Advice on settling an unsettler....

[Eggimou]

My son is almost 4 months old and I've been having a tough time lately.
Usual EASY is as follows...
7wakes and eats (10 minute feed-he's very efficient)
Gets sleepy around 745 (he's been awake in crib since maybe 6).
Sleeps @ 8-10 most days.
E at 10
Sleeps at 1130....this is where it gets tricky...he falls asleep fine bit wakes at 45mins-60mjns crying and can't be calmed down no matter how long I spend with him. Eventually I take him up and he's happy to play. About 40 mins later he's showing sleep signs and will want another nap right away. This goes on for the rest of the day/ help!!

[amayzie]

hi honey- those A times for 4 months seem a little short. The first nap seems ok as he has been awake in the cot for a while so is ready for sleep- but the second A might need to be stretched out a bit closer to 2 hours as the 45 min nap is an indication that he's not tired enough. Try adding 10-15 minutes of A time to that second A and see if that helps the nap stretch out a little..

[Eggimou]

Thanks for the advice! Would you say that if my son starts rubbing his eyes and yawning to just leave him play for another 10-15 mins? Won't this overtire him?

[amayzie]

It shouldn't at this age- sometimes babies get 'used' to being awake for a certain amount of time.. and they start to look tired at this time- even if they are ready for more time awake. It's just the first of many instances of 'mummy knows!' (I assume- because we're the mummies now- we totally know it all! ) If you are concerned you could try just a jump of 5 minutes of lo key activity and see how that goes.

[Eggimou]

Thanks for the advice. I've tried extending the A times and baby wakes at 45 mins...he's been rubbing his eyes as usual and I extended his A time by 5-10 mins and he ends up overtired. Oh well...

[amayzie]

Remember to hon that at this age they can have a bit of a developmental thing where they don't sleep as long... it's a pain- but it will pass..

[*Kara*]

Hello

I agree with Katy - your second A time is too short for his age.  His body clock is acting tired at the time you are putting him down because it is programmed to sleep then.. but a 45 min nap followed by less than an hour of A time before wanting to sleep again is a clear sign that he needs more A time to sleep well.  You need to push to 2 hrs for the second A time with quiet things like walking around the house and looking at pics etc... give him a few days to adjust and the nap should get longer again