7.5 mo still having short naps :(

[Chui]

OH geez I agree can't win!! mine was poor naps better nights.. now better naps poor nights..!

I dont know if its more teeth but can't really see more coming out.. I've tried to check the top two which are the most likely ones next but can't see much happening.. I medicate at BT. might try medicate during DF too ...

today 1st nap off.. probably UT. ah well...!

how was the trip? did LO take it well? did you?

[tassie]

Hey there mummies of short nappers - I was in the same boat as you about a year ago!  I know this might go against the advice of a lot of others who might suggest longer A times, but I would suggest dramatically decreasing your A times.  In The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems Tracy says that 6-8 month olds should be taking their first nap at around 9am (assuming a 7am wake up) and by 9 months this might increase to 9:30am.  She says that the first A time should be a lot shorter than the other A times.  It's on page 251 if you have the book.  I did this with my LO and although it took a while to see a change, she ended up going from short naps to 2 x 2hr naps.

Good luck!

[Chui]

Hi Tassie, thanks for your input? Just on your advice do ou remember then how your day went? I guess that's because if lets say I put my LO down for a nap at 9am... and he short naps and I can't extend it then what time do you put your LO down the for the next one?? Did you ever have problems with NWs at this age for your LO?
?

[tassie]

I wish I had written it down, because I'm struggling to remember exact timings.  I just went on awake times, so the second nap was also a lot earlier. I do remember that I had to add another 20 min nap to the end of the day, just to get through, and then when the naps started extending I dropped the 20min nap and just put to bed earlier. I had NWs before I started putting my LO down earlier for this first nap, and everything kind of came together about the same time. I think (but could never be sure) that she was OT from too much awake time, and the earlier nap and then consequent longer naps helped cut out the NW and EW.

[Chui]

Thanks Tassie.
My naps are all better now really... just working out the nightwakings! I think these must have started from his teething and perhaps some are habitual.. don't know yet... I'm making a log.!

[mrsfabmoretti]

Hi again.

Just back from our long weekend away. LO settled much better than expected.

NW's are now also a problem for us. Even when we had a better day of naps yesterday (50 min nap then a 1hr20 min nap), we still had these NW's. He was awake for a full hour at 3am last night. We didn't need to get up, but could hear him.

Today was a disaster with naps. Followed sleepy cues and put him down after 3hr15 A time and he only slept 30 mins, and then did 20 mins for his PM nap. LO cut his second tooth the other day, so not sure if I'm expecting too much.

Might try the shorter A time, as it could be the magic solution. However, I'm not hopeful. I've tried to put him down earlier before, if we're going to a playgroup and he just plays in his cot.

How may times is your LO waking up, Chui?

[Chui]

Hi Mrsfab. Sorry to hear you're having NWs as well now.. oh dear..  but glad to hear LO settled better. Mine did too after our trip.

Anyhow since 2 nights now, he is a bit better with NWs and yesterday was the best ever - usually it's about 6 NWs I have, but I only need to settle with patting for maybe 1 or 2 as he usually self settles and we dont get long NWs I must say.
I am thinking now what "Broke" it was a few mornings ago he had a NW at about 4ish and couldn't settle so I got my DH to help but DH couldn't settle him much I was so fustrated that I was screaming whilst LO was crying and obviously my screaming made him cry even more.. ( I know it was so bad ...ugh ) , However... I picked him up after feeling really sorry and shh and patted him and he calmed down and I put him the in the cot and he fell asleep I had to wake him at 7 am! Since then ( now only day 3 though! ) he has been waking up in the early mornings too but goes back to sleep , I had to wake him again today at 7am. ( I heard him at 6:30 babbling to himself.. I ignored and he went back to sleep!! )

So perhaps those sleeping in until 7am has done the trick as it gets our day going better.

I've tried to follow sleepy cues but at this stage I can't really most of the time and I must admit I follow the clock quite a bit! He yawns it's only 2 hours! or he is playing quietly when its already 3.5hrs A time - yesterday DH took him to the room even though he wasnt fussing and he fell asleep instantly on DH in the darkened room...
Is your LO waking up grumpy? or happy? if my LO woke up grumpy = OT and most likely can go back to sleep with my help. if happy... well I cant do anything about that!

I'm only guessing but your naps today might have been OT since he had a long NW last night, esp if he is waking up early ?

I tried medication before BT and I don't really know if it helped but now that his both his bottom teeth have sprouted up I have stopped. you might want to try and see .

sorry I feel I can't help much..

[Tracyxx]

Hi Girls,

I hope you don't mind me tagging on but mrsfabmoretti the last time you wrote "What my day looks like" i could have wrote it myself.  My son is just coming up to 7 1/2 months (born 24/2) and his day looks like this:

E: 7am
S: 10.30-11am    (A time 3.5hrs)

E:11am
S:2-2.30pm (A time 3.5hrs)

E:3pm
S: 5-5.30pm (He only takes this nap every few days) (A time 3.5 - 4hrs)

E:7pm
Bed 7.30pm (A time 30mins)

E: Dreamfeed at 11pm
E: Nightfeed at 3am

So his Total A time is 11 - 11.5hrs a day!!. When you reduce A time how did you get them to nap earlier because k is so bad i have to wait until he is falling off his feet before he will nap.

Tracyx

[Chui]

Hi Tracyxx,

I usually do the wind down as Tracy suggested in her book. Previously when he was younger I used to do it longer about 15 mins till I put him onto the bed ie : 15 minutes before I put him down I bring him to the room, darken it, tell him its almost sleep time, read a book or 2, sing him a lullaby and I will usually see him look sleepy and yawning and when its time's up I then put him in bed. ( sometimes he falls asleep on me which is bad..try to avoid that so he knows how to sleep independantly )

Now that he is older, my LO at 3.5 hrs A time he is still playing but for now since I know 3.5 hrs A time he gets a good nap I just take him away about 5-10mins before and bring him to the room and do the same wind down but shorter. I think it doesn't matter when you do it, the wind down is to tell your LO - its time to sleep now, enough of play.

Perhaps you can try that?

[mrsfabmoretti]

Chui... How are the NW's going? My little fella has been up at 7 the past few days (hoorah!) and having hourish naps, so we are seeing some improvement. Just hope it lasts. We are on roughly 3.5hr A time, again. Not sure about NW's as he stayed at my mum's last night (which he does once a week), but hopefully he won't be awake at 3 in the morning. I keep hearing him at 3; he doesn't cry but plays for an hour and then goes back to sleep.

Tracy... Your LO looks adorable in that pic. My LO is 8 months and looks about the same size... What does he weigh, out of interest? As for the short naps, have you tried playing about with A times, or is 3.5hr when he shows his sleepy cues?

[Chui]

Oh that's great news mrsfab!!

My NWs have improved a bit... he is sleeping till the morning too!! )
still having those everyhour NW after BT till DF ... and guess what... my LO wakes about that 3am mark tooo grrrrr!!!
 
I wonder if your NW at 3am is an UT one as I've read in previous posts...?

Currently still OK with naps.. but now needing 3.75 A time!! My day is a bit haywire with feeding etc etc ..!! I wonder if its and early start for my 2-1 transition.. Oh dear!

[ccaawc]

hi everyone,

I'd like to tag along as I have the same problem with my dd, short naps and NW and EW.

My dd is 8 months, one day younger than Mrsfab's lo, born on 3rd feb.

My lo used to do a great morning nap, with a very short A time, usually less than 2 hrs, until I read that it could be an extension of a broken night sleep and I extend it, to 3hrs-3.5hrs, and she short napped from then on.

Pm nap is tricky too, 90% of the time she is having 45min or less sleep.

NW is bad, she only wakes 1-2 times,but if she wakes at 45min after BT, she usually self settles, however, she cries for 30min-2hrs if she wakes at the middle of the nite. I don't pick her up as she cries more if I put her down awake but I don't want her to sleep on me for 20min or so b4 I can put her down, so I soothe in the cot, patting a little, humming a little, pd if she pulls herself up.

if her NW is long, she sleeps closer to 7, usually waking between 6:15-6:50
If her NW is shortish and closer to the first half of the nite, she wakes 5ish.

I'll try to put her down earlier in the morning to see what happens but I am nervous how the day goes, should I APOP a catnap or if I do, when should the BT be? she now sleeps around 7 and I tried a few days ago when she had 2 20min nap, I sneak in a 30min catnap at 5 and she refused BT until 8:30.

I have to say, her sleepy cues are so hard to spot.

[Tracyxx]

Hey there mummies of short nappers - I was in the same boat as you about a year ago!  I know this might go against the advice of a lot of others who might suggest longer A times, but I would suggest dramatically decreasing your A times.  In The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems Tracy says that 6-8 month olds should be taking their first nap at around 9am (assuming a 7am wake up) and by 9 months this might increase to 9:30am.  She says that the first A time should be a lot shorter than the other A times.  It's on page 251 if you have the book.  I did this with my LO and although it took a while to see a change, she ended up going from short naps to 2 x 2hr naps.

Good luck!

Hi Tassie i took your advice and it seems to be working, i had tried reducing "A" times before to no avail but i just wasnt reducing them enough as we where on 3hrs30mins so i tried 3hrs and 3.15 but i didnt even think to go lower so i took the chance and since yesterday i have been doing 2.30hrs and have been getting 1hr naps instead of 20mins which is a first for us, although it didnt work for the morning nap so i think im going to have to try even lower like 2hrs or 2.15.

Now my problem is fitting in meals as he has a nap now from 12.15 to around 1.30 so i dont know when to fit in lunch to our EASY, as i dont want to give him lunch at 11 and 3 is too close to dinner.

Could anyone please post their daily routine for me to give me some ideas about timing feeds.

Tracyx

[ccaawc]

tassie,

thanks for the advice of cutting morning A, I tried 2:30 A this morning and she was doing a 1hr10min nap instead of the usual 45min.

we went out in the afternoon so her EASY was off and she had 2 catnap in the afternoon which resulted in a 45min OT wake up after BT. I hope her night goes ok.

[mrsfabmoretti]

Wow- so two of you have got better naps from shorter A times. My second A time is usually much shorter, especially following a short nap. Today LO only had 30mins, following 3.5hr A time, so made second A time 3hrs and got a 1hr nap.

I am nervous of trying to shorten first A time. I'd like to echo xxaawc's concerns about shortening A times. I worry that if I try to shorten A times and LO still has short naps, then he might go to bed OT, as I can rarely get him down for a CN, even with APOP.

How did your night go, ccaawc?

Our naps are still very hit and miss. I think I've hit bingo with A times, and then the next day, it doesn't work. My OH managed to get a 1hr30 nap yesterday afternoon, but then we got an EW this morning. Can't win, really.