Set naps for a 5 month old - has anyone gone down this route?

[lynners]

Just having a different person in the room was OS for L at that age

Gosh really!  I'm really going to have to keep an eye on that.  Had another friend around this morning (with the run up to Christmas I've got a bit of that going on).  So yes OS potential maybe but she did leave 15 minutes before nap time so we had very quiet time before bed.  He went to sleep easily and very calmly so I assume not OS ?

One 40min nap doesn't necessarily mean its time to increase the A time again. Does make the rest of the day more tricky though.

Doesn't it just.  Any suggestions what A I should aim for if he does only do a 40 min nap - 2h 45m?  It's just he seemed so tired when I put him down yesterday, getting a 2h 15m A, but he did wake at 40 mins.   

[Erin M]

I think Kara and the other ladies have an idea where you should head with this one, but just wanted to pop on and say hi. 

[lynners]

Thanks for saying hi Erin

Feeling a bit out of sorts.  Not a great day today only 3 x 40 min naps with a bad NW.

S 19.05
DF 22.00
NW  4.00 (lots of crying)
WU 8.15
E 8.30 (didn’t eat much as distracted by DS1 so finished feed when back from school run)
E 9.20
S 11.15 – 11.55 went to sleep and woke up calmly – UT?
E 11.55
S  13.35 – 14.15 (took him to the shops in the buggy at about 12.30.  Thought it was a good way to find out if he was still tired after his first nap which would probably mean the 40 min nap was OS not UT.  He didn't fall asleep or show any signs of being tired in the 15 minutes it takes to get to the shop whereas if he was still tired I would have expected him to.  He did however fall asleep on the way back, one hour and 40 minutes after waking.  I have no idea what that means  )
E 14.45
S 16.00 – 16.45
E 17.40
S 18.40 (put to bed at 18.00, very OT/crying, struggled to get to sleep.  I needed to settle him.)

Feeling nervous about sticking to the same first A tomorrow





 

[becj86]

S 11.15 – 11.55 went to sleep and woke up calmly – UT?

Maybe - can/does he transition through the sleep cycles though if he's not got that super long A time?

That 40min nap in the buggy - that happens to L (waking at transition) because he can't turn over and get comfy in the pram to keep sleeping...

Definitely needs longer naps in his day though.

[lynners]

He can definitely transition through sleep cycles as long as he is not UT.  Has been able to do that since very young.

Not sure whether this shorter A is suiting him  Certainly at the moment he is getting less sleep than he has been.  Will stick at the same A today but don't know that I can put him through a week of it if there's no improvement.

Rather unsure when to put him down today.  Heard him at 6.07 but didn't seem to move/make a sound til 6.22 so think he fell asleep but not 100% sure.  Think I'll take it from 6.22 as don't want to risk him being UT.  No visitors today so will have a very chilled morning.

[lynners]

In addition to my previous post would really appreciate help/opinions on the following please -

So yes OS potential maybe but she did leave 15 minutes before nap time so we had very quiet time before bed.  He went to sleep easily and very calmly so I assume not OS ?

Any suggestions what A I should aim for if he does only do a 40 min nap - 2h 45m?  It's just he seemed so tired when I put him down yesterday, getting a 2h 15m A, but he did wake at 40 mins.   

[becj86]

So yes OS potential maybe but she did leave 15 minutes before nap time so we had very quiet time before bed.  He went to sleep easily and very calmly so I assume not OS ?

My boy was very easily OS and took ages to calm down, so 15min may be plenty for you DS2. I just don't know. It wouldn't have been enough for L, but A is different from him, yk?

I think a 2hr45 A is a good plan for after a 40min nap - a little less than 3hr but not so short as to yield another short nap (hopefully).

I'd go with 6:20 too

[lynners]

Thanks Bec. 

I suppose what I'm asking about the OS is if he goes down and wakes up calmly am I right in assuming it is UT?  It is only when he is fractious/OT looking when he goes down, and calm when he wakes up that it might be OS?

[lynners]

So this was our day - better today.

Would appreciate advice on our A's please.

S 18.10
DF 22.00
NW 2.00 - Settled himself quickly
NW 6.09 or before – think settled himself or very still and quiet
WU 6.20
E 6.40
E 9.10
S 9.30 – 10.50 Better nap but woke at 2 x sleeping cycle point.  Went to sleep calmly and woke up calmly so UT ??  Also A could have been longer than I thought due to unsure WU time
E 11.15
E 13.35 (Started rooting near time to put him down.  Seemed very tired.)
S 14.00 – 15.30 Put to sleep in buggy so can push out for school run.  Have recently changed from pram to buggy.  He was used to sleeping in pram (trained him from early days for school runs) and can transition through cycles in it.  However this is the first time I’ve had to put him to sleep in the buggy.  He cried and needed shushing for about 5 minutes – luckily it worked in the buggy.  Instinct says he was OT so maybe the second A was too long but I can’t rule out the fact that maybe the crying could in part be getting used to the buggy.  At least he definitely got past 2 x 40 mins though and only woke up because of DS1 on our return from school.
E 15.30
E 18.00
S 18.20







 






 













 

[becj86]

It is only when he is fractious/OT looking when he goes down, and calm when he wakes up that it might be OS?

Its more how he wakes - L had a few minutes in which he'd "wake up" if he wasn't OS... if he was OS, he would just spring awake and would be ready to go almost like he;d not been asleep.

S 9.30 – 10.50 Better nap but woke at 2 x sleeping cycle point.  Went to sleep calmly and woke up calmly so UT ??  Also A could have been longer than I thought due to unsure WU time

This could be interpreted as getting used to sleeping a longer nap after a shorter A time in the morning. That's why we're saying to stick with this shorter A for a while to give him the opportunity.

[*Kara*]

A 40 min nap can often allow LO to do almost an entire A time without getting OT... it is basically a full sleep cycle so they do quite well with it   I used to only take 15-20 mins off the following A time with a short nap.. unless it was a 20-30 min nap, then I would keep a very close eye on DD and generally she was back down with about an hour less A time

[lynners]

Thanks ladies.  I'll stick with the same A's again tomorrow then and see how we get on.  LO though did wake up at 20.30 and needed half hour settling.  He's never woken up that early before  .  Maybe his last A was  too long.  When he had a longer first A, he could only manage about 1 1/2 - 2 hours to BT.  I thought maybe with our reduced A he might be able to last longer but maybe it was that which made him wake up OT   

What do you think?  Don't know what my options would have been.  Don't know how I would have got a CN in there and would worry about putting him down any earlier than 6.

Bec,

Its more how he wakes - L had a few minutes in which he'd "wake up" if he wasn't OS... if he was OS, he would just spring awake and would be ready to go almost like he;d not been asleep.

..so he didn't necessarily fight his nap as if OT? ...finding this a little hard to grasp and to distinguish between UT.  Will be looking out for signs though.

[*Kara*]

LO though did wake up at 20.30 and needed half hour settling. 

Likely OT from the day of short naps hun... happened to us too

[becj86]

..so he didn't necessarily fight his nap as if OT? ...finding this a little hard to grasp and to distinguish between UT.  Will be looking out for signs though.

No, but if he was only slightly UT, he wouldn't really fight either, just went to sleep. I guess this is where we have to remember L is a different child to A. I can only go off my experience of one child.

[scruffymax]

Just going to be devil's advocate and say from my experience, set naps work best when it is actual set times not set A times (including waking by a certain time in the morning!).  That is for my bub though - I found that sticking to the actual times did get DD's bodyclock caught up.  If you were going to do that though, I would probably look to one of the books that has set nap times for different ages.  I did go through a month or 2 of increasing DD's A times every time she short napped (around 6 months I think it was), until we were on quite long A times like you were, but it really didn't work in the long run and I've had much more success with set naps.  I actually ended up reducing the A times when I went on set naps and within a few days DD had settled into the new routine and was sleeping better.  Just my 2 cents worth!