Need help with nap schedule during 3-2 nap transition

[Tabathagucci]

Thanks it does help a bit.  It has seemed these last few days with really crappy naps (anywhere from 1.25 to 2 hours total) he sleeps better at night (got anywhere from 10.5-11.5).  But when he gets 2.5-3 hours of day sleep he sleeps 10.25 or less at night.  He seems pretty happy most of the time but that us such a relative term so hard for me to tell.  

I can certainly try to put him down at 3 hours for the second A time and see how it goes.  In the past if he's been really OT I get 25 min naps and no NE.  UT has typically been 30-40 with no NE.  However, his afternoon naps that were slightly UT recently have been 40 mins so maybe this 36 mins is OT!

I just feel like I'll never figure this out and frustrated that we had a great 2 nap schedule for about 2 months and when I started getting ew's I went back to 3 naps instead of pushing A times.  Its been 2 months now and I'm still trying to get it right but don't feel as though I've made any progress.  

Today he woke at 5 (I had to put him down early last night due to short 2nd nap and refusing a 3rd nap) and fell back to sleep from 6-6:15 so feel like I'm losing yet another day.

Should I still try capping the first nap at 45 mins and putting down at 3 hours for 2nd even today?  I will for sure need a 3rd nap in that case but I'll likely need one anyway...

[Tabathagucci]

Ok put him down at the 3 hour mark as you suggested he was practically falling alseep in my arms!  Not basing too much on today's results as he's been really off and cranky, biring everything and gave him ibuprofen.  So who knows if it'll work tomorrow!

However he's been sleeping 2 hours now!  Fabulous!  So low my dilemma if anyone can help me today... If he wakes up at 2:15 do I try for another nap or just put him to bed at 6:15?  He probably won't go down for another nap till 5 which would put bed time at 7:30 after a 5 am wakeup.  Any suggestions anyone?

[Tabathagucci]

Just an update, no third nap after and he fell asleep at 620.  I tiny bit overtired but overall good!  Just hope he sleeps later than 5 am tomorrow but not too likely after a 620 ebt!  Fingers crossed!  And hoping we can repeat same schedule tomorrow!

[Papaya]

no third nap after and he fell asleep at 620.

Fantastic! I would have said to go with the EBT - fingers crossed for a good night. Sorry we're on such different time zones... It sounds like the teeth were bothering him today so it could be that his A times were down a litte - but great nap

[Tabathagucci]

Thx!  Pretty much had to do EBT as he refuses a pm catnap now, which i guess is good!  He slept just under 11 hours and woke at 5:20, 15 mins later than yesterday so I'll take it. Not counting on it but if we can repeat yesterday I should be able to do a 645 bt tonight!  Fingers crossed!

[Papaya]

15 minutes means a lot at that time of morning! Fingers crossed for today.

[Tabathagucci]

Yes 15 mins is great!  Thanks for helping me get this far!  Ok so I kept the same schedule today and got a 1 hr 20 min 2nd nap.  Should I keep trying for a couple more days of the same or bump the 2nd A time 15 mins?

Also, yesterday we did a 4 hr 10 min A time before bed and he did fine overnight (no NW and slept just under 11 hours.  Today his last nap ended at 2 which leaves me putting him to bed at 6:10 or so tonight.  Can I stretch this last A time out by a few mins to get a later BT and hopefully a later WT?  I know I can't push it too far because I may get an OT EW but even 15 mins would help!

[Papaya]

Looks like perhaps he can do slightly more than 3hrs second A if he had a good solid night? So see how tonight goes and if it's 11 hours or so again, then maybe try 3hrs10 A.

 

Can I stretch this last A time out by a few mins to get a later BT and hopefully a later WT?

Yesterday he did a much longer nap, no? So I wouldn't push him any further on a 1hr20 nap. When tweaking I am usually more concerned about length of night than WU, tbh -  personally, I would rather get up at 5.15/30 but have a well-rested LO to start the day with so I can aim for some good  A times and long naps so I can push out that day. As you've been getting a few really short nights recently I'd be trying to keep them at some sort of consistent length and then try to push both WU and BT out more from the beginning of the day than the end. You'll nail those A times eventually!

[Tabathagucci]

Ok so you're saying keep it consistent for a few days till we get a pattern of good nights going, then try to lengthen the day by stretching the first and second a times a bit?  The issue in have now is that we are already having to Put him to bed at 6:15 which seems very early to me. 

[Papaya]

Yes, that's what I was meaning. If he's well-rested from 2-3 good nights he'll be able to handle the A times being pushed much better.

[Tabathagucci]

Ok well today would be day 3 of good night sleep.  However, he woke right around the 10.5 hour mark at 4:45 am.  Lovely!  He is whimpering and whining a lot which he normally doesn't do and yesterday afternoon he was gnawing on everything so I have a feeling he's teething, which would not be the best time to push A times!  Will see how he does this morning.   Then again with such an early wakeup I may have to push A times a little, either that or try for a 3rd nap and see if it works.

Thanks again and I'll be back with more questions I'm sure! 

[Tabathagucci]

I have a question about no naps before 9:30....do you just get OT naps at first and then they catch up a bit in the pm nap and at night?

[Papaya]

Pretty much - but if it's an OT nap, try to extend it (by APing if you need to - I was always happy to rock or feed back to sleep on the odd occasion because I knew at that time the most important thing was to get past the OT and then it wouldn't be an issue).

The theory is that pushing the first nap later lets them know they can't catch up on lost night sleep so soon, so it encourages them to sleep later in the morning and have a longer night.

[Tabathagucci]

Ok thanks!

[Tabathagucci]

Ok so I pushed the first A time 10 mins (to 3 hrs 40ims) and woke up at 45 mins.  Then put him down at the same A time for second nap (3 hrs) and he woke at 50 mins.  Should I still keep trying these A times?  First day I got 2 hrs (he was having an off day thatday) second day 1 hr 20 and today 50 mins.