Can someone help me sort out these silly 1 hour naps?

[Smurfette]

What time did she wake up this morning?

[nevinsmama]

Up at 5:45. Nap at 8:30. grizzled some as she went to sleep so I knew it would be short, yesterday she cooed and gurgled. Today she slept all of 52 minutes.....Maybe try again in 2.5 hours or so? It seems that 2.5 hours 1st thing in the morning is about right for her.....

[nevinsmama]

Just referred to the plan and will tread carefully to 12:15. Here's hoping....

[Smurfette]

When you say she grizzled does that mean she was unhappy? If so, then she's obviously tired and it's a stretch for her so that's why you got the short nap. Generally always go by your baby's cues....the only time they aren't 'accurate' is when a child gets super hyper/giddy from OT. But a parent who knows their child will realize that they aren't happy, they're just exhausted, caught their 2nd wind and are going to crash after the hyperness is over.

Good luck for the 12:15 nap.

[nevinsmama]

When you say she grizzled does that mean she was unhappy?

Grizzled for her is me standing by the crib or crouched down in the dark, almost talking to her but listening carefully. Somtimes one "It's ok sweetie, it sleepytime" But not touching her. Just that she is working slightly harder to go to sleep. And yes, that we slightly overshot the mark usually.

But a parent who knows their child will realize that they aren't happy, they're just exhausted, caught their 2nd wind and are going to crash after the hyperness is over.

I guess I don't know her. I am trying. I have been for 9 months. She does have an element of mystery baby to her. I listen carefully and watch as closely as I can. Sometimes when I need to act quickly I am feeding DS, or setting him down for Quiet Time or any of the other things these babes need. I listen and watch and try to respond appropriately. I feel like I know her pretty well but if I did we wouldn't be in this terrific mess.

[Smurfette]

I guess I don't know her

Oh hun, I didn't mean to imply that you didn't know her. I just meant about when kids get hyper and people think they're fine but they're in OT land.

Do you have to stay in the room when you put her down? Can you just do your wind down and then leave her?

[nevinsmama]

Do you have to stay in the room when you put her down? Can you just do your wind down and then leave her?

Most of the time yes. Sometimes she takes some careful listening. Since she seems to live in OT land sometimes she needs a bit of help, but not much.

Yesterday got out of hand. SHe wound up with a 4.25 hr A before bed (!!!!!!)  I laid her down really sleepy and she rolled and fussed and rolled and fussed. FINALLY went to sleep at 5:50. Woke up 34 minutes later, I resettled. Woke up 12 minutes after that and was up for 4 hours!! I sat with her, held her a bit, talked to her and finally was able to rock her back to sleep. SHe slept 20 minutes and then I fed her. SHe slept 3.5 hours, then I fed her again, another 3 and I fed her again. I know she wasn't hungry but I just didn't want her to get amped up and realize how insanely tired she was so I just kept feeding her. Yay for BF. Not sure what all besides insane OT was going on.
Up at 6:22, 1st nap at 8:15, needed help, went to sleep at 8:30. Up at 9:30. Guess we will do 12:15 nap. And probably 3rd nap too.

[nevinsmama]

2nd nap ended at 12:56. Only 38 minutes. Trying again around 3. Think I will start WD early and just try to get her really mellow, hopefully she will go for it. Ready to do 5:00 BT if she is still OT. It is like watching her crumble before my eyes she is all herky jerky and giddy. Not to go all COuchy but I am feeling like I am failing her and probably going to spend her 1st birthday worrying about her sleep.

[Smurfette]

When she wakes from a short nap, can you try leaving her to see if she'll resettle? Many babies take about 20 minutes to go back to sleep. If you can't stay out, then I would sit quietly in her room. If you have to go in, then I would stay so that the total time is 1.5 hours from the beginning of her nap, if you can stay out, then go to about the hour mark.

You'll get on top of this-don't worry. Just keep bedtime super early to help her.

[nevinsmama]

She gets pretty upset quickly ( she is a rather intense little girl) I do try to wait and see but usually she wakes up from short <40 minute naps mad as a hornet. So, Couldn't get another nap in the crib so I had to put her in the carrier and walk around the house she was so wound up! Thank goodness DH had DS or else it wouldn't have worked. SInce she had trouble settling from her 38 minute nap after2 hrs I am thinking I will try  BT in 1hr45 as her nap was only 30 minutes... That will make an 11hr day, hopefully this will cut out the looonnngggg NW . Fingers crossed very hard. Long NW drain me.

[Smurfette]

Couldn't get another nap in the crib so I had to put her in the carrier and walk around the house she was so wound up

Do you mean that you tried to extend her nap this way or you got another nap out of her this way?

How long can you stay out of the room before you feel you have to go in?
ONce you do go in, what do you and what does she do?

[Loafie]

Hi mama:)
I have been following your posts with much interest once my LO ( he is 9 months old on Saturday) is the exact same as your LO!
I'm lost and don't know what to do since I am in a vicious circle of 1h 05 approx AM naps ( which I really thought meant UT) followed by 30-40 mins PM naps ( which I assumed were OT) but I am down to 2.5 hrs A time with little or no difference. There is also the prob of EW which makes it so much harder to make for a start to a normal non OT day !
I'm beginning to wonder if tht first 1 hr or so nap is more OT???
I had him in bed exactly after 2.5 hrs A time just now for PM nap and he played and chatted to himself for almost 40 mins before going to sleep. Yet I know he'll be up in 30 mins crying and OT!! Weird hey?
Makes it hard to lat the day out when both naps are done by 2 pm ..
I have been doing SEBT like you with a little success to stop EW but mostly he wakes after 11 hrs
Anyhow, just wanted to let you know that you are not alone:)
My LO sounds like yours; curious and wants to be a part of the action all the time! But so hard to figure out sleep wise!!
He is almost impossible to resettle too:(
Ill keep you updated should I have a breakthrough!

[nevinsmama]

Smurfette, I laid her down for her CN or 3rd nap, and she tried to go to sleep bless her but was getting so wound up after 15 minutes that I plopped her in the carrier as I could tell she was not going to go for her nap at all. She was out in 10 minutes.
How long I wait totally depends on her cry. Sometimes it is 30 seconds, sometimes 2-3 minutes. If she is really intense I go right in of course.
WHen I go in the procedure is the same, I speak when I enter the room "Mama's here, you are OK, it's sleepytime"  Walk to the crib, give her her lovey, maybe lay my hand on her, sit on my stool beside the crib and speak if she needs it, sometimes in the night she needs a hand on her in the daytime it usually distracts her. Resettling during the day time is really tough now, pretty much doesn't work. Night time when I do the above, she usually rolls around with her lovey, maybe burbles, grumbles which I don't respond too. I try not to even speak unless it is an upset cry.
What do you think??



Loafie,
Oh, hugs for you! I didn't know Ivy had a secret twin out there somewhere . To get her over the 10.5 hour hump she seems to have ( DS had it too) I just feed her, AP? Yes. Sustainable? Probably not... But it will get her some more sleep which is what we are REALLY needing right now. So far this night has been better. How long are you holding those A''s? I have had to be sure to go with this plan for several days. Have you given 2.5 5 days or so? If both naps are done can you AP a CN later in the day to get to a decent BT? I know, a CN at 9 months seems insane but if you look at what Smurfette has been helping me with we have had several 3 naps days... Anyway, best of luck to you, and I will certainly help you if I can!

[Loafie]

Hi again!
Finn has actually been having a CN as a matter of habit anyway to tie him over since he day naps have always been bad. I never really gave it up but have been trying to since seeking advice on here. Thus also the SEBT on a day when he can just hold out till say 6 pm with no CN. Problem is even with all the AP techniques applied he is really really hard to settle.  Ie doesn't fall asleep on breast , hates being rocked or held , rarely takes a dummy, shh pat makes him scream so only thing that sometimes works is the stroller and even then, I need to be pushing over a big bump to get a jolt effect..
So it's tiring and for eg today, he woke after 30 mins screaming from  PM nap, I went walking for an hour and a half. He never went back to sleep!
It's like he gets super super wired.
So BT tonight at 5 pm I think:(
EW is the same. Can't feed him back to sleep. Wish I could:)
Plan is to stick with 2h30 A time till Friday. I'm so scared to cap his AM nap as suggested by smurfette since that's all I have that is semi decent..
Ill keep you posted
Hugs to you.
Ps ivy is  the name we'd chosen if we'd had a girl. It's lovely

[nevinsmama]

Loafie, unless I am missing something Smurfette is not implying that you cut the AM nap, in fact, let him sleep!

And no, I wouldn't go later then 1pm. If anything I would start the morning nap a bit earlier to give you some more time but honestly, many babies will nap at 9 and 1 even with a good long am nap. I would stick with this pattern for a week before you change anything because you won't know for sure what's what.
9-11 months is notorious for sleep regressions and they often hit the naps hard, so I would be consistent with those times. If you want to start at 8:30 for the morning, then I would do that, but I really would not go later than 1pm for the afternoon one. Not until you see a week's worth of 26 minute PM naps at least.

Got a decent night. Resettled ( easily thank goodness) several times and then fed her 7 hours into the night at 12:07. Fed her again to lengthen the night at 3:49. Up at 5:47. GOing for nap at 8:15. She feels so much less intense this morning.

Loafie, the best nap we have had in WEEKS (painful isn't it!) was after a 13 hour night she was up at 6:22 and napped at 8:30. So that is a VERY low "A" time. Maybe your boy is so VERY tired that he needs way less???