1:15 naps

[Mjaz]

Hello...
I have bounced from the EASY board to the NW board trying to figure out LOs 4 hour EASY.  After a rough couple weeks, we are close and have the NWs and EWs under control.  YAY.

But now I'm struggling with his naps.  In order to maintain a somewhat normal bedtime, my goal is to get naps of: 2 hr, 1:30 and 30 CN. 

I have tried A times from 2:00-2:35 and recently, all I get is a 1:15 nap.  When I get to his room he is WIDE AWAKE, doing yoga and seemingly happy.  But he'll give me this nap at an A time of 2:20 or an A time of 2:35.  I would think it was UT b/c of how he's waking, but my reservations are : isn't he a little young to be doing an A time of 2:35+ (if I need to push him) and often I CAN extend these naps - even if he's wide awake and happy.  Today all I had to do was shh/pat him and he closed his eyes and went back.  Is there reason for me to think these could be OT?

Thank you,
Melinda

[lilisuze]

Hi we have only ever really had 1hr 15 naps. Thats probably 2 sleep cycles for your lo. if you can extend, thats great! at 6 months your baby is likely to be dropping the catnap soonish. can you post your routine? If he is waking happy, i wouldnt have thought OT is likely but i suppose possible.

Lilixx

[Mjaz]

Hi!  Really?  Wow.  We have never had 1:15 naps, so this is new - since we've been on a 4 HR EASY, I'd say.  3 weeks.   Thanks for taking a look! Here was today -

wake: 5:34 (I've given up trying to push this - he always wakes at 5:30)
E: 5:45
A: total of 2:32
S: 8:06-10:03 (woke at 1:15, but was able to extend)

E: 10:15
A: total of 2:32
S: 12:35-1:50 - another 1:15 nap, sitter didn't extend

E: 2:10
A: total 2:10
S: 4-4:40 had to APOP, would not fall asleep - OT?

E: 5:30
A: total 1:30
Asleep for night: 6:15

[lilisuze]

i think maybe lo is ready to extend A's a bit. can you try A time of 2h 40 and see what happens. It will mean you will get a later bedtime maybe up to about 7pm but hopefully he may wake up later for you too! we may need to drop the catnap to (esp if you are already APOPing it) but lets see what happens with a slightly longer A.

If he wakes from 2nd nap after 3pm i think i would not bother with the catnap and try an early bed.

Just be warned, when we dropped the catnap, we ended up with some very long final A's before bed (like 4hours!)

Lilixx

[Mjaz]

Thanks, I will try it, though he's only been doing 2:30 for 4 days now.  I have tried several times to get him to a later bedtime and it hasn't made a dent in the 5:30 wake up.  I've put him down at 6, 6:30, 7 and 7:30 and he wakes at 5:30 every time.  So we've just decided to get him some more sleep by getting him in bed at 6. 

I'm wondering if the fact that he was 3 weeks early contributes to his A times - I've always wondered this and am never really sure...but I'm hoping he's not ready to drop the CN b/c he's very sensitive to OT and I have a feeling a 4 hour A time would ruin our night.

I will try 2:40 and let you know!  Thanks!

[Mjaz]

2:40 A time resulted in a one hour nap.  Definitely OT.  Got him back down, though.  I think I need to start backing down on A...  Sigh.

[lilisuze]

oh no! Ok go back to 2hr30 for a couple a days, then we'll have a look again