what should I do re bed time tonight??

[*Amy*]

Today my day has gone

Wake 6am
Sleep 8am
Wake 8.30am
Sleep 10am
Wake 10.45am
Sleep 12pm
Wake 12.30pm
Sleep 2.15pm
Wake 3pm

Should I still go for a CN or should I go for an early bedtime. We are going through a period of lots of NW's so not sure which is the better option!
Yesterday was
Wake 6.40am
Sleep 8.40am
Wake 10am
Sleep 11am (she fell asleep in the stroller)
Wake 11.30am
Sleep 1.30pm
Wake 2.15pm
Sleep 2.30pm
wake 3.30pm
In bed 5.45pm
Sleep 7.15pm!!! (she lay in her cot chatting until then)
we then had NUMEROUS NW's!

[scucci1979]

Oh Amy, I wish I knew the answer. You know what I am going through.
Have you tried to increase her A time slightly?

[teilvnav]

Hey Amy! Wow, it is one thing to hear about your DDs short naps and another to see them written out like that. That really is rough.

I do agree with Sabrina that she might be ready for a longer A time. At 5 months she can be good for anywhere between 2-2.25 hrs, getting up to 2.5 hrs at about 6 months. So it might be worth a try to push the naps 10-15 minutes later, and see what happens.

As for tonight, that is a tough one. I would try for the catnap, though, because otherwise that bedtime is going to be really, really early. But it is up to you in the long run!

I am not good with time changes, but I think we may be a bit late chiming in on this... if so, what did you end up doing?

[~Sarah~]

I too am thinking at just a glance you need some longer A times.  Amy is spot on about the 2-2.25 for most 5mo.

Does your LO have any medical concerns?  How about teething action?

[*Amy*]

Thanks ladies - when she does nap her A time is 2hours 15mins! but when she short naps I have to keep the next A time short.
I gave her a CN yesterday from 4.30 - 5pm and then in bed by 6.30pm and asleep in about 10/15mins (improvement on the night before!)
She woke then at 10pm and 3.30am and then 6am for the day.
This morning she wasn't hungry until bedtime!! so she woke at 6am I fed her at 8.10am and she was in bed and asleep by 8.30 (didn't feed to sleep she was awake when she went into cot) so her A time this morning was 2 hours 20mins - she has croup so this may wake her but I have a cool mist humidifier in the room which seems to help. The croup isn't too bad yet.

[~Sarah~]

So with the croup, we might not be able to help much.  Went through that 3 times last winter

So just a thought...if you are getting short UT naps, you would not be shortening the next A time bc the reason they woke up is bc they got enough sleep IYKWIM.

[*Amy*]

Thanks Sarah...
So I think maybe I have had it wrong then......
So if I put her down and she wakes after 45mins and I know she is UT. What should the next A time be given that she normally does 2 hours 15mins?

[scucci1979]

for us, I normally shave off 15-20min of the A time.

[~Sarah~]

for us, I normally shave off 15-20min of the A time.

You certainly will have to do a little trial and error to find the time that is right for you.  For us I did not put down at all early unless they showed tired signs.

This is how you get into the UT/OT loop...they short nap and then nap refuse if they are not tired enough which then leads to the OT.  Vicious cycle that really is a sleep buster.

Happens a lot though...moms get so scared of OT they forget that UT causes just as many issues.

Good Luck!!