Desperate to fix 12 week old naps

[destina23]

Hi

Been working on naps awhile since baby was diagnosed with mild reflux at 4 weeks.  He's my second and I couldn't understand why he wouldn't sleep!  Started medicine and finally got it going well at 6 weeks.  Had to work on extending naps and teaching independent sleep but Naps became pretty good and continued to be good till about 9 weeks when he started STTN.  For some reason he started to wake up 30 minutes into naps 2, & 3.  Nap 4 is always a catnap.   A friend told me to increase his wake time.  At the time it was 50 minutes of waketime for first nap and 55-60 for the rest. I've been working on increasing each naps by five minutes every few days and almost always his first nap is good but then it goes downhill with 30 min naps.  I can usually extend them easily though by sshing.

We start our day at 730. First awake time, including feeding before his nap is 1:10 min.   He usually does great during this nap and goes 2 hrs.  Though ive started o increase the awake time he started to have an issue at the 30 min mark herer too. If I watch him on the monitor I sometimes see him transition iat the 30 min mark but goes back to sleep. If he does wakeup it's easy to ssh him back for this nap but its not often.

Awake time is 1:20. The second nap he's been waking up exactly at 30-32 minutes.  A few times during increasing the time he's slept 45 or an hour.  I always give him time to resettle and then if it doesn't work ssh him back.

Awake time is 1:20. The third nap same thing.  30-32 min in. Sometimes I'll see him on the monitor and it looks like fell back asleep but then he's up a minute later.

Awake time is 1:20.  Forth always half hour.  Sometimes 40.

He can fall asleep easily for his first two naps unassisted.  The last two I usually have to ssh and pat for 1-4 minutes. He drinks breast milk from a bottle 5 oz 5 times a day and a dreamfeed around 10 3-4 ounces.

Bedtime is always 2 hours after ending of last nap.  Usually around 8:30.  He's been waking though around 32-45 minutes after being out to sleep lately.  (

Any ideas?  Is he just going through and UT/OT cycle?

[Papaya]

Hi and welcome

Are you confident that his reflux is controlled now? Is he still on meds? Often they are quite weight sensitive so as he gains weight they may need to be increased to stay effective.

What is his mood when he wakes at 30 mins? Happy? Or obviously upset and tired?

If you don't think there's any discomfort, he may need an A increase - the average for 3 months is 1hr20 - 30, so he's on the lower edge of that. Many LOs do like a shorter first A, so if you're not having problems with that nap I wouldn't change it. But if it's a good long nap, he could be UT for the next one - and then a couple of short naps lead to OT by the end of the day. What do you think?

[destina23]

Thanks for answering! 

I think you might be right!

Before I saw this I decided to try increasing waketime.  Was thinking it couldn't be that cause always thought 30 min was overtired!  Anyways so far here's what happened.

First Nap
-put him down 1:20 min after waking.  He fell asleep independently within 5 min no crying.
-woke up 50 min into nap crying.  I ssh'd back to sleep easily
-ended up napping for another hour

Second Nap
-put him down 1:35 min after last nap. Was going to try for a bit earlier but I was running a bit late picking up older brother.  Happy he did not fall asleep in car home which I would think mean he wasn't yet tired?  He fell asleep within 1 min on his own.
-woke 50 min in

Not sure what to do next trying to follow clues. He basically has none. LOL.

He STTN from 8:25 pm till 7:30.  Sometimes he wakes for dreamfeed.  We will give it to him either way.  And lately he's been waking 30 min or 45 min after being put down to bed.  Sometimes he goes back down.  Sometimes not until dreamfeed.  Either way he is rested and happy in the morning.

Any thoughts?  I'm thinking though he's just 12 weeks since he sleeps well at night and has a good first nap he might need the longer waketime?  So confused!

[destina23]

Oh and yes I think reflux is pretty controlled. No more bad breath, arching or gagging during feeds, wet burps.  Before meds he could never fall asleep without assistance.  When it needed to be increased he usually needs help to go down.  He's a silent reflux baby.  If I don't burp well or don't let him digest before moving him he can then spit up.  When meds didn't work he would cry from that.  Now it's just regular spit up with no burning.  It's rare though. 

Also when he used to wake up from reflux I would hear him gulping down spit up.  I don't hear that anymore!

Hoping it gets better and better.

[destina23]

Third nap-put down 1:29 min after second.  Honestly does not seem tired tho.  Woke up 32 min later not crying just sitting happily in crib. 

[Papaya]

If he's waking happy and quiet, it does sound more like UT behaviour than OT or discomfort. You could try increasing by another 5/10 mins, hold for 3-4 days and see how you go. If the nap is short, however, you may need to reduce the next A time to avoid an OT nap. I'd reduce by about 15 mins after a 45/50 min nap, a bit more after an even shorter nap.

There is also this developmental leap around now that can interfere with naps:

http://thewonderweeks.com/index.php/about-the-wonder-weeks/your-babys-10-leaps/mental-leap-3

I always found that my LO seemed to need less sleep during these wonder weeks - she would do short naps, but still manage ok. If this is playing a part, it should be over in a week or so (although my LO often needed a small A increase after a wonder week too).

[destina23]

Hi

So I decided to do an increase yesterday and today.   For his first nap I had him down at 1:25 min from waking up and he woke up 50 min in. Ssh'd him back easily and he slept a total 1 1/2 hrs.  Same thing happened today.  For the second nap I had him up 1:30 min.  Yesterday he fell asleep 1:22 in and woke up 40 min into nap and I extended.  Today he made it to the 1:30 but was showing sleepy signs at around 1:20.  He then woke 30 min in and i extended but wasnt easy. Third nap yesterday tried the 1:30 again and woke 50 min in.  I extended.  Third nap today put down at 1:30 but showed tired signs around 1:20.  He woke 27 min in.  Ugh.

Last two naps both days are always 30-45 min which I know is ok. 

Maybe in two days I should see which way to go?

[Aishi]

I think you're last two naps are OT... If you're consistently getting good 1.5h nap after first a I would keep second a same as first and if you get 45min UT nap you can extend second a till you're getting a good 1.5h nap. Hold new a time for 3-4 days to give lo time to adjust. Just remember to keep next a time shorter if you get a short nap or you'll build up OT. So if nap is 30 min I'd shave off 20 -30 min off next a, if its 1h Id shave off 10-15 min off a time iykwim?

[destina23]

Shaving the time seems to help for the OT naps.  What should the average 13-14 week old waketime be?  I saw a list on the boards but is that time the time in the crib? Or start of winddown routine?

It looks like if I get him in his crib at 1:20 he falls asleep within 2 minutes independently.  Does that seem right?

[Papaya]

A time is everything from eyes open to eyes closed - so includes wind down AND settling time. You were probably looking at this: Is my baby ready to increase his ‘A’ time? (incl. 'A' times for younger babies) - 1hr20 - 30 at this age. So down at 1hr 20 and settling within a few mins sounds spot on.

[destina23]

Through my notes I'm beginning to think his waking up is becoming a habit and me sshing him back a prop.  He falls asleep independently and same for night wakeups.  Could that be possible?

[Aishi]

definitely could be! i was shushing my lo over the monitor when she had nws (even though she was /is an IS) and i found she was waking wt 1am every night which is when i would shush her. i just stopped doing it and she mantrad the next night or two and just stopped waking...hth

[destina23]

I think that was it along with too short or too long of a waketime. Been putting him in his crib by 1:20 after being up ans he falls asleep on his own within 2-8 minutes.  For two days for naps one and two he's been waking 40 min in and I didn't run in to settle.  Gave him 10 minutes to work it out.  I only intervened if I felt he was crying out.  That's working and then he goes to sleep for about another hour. Third nap not so great.  Can't resettle.  He gets too upset.

How will I know when he needs to up his waketime? Do you think he will start to transition easier soon?  He does so well with it at night.

[destina23]

And I'm getting 1:40 nap for first with him resettling himself around 40 min in. The second nap I'm getting 50 min with him then resettling at that point but that nap only totals 1:15.  Third nap he's waking 40 min in. Fourth is always a 30-40 catnap.

[Papaya]

Sounds to me like he might need an extra 5/10 mins A time for his second A time