CIO

[malingirl]

BEFORE I WAS STARTING WINDDOWN AT 1.15 AND SHE WAS ASLEEP BY 1.20. MAYBE START WIND DOWN AT 1.20 AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS? YESTERDAY I TOTALLY FORGOT THE TIME AND ENDED UP STARTING WIND DOWN AT 1.30 SHE WAS PROBABLY WAY OVER STIMULATED AND DIDN'T REALLY GET WINDDOWN TIME. IM ASSUMING THAT WAS PART OF THE PROBLEM. I JUST DONT WANT TO SETTLE ON HER JUST BEING A BAD NAPPER. IM FEELING HOPELESS BUT WANT TO TRY EVERYTHING TO FIGURE IT OUT!

[katie80]

Yes, I think that's a good plan.  Some babies do best with only a 5-10min bump at a time.  She does sound a little sensitive and that's just fine.  It will just take her a little bit to get used to a new A time.  This is a hard age for naps for lots of reasons, but keep working on it, you'll get there.

And, you're right, often it's implied that poor naps come from OT, but UT can cause just as many problems.  We've based our advice on seeing lots of babies in the same situation and given the fact that she did sleep longer on 1.15 and then started sleeping shorter again, means she needs a bit more.  It's also good to always keep the averages in mind.  At 4mo, the average A is 1.45-2hr.  She may need a little less, some babies need more.  So, if you're getting short naps on less than average, logic says to increase the A.  Does that make sense?

[malingirl]

I tried today to wind down at 1.15 and she was in crib at 1.20 went down without a cry or peep. Slept for an hour... Then screaming crying.. Waited a bit then went to ssh pat a little and give pacifier. She was showing tired signs.. Yawning etc and when she goes down so quickly I feel she had the right WT. she has been trying to turn from back to front and almost has it.. I hate to blame this for her bad sleep but could this contribute? I feel I have the WT right but can't figure what else to do or could be the reason.

[katie80]

Yes, learning to roll can cause sleep disruptions.  I would still gently push her a bit, even though she's going down so well, she's not taking a full nap.  But, you know her best!

[malingirl]

thank you. I just want her to sleep well for her time needed. Ill try a bit later today. any other advice?

[malingirl]

Ok so we had a kinda crazy am today
Naps on the go which never seem very good.. I fed her At the usual time before her last afternoon nap and after an hour she seemed cranky/ tired I put her down again without a peep.. Started crying after an hour.. Resettled after 5 min then after a bit started crying again. Tried to give pacifier and help her but didn't work. Finally went in as she needs sleep and held her.. Fell asleep instantly. I know she was tired. I know this hasn't been your recommendation but any thoughts?

[katie80]

I know this hasn't been your recommendation but any thoughts?

It's hard to tell from one day, really.  You need to try new things for at least a week to see any patterns.  If you had an atypical morning (with less sleep than normal), she likely could have been tired after an hour of being awake.

[malingirl]

Today I tried 1.20 that is when I started wind down. went down pretty quick so far. cried for a minute now I think shes asleep. How long does it take them to adjust to new wake times? Thanks for all your help.

[katie80]

How long does it take them to adjust to new wake times?

It's different for all babies.  Average is probably 3 days to a week. Glad you saw some progress!