30 minute naps...ON THE DOT

[mrsg5507]

Why? GAh? the only way to extend it is to hold him and sometimes even that doesn't work well. I am trying today to just bring him out to his PnP and let him lay in there with the mobile on as quiet time...cause I am at a loss. I wait for his "tired" cues and put him down. He does down easy, but then 30 mins later he is awake. I have even tried sneaking in and giving a paci back at the 25m mark and that doesn't seem to work.

I guess I need reassurance that this doesn't mean he will be a terrible napper his whole childhood....

[GCMom]

Let me try to give you some reassurance (and maybe myself because I am in the same boat -Arg).  My first DS did the same thing, but by six months went down for two naps easily, slept for at least 1.5 hrs, woke up happy and playing in his crib so I didn't have to rush in and always slept great at night. Makes me belive those who say some babies don't have the ability to take long naps until 3-6 months.  Funny because DS1 & 2 had no problem putting themselves to sleep at night from 4-5 weeks on.

DS2 is also 3 months and doing the same thing.  Use to be 45 mins and I thought that was bad.  He too is so easy to put down but won't stay asleep.  I want to pull my hair out.  He's lucky he's so dang cute

Fingers crossed our LOs will get the hang of napping soon too! Mine is getting pretty OT so I'm going to try some AP for a few days (when I figure out what AP will help).  With DS1 I would hold him an entire nap just so he would sleep.  Not as practical with a 3 year old running around.  Good luck!

[Shiv52]

{{{hugs}}}

Have you started the transition to the 3.5/4 hour EASY yet? 

[mrsg5507]

GC Mom, thanks It is so frustrating.

Shiv- we do a 3.5 EASY. But I can't get the S down well, as stated above So it's just on the E. He usually eats (give 30min variation on wake time either way)
830, 12, 330, 7, and a small feed at 9 which is BT.
BUT today he freaked out and asked to eat at 1130.....and so I fed him and he was happy..but just fell asleep again (it's 1230)

[Shiv52]

4 month growth spurt??  Its a biggie!

Do you reduce next A time after a short nap?

[mrsg5507]

Do you reduce next A time after a short nap?

Yeah, but then it gets all funky later in the day. He woke at 815 and ate, then A was until 10 (he wasn't showing sleepy cues at all til about 10 til and we went and got ready for nap. He only slept from 10-1030, then by 1120ish he asked to eat again, so I fed. He was ok til he just fell asleep (paci free too!) in his chair at 1230 (so 2 hr wake time, but he wouldnt go down). Now, if this nap is only 30 mins, he will wake at 1pm. And he doesn't eat again til about 245. So that is 1hr45m til next feed and he will most likely fall asleep during/right after that feed and then A and S will be reversed....

I don't feel comfortable doing a 4hr EASY just yet, most nights he is still up 2Xs for a full feed as it is....

[mrsg5507]

And..that "nap" lasted all of 15mins....
And now he is laying on the floor trying to roll over and is all giggly...

[hvollor]

My daughter did the 30 minute naps too..it was amazing to me that it was on the dot.  For her, I think it was a mixture of the sense sensitivity that occurs at 4 months and the fact that she couldn't put herself back to sleep.  I believe that she would half wake at 30 minute intervals (like we do in our sleep and we roll over or look at the time or whatever) and not be able to put herself back to sleep.  (now at 9 months she wakes at those intervals sometimes and squeals and then goes back to sleep)  I think the sensitivity made it even harder for her to go back to sleep.  I could tell that she wanted to sleep longer because she would. not. be. happy. when she woke up.

We put in black out blinds in her room, got a sound machine, and turned off her night light.
I am not a believer in the cry out method, but one night after she was already down for the night, she woke up as usual.  My husband and I stopped what we were doing and stared at the monitor.  I can tell when she is in absolute distress and when she is just complaining. If she were to cry as if in absolute distress, I would have gone in there, but she didn't.  She complained for 15 minutes and then went back to sleep.  Now, once she is asleep, she can put herself back to sleep.  She still cannot put herself to sleep from being awake, but we are one step closer.