For those of you with short nappers...what does your EASY look like?

[rumecosa]

I have an almost 12 week old LO who only sleeps 40 min-1hr.  I've tried working on the awake times, and nothing seems to get him to extend.  I've tried wake to sleep, and I've tried holding through the jolts, but he doesn't really wake up from jolting.  Either way I think I have to just accept the short naps, even though he still seems fussy after his naps like he needs a longer one. 

I'm just wondering what EASY could look like for someone like me?  I obviously can't feed him when he wakes up, because it would be a 2 hr EASY, but if I feed him every 3 hours, then he ends up falling asleep eating, because he's already been awake an hour at that point.  Any ideas on how I can do a 3 hr EASY?

[trimbler]

Hi, we're in the same boat - same age too! Sometimes he'll get back to sleep eventually after shh/pat, I've also had it suggested to me that we could try EASAS - ie a short A time after the first short S, before going back for another S - but this hasn't worked for me yet. So we usually end up with a period of trying to re-settle, then often giving up, say, 15mins before the earliest I'd next feed him, and let him sit in his chair or mat before the next feed. This works quite well as I'm trying to keep him upright after feeds, so having that A time before the feed at least gives him some tummy time etc - but I'm getting off track!

One thing that I have found really good is to AP one nap a day in the sling, where possible - this gets us both out, gets some errands done and ensures DS has at least one decent nap and doesn't get too OT!

Another thing that's sometimes happened, although kind of unintentionally and I'm sure many people here would disagree... if he's had a long time trying to resettle from a previous nap, I sometimes let him fall asleep during the next feed, for 30-45mins. Then we have A time, and then there's time for another 45min nap before the next feed. This is definitely Plan B/C/D (!) but has sometimes worked to break the OT cycle. Now I have a feeling that in a few weeks, maybe when we're trying to initiate a 4h EASY, it would be better in the long run to be consistent with PU/PD and routine and not use this trick, but I'm hoping it won't do any long term harm right now - will be interesting to see what advice you get from those with more experience!

[CurvyMummy]

My boys the same, and almost 12 weeks! I've asked this same question as sometimes he is feeding every two hours, he also refuses his afternoon nap, and the advice I was given is that we can AP one nap a day and take advantage if he sleeps in his pram or car seat, but the thing is he won't sleep! The only way sometimes to get him to sleep in the afternoon is to sleep upright on our chest. I know it's probably not the best thing, but it seems to be the only way he will take his afternoon nap. I'd like to see what advice you get too. Hopefully it helps us mothers with short nappers!!!

[rumecosa]

It's a frustrating boat to be in, isn't it!  I've tried AP and letting him sleep in his sling while running errands, and you'll never believe it, but he only slept 40 minutes in the sling too!  He won't sleep on me unless he falls asleep eating, and I've found he doesn't sleep very soundly when he's not sleeping in his bed.  He's just altogether a horrible napper!  He does sleep 7:30-5AM with a DF at 10:30 most nights though, so at least he's a good night sleeper.  Oh and did I mention he NEVER falls asleep in his carseat?  Unless he's hysterically crying and falls asleep out of exhaustion that is.  I've tried running errands when it's his nap time so he'll sleep, or when he's done eating during awake time, and no matter what he just cries and cries in that car seat.  He hates the thing.  Poor little guy.  Needless to say, I don't even have AP as an option left.  

[CurvyMummy]

I know what you mean about the car seat, my boy screams his head off too! He hates car rides, baths (he has to have a shower with me), hates sleeping on his back, hates his bouncer, baby carrier and pram! I sometimes wonder why we bother taking a pram with us! I'd do anything to get my boy to sleep that goo at night, he's not the greatest sleeper all round, but my boy has reflux, colic and is MSPI, so I guess it's to be expected!

Anyone else have any suggestions???

[Jiinx]

Hi sweetie,
 I hear you about the short nappers. I always had a 45 minute napper! always! I spent 40 minutes putting her back to sleep to get her to sleep for another 45 minutes. I was going nuts.

At 12 weeks most babies start having short naps.  It's a developmental phase they go thru.   It happens because their REM/non-REM sleep pattern changes, causing a light sleep phase at around the 45 min mark.  Since that hasn't happened prior to this period,they tend to wake up.  We have to teach them to go back to sleep.  For this, HTTJ (holding thru the jolts) tends to work best. However, you did mention that you didn't think the jolting was waking him.

If LO typically wakes at 45 min, you go in around the 40 min mark and wait to see LO start to move.  One the jolting begins you apply gentle but firm pressure to arms and legs.  (note: you may have to experiment with timing -- even tho you hear her cry at 45 min, she may begin jolting much earlier.  So the first nap or two you may just want to sit quietly in his room and watch how he sleeps).

The first couple of times you attempt HTTJ LO will probably still wake up. continue holding until LO really protests.  By the 3rd or 4th time you'll probably see LO open their eyes but then go back to sleep.  After about 2-3 days of this (doing it every nap) you should see LO rouse less and less until when you go in to hold him down he will just stir a bit then roll over and go back to sleep.

Other than that, do you know if he's waking from discomfort? Wind? Gas? Reflux? I found my lo got hit with reflux really bad at 8 weeks...

HTH!
sarah

[rumecosa]

CurvyMummy- I think our LO's could be twins!  Except mine only has reflux (Just took him to the doctor today and got it diagnosed), but he hates all of those things too!  I can get him to sit in his bouncer for about 10 minutes before he's fussing to get out of that thing.  I swear the kid would be happiest in a dark room that has a spotlight on a ceiling fan and that's it.  He loves ceiling fans.  I'm not sure why he sleeps so well at night, but I'm so glad he does, because I'm exhausted by the time the day is overwith! 

Sarah- I did start to think he might be waking from discomfort, because he wakes up crying really hard, and has his eyes closed like he's still really tired, but the more I pat the more mad he gets...which made me think reflux.  Not to mention he's been spitting up more and more since he turned 8 wks.  I can't even walk down the stairs without him spitting up all over my shoulder.  I took him to the doctor today and she prescribed us some reflux medicine, so I'm really hoping it helps, but I'm going to try to HTTJ every day for the next few days and see how we do with that!  I hadn't gotten that advice yet...I have tried HTTJ, but when it didn't seem to work the first few times I just stopped doing it.  I totally know what you mean when you say you'll spend 40 min trying to get him back to sleep only to have them sleep for another 40 minutes...this has happened to me, and it just about drives me insane!  Just out of curiousity...did you ever get your LO to sleep longer than 45 minutes?  Or is she naturally a short napper?  I've just been seeing a lot of people say their LO just had to grow out of it, and I'm wondering if that is my fate. 

Thank you all for your responses!! 

[Jiinx]

oh Megan!! I almost jumped with relief when I read your update. It took me a couple of months to figure out my lo's problem. I got bombarded with "every baby cries" and all sorts of comments on how to take care of her crying. I'm really really happy that you got some medication. I hated medicating my daughter but after a week of being on prevacid - she was literally a different baby.

With short napping, I think truthfully looking back I had her A times wrong. She dropped the catnap at like 5.5 months and went through the 2-1 at 8 months and she was on 1 nap at 1 year. So I think a little has to do with 1) developmental for sure; 2) wrong A times - I would whisk her away at her first yawn thinking she was tired when in fact she was just crying bc she wasn't ready for sleep and 3) reflux

It wasn't (I know I sound cliche) until 6 months that she started taking longer naps. I pushed her A times really far and it worked. Mind you, mine didn't like sleeping during the day and would rather be put to bed early.

*hugs* Really happy for you and I'm hoping that things get better for you.

[AllyT]

I've tried running errands when it's his nap time so he'll sleep, or when he's done eating during awake time, and no matter what he just cries and cries in that car seat.  He hates the thing.  Poor little guy.

I thought I was the only one with a boy who hated his car seat =/ We're experiencing the short naps as well now. What a mess. Glad to see I'm not alone, and crossing my fingers that we'll all get some rest soon.

[rumecosa]

Sarah-  Thank you so much, I'm happy we found a solution too!  I felt a little bad putting him on medication, like you said, but if he feels better because of it then I can't be too opposed to it!  I just wish I'd taken him sooner!     

Oh, and I think I did the same thing with putting him to sleep at the first yawn.  He would fight to death to get out of my arms when I was trying to rock him, and I thought it was because he was overtired, but now I realize he was undertired (and mighty pushy about it might I add!)  and I've been pushing his A times little by little.  I still haven't seen a huge improvement, but with the medicine I can at least know he'll get a full meal in his belly (that won't be coming back up), and can put him down knowing he isn't hungry already!  That alone is a wonderful thing! 

AllyT- I thought I was alone in this too, and now I see there are quite a few of us with the dreaded short naps and LO's who hate their car seats!  I get so jealous of those people who say they can drive their baby around the block if they can't get them to sleep!  I don't really want to do that per-say...but I'd love to be able to run errands and know he'll sleep for some of it!  I have to go to one place at a time so I can get back in time for his nap, or he'll stay awake the entire time we're gone.  Then we're looking at a severely overtired baby.  Hope you get a break soon!  Good luck!

[Jiinx]

I can at least know he'll get a full meal in his belly (that won't be coming back up), and can put him down knowing he isn't hungry already!  That alone is a wonderful thing!

My lo still spat up...I think until 6 months or so. It won't prevent food from coming up but it won't burn them

Btw, FWIW, my lo hated the car seat when awake. I think it put pressure on her tummy and made the reflux worse.

[AllyT]

Megan, I agree I wouldn't want to rely on the car seat for sleeps, but to know it was an option would be great, wouldn't it? =/ I've resorted to going almost no where unless I can get him out and into a front carrier. One time I took him grocery shopping and he screamed the whole time while I tried to run through. This ever-so-helpful employee shouted across the apples 'You better feed him'. Gee thanks, if it were only that easy.

My husband ran into an old friend out shopping the other day. Her 6 month-old started for fuss a bit so he said he'd let her go. She said it was no problem, she'd just throw a blanket over him and he'd be right be sleep...sigh.