Dreaded 45 min naps........

[Motmom]

Hi there, we are currently trying to move 15 wk old, bottle fed, ds#2 to a four hour easy, our easy looks like this at the moment, this is what we aim for everyday...

E-7AM
S-8.30
E-10.30
S-12.15
E-2.00
S-3.45
E-5.30
CATNAP AT ABOUT 6.30  for 20 mins or so,
7.30 top up and settle to sleep for the night


He had been sleeping very well through the night, the last few nights he woke at about 4.30 am, chatted to himself for about half hour and then went back to sleep, I didnt go to him on these occasions as he wasnt crying and didnt want to "wake" him up!!

Our problem is this......he will only take an hour at the first nap, and about 45 minutes for his third nap.He takes all of his middle nap which is great. I have been trying with shush/pat but he just lies there looking up at me as if to say " hey mom when you are finished patting there can you pick me up...!!".

I am really afraid that these 1hour or 45 minute naps are going to become a habit.......
Do I keep shush/patting in the hopes that he goes to sleep???
He is a very windy baby and I do have to pick him up quite a bit to wind him at times and maybe thats distracting him too much?? He can manage 1 hour 45 mins activity time well, I just wish he would sleep for longer during those nap times....


Any ideas ladies?? Thanks in advance xx

[TaniaT]

I was having the same problem with my 10 week old DS.  I would shh/pat and he would just look at me.  At the time, I had a night light in his room to allow me to see while I did shh/pat.  I figured that it wasn't alot of light so it shouldn't affect him; but since he was looking at me, I tried removing the night light so it was very dark in his room (having only the face of a stereo/clock light the room - this provides very little light but enough that I can see where he is in the crib but he cannot really see me).  Have you tried darkening the room?  Perhaps he becomes overstimulated.

[Motmom]

This may sound really silly, but I am completely night blind!!!! The room is very dark with a night light under the bed, but I cant see a thing when I go into the room!!!! Poor mommy.......

Today he managed an hour nap in the morning, 2 hours for the 2nd nap and 45 mins for the 3rd nap, he settled at 7.50 for the night and I dont expect to hear from him until 7am.....unless he decides to chat away to himself again tonight!!!

I guess its only day 3 of trying to move to 3.5 hour easy, I need to give myself a break, and him too, he is a darling, sooooooooooooooo good!!! But still, any suggestions welcome, and thanks for your advice!!!

[TaniaT]

Is he grumpy after these short naps?

[Motmom]

Nope, not a bit, the last few days the naps have extended to an hour, he has done this himself, for example yesterday he took an hour and half in morning, an hour for second nap, almost two hours for the next one and a 45 min cat nap, he did wake very early though, i think it might be a growth spurt, have increased his bottles to 8oz...(monster...) he slept from 8pm right through til 7am this morn....so its getting better......hoepfully. He is a big boy, much much bigger than ds #1, different build, and ds #1 was breast fed, so things a little different, but he is wonderful, just hope these extedning naps continue!!!!!!!

[TaniaT]

That's great!  I hope things continue to go well.

[Shiv52]

There is a huge growth spurt at 4 months so I think you are right and have hit that!  YOu may very well find as you move to 4 hour EASY the naps will lengthen as the A time does but at the minute if he's wakening happy and sleeping well at night I wouldn't stress too much x

[Motmom]

So, I am not quite sure how it happened but things have turned round for us!!! ds now takes a 2 hour nap in the morning, over an hour and half in the afternoon and 45 mins in the evening....it just happened at the weekend.....I am in shock and seriously holding my breath.......the light at the end of the tunnel......fingers toes and all sorts crossed!!!!!!!!!!!!!