Adjusting EASY around a short napper - Please help!

[solange]

When we started more than 4 weeks ago our now 5.5 months LO was OT a lot. We often put her down a little too late and/or it took a long time to get her down so that the times got a little messed up. However, the times fitted better into the 'schedule'.

Now that we're more conscious about her not getting OT the times are completely messed up due her short naps (which she has had since 3 months old). The short nap problem (about 35-40 mins) did not go away by her not getting OT.

I now started reverting to W2S (pressing her slightly down when the jolts comes after 38 min). This worked 1 out of 3 times so far but we're determined to keep trying.

She now often should go down around feeding time. I read in the FAQ that due the short naps I need to feed her later or sooner and try for her to have more naps.

I would like to know if any of you have a similar experience like mine.

Her EASY routine yesterday looked as follows:

E 6.45 wake and feed
A 6.45-8.30
S 8.30-10.00 (with the help of W2S)

E 10.45
A 10.00-12.10
S 12.10-12.50

E 14.25 (I fed her early in the hope she will sleep)
A 12.50-5pm
S 5-5.40 cat nap

E 6.30
A 6.45-7pm change
S 7 pm

I tried to put her down several times in the afternoon but she was not having any of it. She did show signs of tiredness like eye rubbing but was not cranky. I noticed this on some other days - no matter when her second nap was (her wake times are not so consistent) she never likes to catnap before 4pm or 4.30.

Could this be her biorhythm and also after a few weeks of EASY she used to be sleeping around certain times  - even though only rough times?

Or could it also be that in the morning she now knows that there is another feed before the second nap?

I'm pretty lost and spend all every day working on her naps. I think I am consistent in my methods. I also tried not to stimulate her too much.

Today her routine was like this so far:

Wake up 5.40 (She also woke up at 5.25 and then fell asleep again)
E 6 am (as I don't want her to get used waking and eating too early. She usually wakes up and gets fed between 6 and 6.30 am)
A 5.40-7.20 (I have noticed that she gets tired more quickly before the first nap and also she had already awoken once at 5.25)
S 7.20- 8 am

Between 9.15-9.45 I tried to put her down again and she was not having any of it!

She calmed down with PUPD but more to say 'Ok, there is no point in crying. But don't even think I'm going to sleep now!'

I was advised to keep the next activity period shorter if she had a short nap.

But I feel she is now used to nap at certain times between 11.30-12.30 I'd say. I don't even know when to put her down next. I think I'll try around that time as she has not shown signs of tiredness yet.

Can you help?

Thanks

Solange

[anna*]

(((((hugs))))) I think just about everyone here has had a similar problem around this age. A bit part of this is developmental as gradually around 5-6 months they start to find it easier to take longer naps.

A couple of things jump out from your routine that maybe she could have just a touch more A time (5-10 mins) before her second nap, and also that her A time after that nap is way too long. I would try to make sure she is never awake more than 2hrs 15 mins.

When you say 'she was having none of it' going to sleep, what does that mean? She was crying? Did you do PUPD? When she calmed down, what happened next?

[solange]

Oh, I was trying to shorten the activity time on your recent advice but maybe it should have been a little longer then. She was displaying signs of tiredness around the time I tried (i.e. 9.15 and also yesterday all afternoon) so I thought I put her down.

When I say she was not having any of it, she is either just happy to be awake (despite the tired signs) or she just gets annoyed when I try the sh/pat. Today I did PUPD when she got annoyed and started crying and this just calmed her - she was just lying there quietly all of sudden staring to the side (as she does when falling asleep). But she did not fall asleep she soon found something to stimulate her.

Yesterday she was just happy lying there for so many hours and hours (1-5 pm).

What I find tricky is that she displays signs of tiredness, it also seems to fit time-wise, when in the bed she is not even crying but fully awake and wants to play (for example when I bend down she wants to play with my hair - she would find something to play with in a dark, padded cell  if you know what I mean). This sounds terrible but it is almost as if I have to annoy her with sh/pat first in oder to employ PUPD. Of course, I try not to do this.

What happend later today was that she finally went down for her second nap at 11.30. I know this is long but she really seems to be a baby that gets more easily tired in the early morning and is then full of beans. The good news is that I put her in her bed and she closed her eyes instantly  . Unfortunately, I came in to the room too late to do W2S so I decided to get out of the house and she had another short nap in the pram which slightly delayed the feeding time but for the first time (apart from mornings of course), E came straight after S!!!

So not all bad!

[anna*]

(((hugs))) it can take a lot of experimenting with A times to get it just right - and then of course it all changes all over again! My LO NEVER took good naps until he was about 6 months old. You should of course still keep trying, but don't stress out too much and don't be surprised if it takes a while - so much of this is developmental.

That's great that she slept so well this morning!

If she's happy lying there, I would just leave her to it. Even if she's not asleep it is at least quiet time. If/when she starts to cry, do PUPD at that point. If she's happy to lie down in her cot with no shush-pat, you can do that. Is her nursery very dark? My LO would never settle if there was any light in the room, it was just too interesting.

[solange]

Yes, what I did is I let her lie in her cot yesterday afternoon and she was just watching me folding laundry. So at least it was quiet time. And she also slept instantly at 5 pm.

My husband and I decided that we need to get some dark blinds as we're aware that it is not very dark and that this is part of the problem.

And another yes, after my long, slightly desparate email this morning I decided not to stress too much anymore as she is a really happy baby (people tend to comment how good she is).

All I want is a more Y-time during the day  Well, it can't be too bad if I find the time to write all these posts...

Thanks once again

[anna*]

tin foil, black rubbish bin liners, cardboard - you can use all of those for blackout if you need to - they can even work better than the blinds as there are no cracks!

[solange]

Thanks a lot, we'll see what's best to use.

[solange]

Hi again, Anna,

can I ask what material/system from the ones you mentioned is best to use for blackening out the windows?

The reason i am asking is I can't have the room to be permanently dark as our LO sleeps in our bedroom (at the moment we do not have a separate room for her).

Also, what is your experience with a completely dark room? Could you still see when exactly your LO one fell asleep? Because of wake-to-sleep I would still have to do be able to see this.

Could your LO still see some of you and/or rather how did he react not seeing you? Was he happy just hearing your voice and feel your touch?

I have the feeling that a calming voice does not do that much too my LO. I think it's a hug that does it for her. When she tries to settle she does not necessarily want to be disturbed by a voice.

Did you use a night light while getting him down or would he then be able to see too much?

Mine definitely gets stimulated by eye contact so we have to find the best room darkening solution soon.

Solange

[anna*]

For my LO we use black out curtain linings and another piece sort of draped over the curtain rail so that light doesn't shine in through the top of the curtains.

Of the other materials, I am sure they will all do the job effectively.

We have a small and very dim night light, but I didnt turn that on until he was asleep. At bedtime, because he goes to bed early, the light from the hallway shining under the door would be just enough to see by. He was fine like that, and in fact I felt it is better if he CAN"T see me, it is less distracting. Voice and touch were enough to comfort him.