20 min naps from 6am to midnight and wakes every 2 hr from midnight to 6am

[lokloktang]

What do u do if ur 7 wo behaves like that? I try to give bedtime at around 7 but he never stays asleep until I nurse him for 1 hr at 11pm... Still he would wake at 2,4,6....

During the day I tried to put him down as soon as he yarns. He is typically tired right after feed (obviously)... I'm trying to shu pat him hoping that he won't rely on props (rock or nurse).... In the last two days his first nap was long (close to two hours) but today even that nap became 30 min.... I don't know how I can carry on.

I tried httj but he moves so ridiculously hard (shake his head, pull his neck) that I simply cannot succeed.

I tired to reduce A time to 1 hr, didn't help. He's had longer A time (becos I wasn't able to put him to sleep) still short nap. 

Tired bouncing seat but it didn't help. He's too heavy to be on a sling. He sleeps for 3 hrs when we go out in a car seat.  Tried to let him sleep in car seat at home but didn't help.

He's getting maybe 10-12 hrs of sleep each day... (and maybe 4 hrs for me but who cares?)

Please help... I'm ready to donate him...

[*Kara*]

I'm ready to donate him...

I am sure I uttered those words more than once hun.

Could you post a typical day for him right now with feed times etc?

Any chance he has reflux?  This can cause short naps and often baby naps best upright (like the carseat).

http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=654.0

[lokloktang]

A, E: 8am (with numerous waking between 4-8)
S: 9:15 (2 hrs twice before, usually only 45 min)
A: between 10-11)
E: btw 10:30- 11 depend on how much he cries after nap1
S: after 12 for 20-40 min
A: btw 12:20 - 1pm
E: btw 1:30-2
S: btw 2:30-3 for 20-40 min
E: btw 4:30-5
S: 5:30 for 20 min. If he's had 20 mins naps all day then I ask DH to carry him to sleep for about 2 hrs
E: around 8
bT- around 8 - but he would wake after 30 min and doesn't sleep for a longer duration until I get so tired and fall asleep while BF him
At 11... He sleeps in me for 1.5 hr then I transftwr him
To crib. Then he would wake at 2:30 and every 2 hrs after.

As u can see, eASY is all of the place. In general, every 3 hrs he's napping about 30 min. I aim for a 60 min A time, and becos his naps r short, the last naps usually has to be right after feeding.. But still he wakes 30 min after put him in crib.  So btw 8am-8pm he has maybe 4-5 short naps. By BT at 8 he would fall asleep on my breast. If I don't let him sleep on my breast for 1.5 hr amd tranfer him to crib he would wake shortly after that. I know he's waking after 8pm becos of OT. I've tried to extend his naps by rocking or let him sleep in my arms
But I think that by doing so he is waking himself up and look for me... Plus on the days that I estend his naps he still wakes after 8pm....

How bad is it to let a 7 wo getting so little sleep? I don't know how to give him more...

[lokloktang]

One other question, if DS falls asleep on breast at first feed (8am) should I wake him up and give him A time? I'm reluctant to wake him up becos he mist likely had late BT the night before.. Should I just let him catch up some sleep?

[*Kara*]

After a look at your day - I really think this is all back to a routine issue... moving to EASY for some better eyes

Hang in there for a bit - routine masters will be by shortly

[MommyMoulton]

I agree... look into a reflux issue... This was my little guy to a T.
Try these things..
-elevate the crib(i used a few textbooks under the mattress)
-offer a pacifier
-swaddle at nap-time

Make sure you stick to it for at least 3-5days to see if anything youve done has stuck. Get help if you need it, and try to nap when he does.

Hugs.
MommyMoulton

[Ima shel Alon]

Yes, it could def be that he is in pain or some discomfort and that's why he doesn't manage to nap.
It seems that what you have there is a very OT baby and IMO you need to find a way to get his A time right and extend his naps.
You can have a look here for some samples for his age: http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=164027.0
If you know that it takes him so long to fall asleep (which makes him OT) you might want to consider to put a bit earlier for his naps till he gets sorted.
There is also some good info here about how to help him "learn" how to sleep: http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=85500.0
http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=26671.0

One important thing is to be consistent with what you do. If you find out that he is actually well and has no Reflux or something else that causes his discomfort then I'd say try not to let him fall asleep on the breast and give him his A time after a feed. I also think that by rocking him you are creating a prop that will be difficult for you to get rid of later.
What you could do is APOP for a few days the naps so you let him catch up with his sleep (if he will sleep in the car just have your naps there) and after a couple of days like that you start fresh and start settling him with pat/shh (only if he doesn't settle by himself and is crying).
What do you think?

[lokloktang]

I've studied all links you've sent me and tried my best... My problem is his naps r always 30-45 mins. Sometime I can extend it by shu pat, most time he wakes and he moves so hard that I cannot shu pat him back. I either have to AP (rock or let him finish his nap on me) or he will have to wake up. I also have a 2 yo at home (although my dad is here to babysit, I feel realy bad that I spend my whole day with DS). So with short nap, it's hard to give him the right amount of A time after next feed..

Other than the following, are there any other cure to 30-45 min naps?
-reduce A time (OT)
-increase A time (UT)
-reduce stimulation (OS)
-remove prop by shu pat

Is it possible that all the above will not solve short nap issue and it's just developmental meaning I have to wait for him to outgrow it?

Also, I've talked to pedi amd reflux is not the issue. He has reflux but it's very minor.

[*Kara*]

I would doubt his short naps are developmental at this age - that generally becomes an issue from months 4-6

I agree with Noa - he is very OT.

[Ima shel Alon]

Other than the following, are there any other cure to 30-45 min naps?
-reduce A time (OT)
-increase A time (UT)
-reduce stimulation (OS)
-remove prop by shu pat

OT, UT and OS are the obvious reasons for short naps and the most common. If you get a 30min nap you know he is OT and if you get 45min you know he is UT. The 40min ones are a whole different story IMO
You are right that it is difficult to get it right once the first nap of the day was too short, but you just go with the day. You try to go with his tired cues and he probably won't last a full A time.

[lokloktang]

Thanks! So what's the cause for 40 min naps? How about waking up before 20 min?

[*Kara*]

40 mins can be OT or UT   Generally is OT though - they actually wake at 30 mins and stay quiet  

Anything less than a full sleep cycle of 45 mins is a OT nap - this includes 20 mins

[lokloktang]

I've tried my best to implement EASY but his short nap is throwing things off.  I've tried to tackle short naps by reducing A time. But he still wakes 30 mins... I am also trying to remove props by doing shu pat, but still he wakes 30 min after being placed in crib. For BT we start at 8pm... He would again wake at 30 min and I either have to rock him back then he sleeps for another 30 min... Mist time there is no way to settle him until i nurse him again towards 11pm.  By then I dare not do shu pat cos I'm afraid he might wake at 30 min again so I nurse him to sleep.

Today:
A: 8am
E: 8:30
S: 9:10
A: 10:05 (tried to extend nap but failed)
E: 11:00
S: 11:15 (right after feeding cos he was very tired)
A: 11:45
S: 12:15
A: 12:45 (tired to extend nap but failed)
E: 1:45
S: 2:30 (asleep on breast cos I fell asleep too) woke at 30 min, extended nap, woke again at 30 min, extended nap
A: 4:15 tried to extend nap but failed
E: 4:45
S: 5:40
A: 6:10 (he was still tired, tried to extend nap but failed), bath at 7:1
E: 7:30
S: 8:30 (woke at 9pm, still trying to put him to sleep)

This is a typical day... Short naps and trying to extend, then becos of short nap I tried to reduce next A time... It seems like I'm trying to put him to sleep the whole day... And he always seems to be tired... And BT is a nightmare... And he is waking up a lot more at night now.. Nursing him at least every three hours and he always wake 1.5 hr after night feeding (hence he is waking up ever 1.5 hr).....

I'm crying with him every nap and I don't know how much longer I can sustain.... Will he outgrow this or do I have to train him?

[*Kara*]

Honestly hun, this is completely normal!  He is just a tiny baby still and has a very erratic schedule and troubles sleeping - babies are wired to be like this!  It's a biological need to survive that wakes them repeatedly during the night to eat - not much you can do if he is waking that much to eat... feed him and get him back to sleep as quickly as you can for now.  There is a big growth spurt at 6 weeks and then again at 3 months - but all babies can vary from that a little bit...

If you are in tears, it's time to take a step back and just do what you have to in order to get him to sleep... AP if needed to avoid OT.  A good part of this is something that he will outgrow in the next 6 weeks - promise.

[Ima shel Alon]

I was going to say the same like Kara.
At that age I fed DS at night whenever he woke up to not have to deal with NWs. I knew that I feed him, it helps him to calm down and he goes back to sleep.