UK clocks go back - EASY tweaking advice?

[rugbykaf]

Hi,

I have two EASY issues that I'm wondering could be addressed in one go . . .

My boys are 6 mo at the end of this week and are probably due for an A increase, am I right in thinking they should be able to do 2.5-3hours?  At the minute we are on about 2hrs for the 1st A time of the day, then they can do 2hrs15  IF they've had a decent nap for the next two.  However, they have been doing mostly short naps since 4 months so the A time has been a bit all over the place.

I've been thinking of moving to set naps for a while but the clocks go back an hour this week so I'm wondering how the hell to deal with this?

What I'm getting at (in a really unclear rambling way) is I'm hoping that as they are due for an A increase I could do this at the same time as adapting to the hours difference, i.e. . . .

They wake at 6am (thinking it is 7am), I put them down at 8.30/8.45am (the usual time) but they think it is an hour later.

But then I'd have to move this nap time back when they adjust to the clock change? . . .

Oh I don't know, I'm stuck!!!

Any suggestions or BTDT to help a confused Mummy  ?

Kath

[*Liz*]

Here is the time change advice

http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=161834.0

You could try an A increase as it does sound due - but the time change always does cause a few bumps along the way  .

[rugbykaf]

Thanks Liz,

Maybe i should tackle one thing at a time. . . anyway, when they turn 6 mo they magically start having nice long naps right?!!  Ha ha, i can dream!

[momma.bear]

I'm in the same situation with my LO who turns 6 months tomorrow. Same A times as yours, and am dreading the time change. She used to sleep until 7am, but has recently started waking up at 6/6:30am. It's a fight to get her to the 2 hr. A mark especially her morning one. I was thinking set nap times would be good as well. Let me know how it goes and what you try, and I'll do the same!

[Dench]

Oh man I'm worried now, my LO usually wakes at 5am for the day!  

[momma.bear]

Didn't get a chance to stretch the A times today as she woke up at 6:30am, played for a bit in her crib, I gave her a paci and she drifted off again until 7:30. I think I'll try this again... and again... in practice for the time change

[rugbykaf]

Ooooh Dench thats tough . . . are you gonna try a later bedtime?  I've been trying to push their BT a little later as they're normally asleep by 6.30pm.  But it's hard when they're already tired due to a day of sh*tty short naps!

Mommabear, thats a good idea, wish mine would take a dummy/paci but they rejected them in favour of their thumbs at 3mo.  And they're far too busy waving their arms around in the morning to think about sucking their thumbs!!!

I had a go at pushing their A time to 2hrs15 this morning but J was yawning at 1.5hrs!  I just don't get it!!!they're almost 6mo.  You'd think the 30min naps were OT but we get them no matter what A time I try, even when I put J down at the 1.5hr mark, still get 30mins.  E is a little better, 40-50 min naps sometimes.  Which are often due to UT?

I'm just hoping "it will all come out in the wash" as my Gran used to say 

Kath

[Dench]

Rugbykaf, that's my problem too - short naps!  I can't change that no matter what I do! 40mins every time!!  He goes to bed about 6 - 6.30pm and when I tried to make it later we had 3 weeks of a bedtime between 5pm and 9pm - just all over the place, then he just seemed to reset himself back to 6pm again, so I've just gone with the flow, but I'll have to try stretching it ready for the weekend - only 3 days away now!
Does anyone know what the activity time for a 5 and a half month old should be?  My little one totally varies all day long because of these short naps.

[momma.bear]

I think A time for 5 months is 2 hrs., and then is bumped up to 2.5 for 6 months. But every baby is different. My LO could only stay awake for 1.5-1.75 hrs. at the beginning of 5 months. Her naps are almost always 2 short naps in one period, eg. 9-10am and then 10:10-10:50am. She'll usually wake up after 45 mins- 1 hour but clearly is still tired. Sometimes she'll play for a bit and once she starts crying, I just give her the paci which she's been playing with and she'll usually resettle in about 5 mins. My biggest thing now is that she's waking up several times in the night (last night was 2am, 4am, 4:30am, 5am, 6am) and sometimes starts playing in her crib, other times crying with her paci still in, and it kind of grunting. But she'll resettle eventually and never really cries, just is more unsettled.

[rugbykaf]

How's it going ladies?

I had a lucky break with the clock change as we had a couple of NWs due to teething on the Thurs night.  As a result they slept in by nearly an hour on the Fri morning. So I decided from that point on I would act as if the clocks had changed . . . . confused the hell out of me and DH but worked well for the boys!!!

Naps are getting better . . .

I've managed to get their 1st A time to about 2hr15 and the next one to 2.5hrs (starting to play with solids at lunch time has helped to keep them awake and fairly happy).  Our naps have been pretty much at set times this week - at 9.15am and 12.30pm, we even managed to survive without the catnap yesterday as they both slept until nearly 3pm!

I guess being textbook babies they're sorting out their short naps at 6months, just like they're supposed to 

Hope it continues . . . how are you guys getting on?

Kath

[Dench]

Hi, glad your twins have settled in to their new routine nicely
My DS who was waking at 5 -5.30am for the day as actually been not too bad!  We tried to keep him up later on Saturday but he was out like a light at 6pm which is normal for him.  Sunday morning he was awake for the day at 5.15am (which was 4.15am to us!), however on Sunday eve we managed to keep him up until 6.20pm (which would be 7.20 to him!) and he was up at 5.40am on Monday. Tues and Wed morning he woke VERY early (4.20am then 3.20am) so I just treat these as NW and managed, eventually, to settle him back to sleep thankfully! Since then everything seems back to normal, I was expecting more disruption for longer, so I'm happy