7month2weeks boy - afternoon nap shortened to 35/30 min - can u pls take a look?

[Eleanorz]

DS is 7 month 19 days today. I am not sure if he always pRefer high a time... Lately I feel it is difficult to pinpoint the ideal a time for him. I.e. someday a certain a time led to a very good nap, but another day the same a time led to a crapy one. I guess it depends on other factors too, like if he had a good night sleep and what kind of activity he did in a time, etc. so it is hard to figure - I ont like this.

This is his EASY yesterday

8:05 WU
9:40 bottle
11:26 - 1:31 1st nap ( had to wake up DS, otherwise his 2nd nap would run too late)
1:45 solids
2:40 bottle

4:48 - 5:26 2nd nap (he was not unhappy when waking up and I didn't try to extend)
5:45 solids
7:45 bottle


8:51 sleep

[Eleanorz]

Sorry, hit the post too soon...

11:00 df

He did have quite a few NWs.

Today his morning a time was 3 hours 20 min and it led to a nap of 1 hour and 35 min. But yesterday the same a time led to 2 hour plus nap!

TBH, I am a little frustrated about figuring out a good a time. Any suggestions?

[ZacsMumme]

I think 3hrs20 sounds good, a nap of 1.5-2hrs is all he needs. Some LOs at this age are even having 2x 1.25hr naps

I suspect the NW would have been from OT as he had a short pm nap then long A to BT. If you get short Pm nap and he is okay then just try an EBT - maybe 2-2.5hrs after the nap ends.

I would just stick with an A time for a good week so he can adjust. After a good nap he should be able to do at least 3hrs 15 if you get a good nap after a first A of 3hrs 20.

You can always try set naps if you find A times is frustrating you....but if he is touchy/spirited then this may not work. HUGS

[Eleanorz]

Yes, I am going to stick with 3 hours 20 min a time for now. Today DS woke up at 718 (ot from yesterday for sure). I didn't try to resettle and just let him play in the cot till 8. He had 3 hours 24 min a time (7:18 to 10:42) and slept for 1 hour 34 min. Afternoon a time was3 hours 22 min (10:42 to 3:38) and slept for1 hour 23 min till 5:01. He slept at 8:58 for the evening. A little bit late I know. It took him30 min to fall into sleep.

** however for the above to work, I need close to 14 hour day time, is it a bit high?**

[ZacsMumme]

I would be tempted to try a shorter last A..a lot of LOs like 1 of their A times shorter than the others. For me at this age Z liked a long middle A and short last...ie
WU
A 3hrs15
Nap
A 3hrs 30
Nap
A 3hrs
BT

It may be your LO needs a shorter last A - as the day wares on often they do get more tired. The 30mins settling could well be OT. THis would give you a more reasonable length day, and a 10.5/11hr night which is more restful than a 10

PS Great naps!

[Eleanorz]

An update of today...

DS woke up at 7:32 (better than yesterday, but still early) - slept just above 10 hours 30 min. Morning a time was 3 hours 24 min, nap 1 was 1 hour 38 min. Afternoon a time was 3 hors 23 min, nap 2 was 1 hour 16 min. A time to bed time was 3 hours 21 min. Slept at 8:35 for the night.

For both naps today, DS didn't use paci to fall asleep. But for nap 1, he woke at 45 min and seemed not able to get back to sleep, so I used paci after a little pupd and pat didn't work (I was too afraid of him not getting back to sleep) - **i wonder why he woke up and needed help to get back to sleep since he fell to sleep on his own at the beginning of the nap? ** for nap 2, he didn't wake during the sleep. ** It seems that sometimes he an do the sleep transitions on his own, and sometimes he can't. I still cannot figure out the rationale behind that. Thoughts? ** - this really bothers me. I was holding breath at these transition times I.e. 35 min, 45min. I am really stressed.

[ZacsMumme]

I think at this age you need to either take the paci away or allow them to have it, and learn to replug themselves. Your LO will likely want/need the paci to get back to sleep when he wakes mid nap or at nights. I he sometimes has it, sometimes not, it will confuse.

Your day looks good but I would still try for a shorter A to bed 3 hrs maybe

[Eleanorz]

Hi, today DS had an EW at 6:40 and it took me about an hour to get him back to sleep for only more than half an hour. I am disappointed.**  As fAr as I can see, he had a not bad day yesterday - almost three hour day time sleep, but why he woke up even earlier? ** I noticed he also woke up briefly at 6 bt was able to go back to slep on his own.

The rest of today's EASY is this:

8:20 WU
9:55 bottle
11:46 - 1:21 nap 1 (resettled at 30 min - ** is this OT?**)
1:45 solids
2:55 bottle
4:43 - 5:27 nap 2 (storied close to 45 min and I didn't try too hard to resettle to protect BT - ** is this UT?**)
5:45 solids
8:15 bottle
8:51 sleep

As you can see a 8:20 wake up leave him little room for nap2. Today his total seep is only about 12 hours 45 min. I am concerned DS is not getting enough sleep. ** is ths amount of sleep acceptable , normal? **

Thank you!

[susankula]

Eleanorz-Your going through the same exact thing I went through!  You need to ditch the woombie and paci at the same time.  I had one night with 3 wake ups and it was smooth sailing from there.  My daughter was the same exact age and acting the same way.  I think we get attached to things more than our little ones!  I gave her a blankie and she was good to go.  She is transitioning to 1 nap, but everything is so much better!

[ZacsMumme]

Try not to get too worried about his sleep. Its easy to obsess over. His night and naps are okay, as you get into a good routine with him things will also come right with his naps.

I forgot you still have the woombie - yes this needs to go ASAP. .....

[Eleanorz]

Thanks Sara and Susankula. Yes, I realized I have to make the decision to let go the woombie and the pacifier. I so had enough! Today at the 35 min of the afternoon nap when DS was stiring and I inserted the pacifier, he actually rejected by biting the pacifier and spiting it out as he rather "ate" his woombie. For the night sleep, he did the same. Normally he had his pacifier and fell into sleep. Today he just didn't want it. It took him a long time to fall into sleep by "licking" his woombie.

I am going to start the weaning this weekend when DH can help.  In preparation for that, I have a few questions - (please bear with me)

1) get him to sleep - shall I just say key words and leave him there to fall into sleep independently? or shall I do somehting (like shh/pat - but tracy said it is not good for 6 month older or PDPU - is this only when he is crying?) what if he just stirs? shall i just let him do his business?

2) if he wakes up during nap or in the evening, what shall I do? now I gave paci. Without paci, shall I just leave him alone?

3) for EW, same question as 2)

4) what if he still cannot take good control of his arms, what shall I do to help him? or shall I just leave him and he will get it?

Thanks!

[ZacsMumme]

hun im going to see if I can get some prop eyes for you - We still have the paci and never had any problems weaning the swaddle so I want to make sure you get good help

[Eleanorz]

Thank you Sara!

[*Ali*]

Hi how's it going?

I thought it might help to tell you what we did and in hindsight what I would do differently.
We just took the paci away cold turkey at 7mo because he has lost interest in it and I saw it as an opportunity for an easy wean. He just started sucking his fingers out the neck hole of the woombie.
At 8mo we moved him from his Moses basket to a cot and he looked set to roll so I felt I had to wean the woombie. We have the convertible so I left one arm out and gave him a blankie to hold and suck. After 3 days I left both arms out and he really struggled. I tried pupd but it was taking a long time and he just kept waking himself with his flailing arms. I took to letting him fall asleep in my arms which was fine to get him down but he started waking frequently so after 2wks I reverted to pupd and now that he was used to sleeping without the woombie it was very easy. Our wean coincided with teething and the onset of SA so it is hard to tell how much of our waking was actually caused by the woombie wean.
In hindsight I would probably try to wean without the holding to sleep stage and instead hold his arms down to prevent the flailing.
It took a good couple weeks for him to show any interest in the blankie but now he grabs it and rolls over when I lay him in the cot. I just gave it to him at each pd and left it in the cot by him when he rejected it.
If I were you I would do pupd. Is he pulling up yet? If not that makes things easier as there is lots of soothing in the cot with a firm hand and soothing words. Eventually the words themselves will be enough without the pupd and you can then start gradual leaving of the room. To start with I would stay with him until he is asleep even if you are able to sit back early on. Yes you only do pupd when he is crying. So start by putting him down as usual and leaving him. When he cries go back and do pupd. You never know he may just go to sleep without needing you.
Any waking he has be it an EW from a nap or night or a NW, you can leave him if he isn't crying and do pupd if he does cry. But personally I would probably allow for some short naps without extending them if it meant lots of crying. They will probably go back to being longer once he gets used to transitioning without the woombie.
HTH

[Eleanorz]

Thanks Ali!

I've not yet started the weaning... But will try next week when DH has more time. Actually i tried once but it was apparent DS could not control his hands - basically he just stuck his hands to the air... So I gave up. We also use convertible woombie. Shall I start with one hand out? Do you feel it is helpful?

Also now I try not giving paci when put DS to sleep. I only give if DS wakes in early morning otherwise I will do pupd etc. I think it helps with the naps. Now sometimes DS can do those Nap transitions without help. But not all the time though, which is puzzling me. why is it working sometimes but not working sometimes? Also with the same amount of a time, nap length varies a lot. All these uncertainties frustrate me...