr 20 - 1 hr 30 min as possible.  If he has a short nap, then go for 1 hr - 1hr 10 min. 

Let me know how things go
Alexa

[Pens Fan]

Hi Alexa...

So today has been "different".  I tired to do shorter A times when he had a short nap.

6am awake in cot cooing
Start day at 6.45
E 6.45
A 8.15
S 8.30 - 9.15 - W2S at 9am
9. 15- 10 fussying and sucking thumb
E 10
A 10.15
S 10.45 - 11.30  w2S at 11.15
A 11.30
E 1
S 1.15- 4.30 ( I observed him rather than w2s.  A couple of phantom cries, big sighs and thumb brought up to his mouth but he pretty much didn't stir)  I left him to sleep as figured due to lack of sleep the last couple of days he really needed it.
E 4.45
Bath, book, feed, bed - 6.40 - early night rather than a cap nap.

Quick question do when he wakes early at 6am should I count his activity time from there or from when we start the day?  I have been trying to get wake up at 7am and have that as a start and count A time from there.

I think today when I did W2S I stirred him too much.  Should I continue to try that or watch and observe?  I am going to try and stick to A time of around 1.30 tomorrow and see how he goes with that.    What do you think?

[~Alexa~]

It sounds good to me!! 

Wake up time at this age should be counted from the moment they open their eyes, so if he woke up at 6 am, then count it from there.  So his first nap should be at 7.30 am, does this make sense?

He is waking up at 6 am b/c he is going to bed at 6.30 pm, so that's normal.  If you want a later wake up, then we need to push his day back so his wake up is later too.  At what time would you like wake up to be?

How are you doing w2s? Can you describe it, please?

[Pens Fan]

Hi ya  - aiming for wake up at 7am.  Normally he goes to sleep at bedtime between 7.15 and 7.30.  He has started to wake early since the 45 min naps appeared. 

W2S...  setting alarm for around 30 mins after I think he is asleep (when I hear him stop sucking his thumb).  Go into room.  Stroke his head and say his name a couple of times till he startles , moves his head or slightly opens his eyes.

Good to know to start A time from when he wakes up.

Thanks for your help :-)

[~Alexa~]

Ok so what about just touching his cheek or stroking his head and waiting for him to stir (Just for him to move, not necessary for him to open his eyes nor wake up)?

Does shpat work with your lo?

[Pens Fan]

ok will try that - shh Patt does not work - it just winds him up and to be honest he has always fallen asleep on his own with very little work or intervention from us.    Will keep you updated.   

[~Alexa~]

Good luck! Let me know how it goes

[Pens Fan]

Hi Alexa -

I think we are making a little progress.   I am being very watchful of A time and ensuring I keep it to around 1hr 30 and shorter post a short nap.  Morning naps are still short- 45 mins yesterday and today around an hour and 5 mins.  Interstingly the early afternoon nap has now extended to around 2 hours- (I have been waking him up so he doe nto sleep too long)  We are still getting early wakings around 6 am ish.  He is going down to bed post feed around 7pm and has a DF around 10.30- 11ish.   Will share an update post tomorrow- I think I am going to try to observe and hold his legs tomorrow rather than stirr him.

thanks
Eliz

[~Alexa~]

Hi Eliz!! I'm happy you are having some progress!!

How long is your lo's A before the long afternoon nap? After how long a nap?

Your lo is sleeping 11 hrs during the night, so that's great!! So technically, that's not considered an EW!  }

Keep me posted

[Pens Fan]

Hello Alexa - we have been having some mixed results.  I have observed LO before he wakes up - eyes start to flutter, thumb goes to mouth and legs kick up.  We have had 1 morning nap at 2 hours - he still wakes up but goes back off to sleep after 5 mins.  But mostly they are 45 mins to just over an hour.  Activity time is around 1hr 30 mins to 1hr 45 mins.  I sometimes think he is hungry as sucking his thumb just winds him up rather than soothes him.

The afternoon naps are going much better mostly 2 hours - he still wakes but goes back off to sleep pretty easily.  Activity time varies here- if he had a good long earlier nap - 1hr 30 mins to 1.45 of A time before nap.  if a short nap then around 1 hr to 1hr 15 mins before I put him down.

He is still waking around 6am and goes to bed around 7.15 - 7.30 ish

Should I keep doing what I am doing or extend the A time before the first nap?

Thanks
Eliz

[~Alexa~]

You can add a bit more A before the am nap and see if that helps push the wake up time a bit later.  Sometimes by pushing the first nap later we can get rid of EWs. 
May be just 5-10 min will make the difference so your lo doesn't wake up in the middle of the nap. 

Let me know how it goes
Alexa