2 month old - congested. Short naps and short night time sleep

[Kymmi13]

My DS has had a cold for about 3 weeks now - he's congested and I use saline spray in each nostril before setting him down to sleep.   I have his co-sleeper inclined a bit (I use to have it set up with towels and such so he would literally be siting up). 

He use to be so easy; I could set him in his crib/co-sleeper and he would drift off to sleep on his own.  His naps ranged from 1 - 2 hrs.  He got sick when he was 5 months and things have gotten progressively worse.  He no longer can fall asleep on his own, I now nurse him to a semi-awake state and then set him down and he'll nap for MAYBE 45 min.  If I hold him, I can get him to nap for 1-3 hours.  I watch for his signs, he usually is down in his crib/co-sleeper by 1.5 hours of being awake.  I've also played around with the up times of 1hr, 1 hr 15min, 1hr 45min - he still only sleeps 45 min and wakes up crying.  Sometimes, I can pick him up and soothe him with shush/pat, other times, I have to nurse him and he falls back asleep and I set him down for another 45 min. 

Night time is a tiny bit better.  His longest sleep stretch is 2.5 hours.  Then he'll wake every 2 hours.  He doesn't eat much when I feed him, so I think he just needs/wants the comfort.  I have tried to have my husband soothe him, but he ends up screaming for 15-20 minutes and I don't want to wake up my 2 year old.   When he was 7 weeks, he gave me 2 glorious nights of 4.5 hours of sleep AND he was congested/sick at the time. 

So, here are my questions:

1.  Is his sickness/congestion contributing to his short naps and nighttime sleep?  Sometimes, I think it does, but other times, I don't.  He has given me a couple of long naps (1.5 hrs) while he was sick and his 2 longest sleep stretches were while he was sick as well.

2.  I feel as if I'm stuck in a vicious snacking cycle.  He doesn't eat the way he use to.  He is breastfed exclusively with one bottle a day Iif expressed milk.  I have tried to do EAS and he does drift off to sleep sometimes, other times, he'll lay there for 15-20 minutes and then start screaming.  He won't take a Paci (I've tried several times with several different kinds), so, I end up giving him the boob and he sucks for a bit and either falls asleep or wakes completley. 

I went down this path because his sleeping went from great to bad so quickly and I was convinced it was from his cold.  I wanted to make sure he wasn't getting over tired. So, I did what I had to for him to get sleep.  Now, I'm questioning if his cold is really the issue or if I've introduced some bad habits and those are causing the short sleep cycles. 

3.  Since he just turned 2 months, I'm not sure how much I can let him cry - especially considering he has a cold.  I have let him fuss a bit before getting him up (10 min) and he seems to just get more upset and gassy from the crying. 

4.  For nighttime, is it common to have only 2.5 hours at this age?  Was the 2 nights of 4.5 hours just a fluke?  Or is his snacking causing him to wake up?  The two nights he did 4.5 hours, he was still snacking - so, I don't think that's the issue. 

5.  Am I just being impatient with him?  Should I wait out his cold and see how he does?  His early sleep was so good - was that just because he was fairly young and now that's he's older, he has a harder time settling in and that's normal?

I forgot to mention that I do swaddle him before every sleep cycle and I have a sound machine for him.

Please help....I am at my wits ends and sleeping only 2 hours 3 times a night is starting to turn me into a crazy person.

[jessmum46]

(((Hugs))) on the cold - it can really make it hard for LO to settle to sleep and stay asleep.  Sometimes they will sleep long stretches because the illness exhausts them, but other times sleep will be very fitful.

How frequently are you feeding during the day at the moment?  He should be able to manage around 3h between feeds - if it's much more frequently than that then yes, he may well be snacking.  It's ok if he falls asleep feeding sometimes though - my DD frequently did at this age - and very few people will have a perfect EASY this early on.  I would try if you can to start gently stretching out your feeds to at least 3h (just push him an extra 5-10 mins a time until you get there) and that should rule out a snacking problem.

There are probably other things at play here despite the cold.  You say he used to go off to sleep easily on his own - that's pretty normal for a newborn actually.  They tend to just drop off anywhere and any time!  But as they get a bit older they start 'waking up' a little more and are becoming a little more aware of their surroundings, so often start to need more help to settle to sleep.  At his age I wouldn't expect him to be an independent sleeper yet, though if you are putting him down drowsy that is a great start   Do you do a consistent winddown routine for nap time?  It's important to realise that independent sleep is a developmental skill like any other and takes time to practice and master.  Try and get out at least once a day if you can and let LO grab a nap in the stroller or a wrap - it's important for your sanity not to get too hung up on sleep (coming from someone who did!).

A time at this age is typically around 1h15-20 including time taken to settle.  If he is not in his crib until 1h30 he may well be OT already, especially if the previous nap was short.  Are you able to spot signs that he is getting tired and ready for a nap?  Often by the time LO is yawning it's too late, and you need to be looking for more subtle things e.g. getting a 'glazed' look, jerkiness of movements etc

With crying - we never specify a time limit for crying, rather whether or not you intervene should be based on your baby's need for you.  If he is fussing, or mantra crying (What’s a mantra cry?) then it's fine to leave him to it - though as said previously I wouldn't expect him to be a fully independent sleeper at this young age.  If he is doing an 'I need you now' distressed cry, you should go to him immediately. 

The only other thought that sprung to mind was that freqeunt snack feeding, congestion and frequent wakings/short naps can be related to reflux and/or intolerances.  Have a read of these links too - they might not be relevant for you but worth a look   Reflux 101 - General reflux information and Does my LO have food intolerances?

Hope that helps to start with

[Kymmi13]

Thank you for the comments.  I'll try to add as much information an I can in a clear and concise way - which, will probably not work out for me since I'm all over the place lately.

I don't think DS has reflux (or severe reflux since most babies have mild reflux).  He rarely spits up; only does when he over eats and if he does spit up, it's about a quarter size amount.  He never arches his back during feeds and he's almost 14 pounds at 9 weeks.  I think the only symptom that mimics reflux is that he doesn't sleep long - but, that could be from his cold, right?

For the most part, I start the wind down process 50-60 min after he's been up.  I've found that regardless of when I start the wind down, he usually falls asleep at the same time (1.5 hrs of awake).  I've even tried to start winding him down after 40/45 minutes of awake time, and he just takes longer to soothe.  He's typically asleep by 1.5 hours, sometimes 1 hour 20/25 minutes.  Our wind down consists of: going into a darken room with white noise, diaper change, tummy massage, feeding, burp, swaddle, shush/pat and lay down to sleep.  Sometimes, I have to nurse him a tiny bit to get him drowsy enough to set him in his bassinet.  Depending on the time, it takes him 5-20 minutes to drift off to sleep (i.e., if I start the soothing process 50 minutes of awake time, he'll most likely take longer to fall asleep). 

I am so lost right now.  I get the likelihood that he was easy to put down before because he was so young and now it takes longer to settle him because he's curious about everything in the world.  I just don't know how to go about getting him to sleep during the day and settling him without nursing him constantly.  It seems like the boob is the only thing that will settle him.  I have tried to rock, swing, sing, stroller rides, everything.  I am in fear that I'm building up a dependency on the boob and he'll never be able to break from it unless I do CIO - which I do NOT want to do. 

Today, he woke up after 50 minutes of sleeping and I let him fuss for 10.  He went back to sleep on his own for 10 more minutes but woke up ANGRY.  I decided to pick him up and he was alert and happy and we played for an hour and we did the wind down again.  I know a lot of moms that nurse their babies constantly, but, I do not want to have to do this.  I think part of my issue is that I NEVER want him to cry - which, might be the wrong route since he'll never figure out anything on his own because a boob is being plopped in his mouth.  However, I don't know if he NEEDS it because he's sick at the moment and he needs the extra comfort.

Last night, he gave me 2 stretches of 3hours of sleep.  He woke up upset and I fed him (he only feeds for 10 min max at night) and he quickly falls asleep.  He had a tough time burping and woke up completely, but I was able to shush/pat him instead of feeding him (yay).  Yesterday, my husband was able to set him down drowsy and he drifted off to sleep on his own - so, I know it can be done.  I guess it's just not happening enough for me to feel comfortable in trying to do it every time. 

Could you please give me some pointers on what to do and how to go about the next few weeks to get him ready for a solid EASY?  Right now, we're stuck doing EAES and there's no Y   Also, since he only sleeps 30/45 minutes, there's a lot of "E" going around and very little of anything else.

I have to sleep with him 1 nap every day so he gets more than 30/45 minutes.  When he sleeps with me (either on top of me or on the nursing pillow on his side), he sleeps for 2-3 hours.  Great for him - very boring for me.  I do this so he doesn't get over tired during the day to preserve what night sleep he has.  Is this normal???  I feel like I'm really screwing this all up.  Please help.....I'm in tears at the end of each day.

[jessmum46]

Huge (((hugs))), being a Mummy is SO hard sometimes.  Have you talked to your doctor about how you're feeling?  Do you have anyone who can give you a bit of a break?

I think the only symptom that mimics reflux is that he doesn't sleep long - but, that could be from his cold, right?

Yes it could certainly be due to his cold, or the fact he is headed towards the age where naps are often short due to developmental reasons.  My DD catnapped her way through from about 2-5 months.

Our wind down consists of: going into a darken room with white noise, diaper change, tummy massage, feeding, burp, swaddle, shush/pat and lay down to sleep.  Sometimes, I have to nurse him a tiny bit to get him drowsy enough to set him in his bassinet.

I think it might be worth trying to remove feeding from your winddown.  I know that it's an easy way to calm LO, and often if LO is tired they will start rooting, but it can very very easily turn into a feed to sleep prop.  Yes occasionally you will be feeding LO at other times and they will drift off unexpectedly, but I wouldn't include it as part of your winddown for a 'planned' nap.  If you are worried he might wake because of hunger, feed him at the start of A time and then do a top-up after 30 mins to an hour i.e. midway through A time.

I just don't know how to go about getting him to sleep during the day and settling him without nursing him constantly.  It seems like the boob is the only thing that will settle him.  I have tried to rock, swing, sing, stroller rides, everything.  I am in fear that I'm building up a dependency on the boob and he'll never be able to break from it unless I do CIO - which I do NOT want to do. 

You won't have to resort to CIO and nobody here would suggest that - we are very much against leaving any LO to cry alone.  How consistent have you been with using shh pat?  As in, have you tried using it for at least a week for every sleep time?  As I said before you have to think of independent sleep as a process and no technique is going to work magically if you try it a few times, then try something else.  It sounds obvious, but if you're worried about him developing a dependency on the boob to fall asleep, you need to stop giving him the boob to fall asleep and be consistent with settling him another way.  I know it feels like he will never sleep, but he will, eventually. 

I think part of my issue is that I NEVER want him to cry - which, might be the wrong route since he'll never figure out anything on his own because a boob is being plopped in his mouth.  However, I don't know if he NEEDS it because he's sick at the moment and he needs the extra comfort.

I know it's horrible to listen to your baby cry, what mother would want their baby to be upset?  But crying is a baby's way of communicating, and there are different types of cries.  Learning to understand the difference between a "Mummy I need you NOW" and a "I'm frustrated because I don't know how to get to sleep" will really help you.  All that said, if he is sick, then yes he may well need extra comfort, but once he is better then it's important that those extra comfort feeds don't just become the norm (unless of course that is what you are happy with).

So..............

Once he's better, I think what I'd suggest is first work on spacing out his feeds to at least 3 hourly and trying to get rid of the feed from his winddown for naps.  Use shh-pat consistently to work on at least one nap a day BUT don't go mad sitting in a room for hours on end.  Make it your goal to get one nap a day in his crib.  If you need to hold him or let him sleep on you for the others to prevent OT, do so for now.  Once he is going down better for the one nap in the crib, you can work on getting them all in there.  If he has short naps, just go with it for now and give him more of them in a day - 5-6 short naps wouldn't be unusual.

Oh, and make sure you do something nice for you - even if it's a short walk outside or a trip to a coffee shop

[Kymmi13]

Thank you so much for your response. 

After a terrible day (yesterday) of both kids crying for mommy, I've pulled myself together and today is a brand new day.

I do have help - my MIL is here everyday to watch my 2 year old.  Still, she is sick and needs me because no one makes her feel better except mommy.  It just makes it hard for me because I can't be in two places at the same time and it's hard to NOT allow my 9 week old DS to get OT.  I know part of this is me letting go and explaining to my DD that mommy can't always be there for her - but it's so hard disappointing a toddler. 

Anyway, I do have some comments and questions on how to move forward with DS:

1.  Today, daddy was able to set him down with no feeding.  He fussed (w/ grunting) for 10 minutes and fell asleep for 50.  Total awake time was 1 hr 15min.  Would you recommend to keep this awake time or should I shorten/lengthen to see if he'll sleep longer?

2.  Since he only slept for <1 hr, the next sleep block would have him feeding right at the 3 hr mark from last feed.  How do I navigate these waters?  Do I feed him early?  Here's the schedule:

5:45am - 8:35am  sleep
8:35am - 8:50am  feed
9:50am - 10:40am sleep
11:35 feed??

3.  We are letting him sleep 3 of his 4 naps in his basinet.  The midday nap is usually the one I let him sleep on me.  Or, we extend one of his naps by shush/pat and letting him sleep on us after a 45 min nap in his basinet. 

4.  How do I approach the night time sleep?  He has one long stretch of 3 hrs right after his bath.  He wakes and I feed him and he is down for another 2-2.5 hrs.  When he wakes, I do feed him and he's right back down for another 2-2.5.  Sometimes, he only does 1.5 hrs and I know he's up from discomfort and daddy will rock him back to sleep.  If after 15-20 minute of rocking and crying, I will let him nurse and he's out within 5 minutes for another 2-2.5 hrs.  Do you think this approach is ok?  Or would you recommend me NOT to feed him if it's been <3 hrs from the last feed?  It just is super hard at 3am to rock for 20+ minutes.

5.  I will be more patient with seeing results from a routine.  I understand that I haven't tried anything long enough and I'm basing a lot of my frustration on 4-5 days of short naps.  He does surprise us once in awhile with sleeping on his own and for longer than 45min.  How long do you think it takes for him to catch on to the routine and start lengthening his nap?

6.  I read that at 6-8 weeks, most babies start to put together longer stretches at night; typically 4-6 hours.  DS is only doing 3 hours max.  He did do 2 nights of almost 5 hours when he was 7 weeks.  Am I just being impatient again?  Or perhaps it's his cold?  I am just afraid that he might be OT from his 45min naps that it prevents him from sleeping at night.  Thoughts?

7.  DS usually wakes crying - is this typical or does this mean he's OT?  I try I settle him with shush/pat and it works sometimes.  Other times, he just cries and then gets louder and I give in and give him the boob.  He sometimes will then fall asleep and I set him down for another 45min.  Should I just continue to try shush/pat?


Thank you for all your help!

[jessmum46]

(((Hugs))) for today

Having two LOs will always be a juggling act, and although on the one hand you want to avoid too much OT, your older one will be much more aware of what's happening and probably has a greater need for you in a lot of ways.  Obviously she can't be first all the time, but it's ok to cheat some naps for LO in a wrap/sling or the stroller as your toddler needs plenty of mummy time too.

Re your questions -

1. You could try an extra 5-10 mins A time and see if that gets you a longer nap
2. If you can foresee an E/S clash, then you can feed him slightly early and do a quick nappy change post-feed (ie a short A time) before putting him down for a nap - you only need to separate E and S by a few mins and its extremely common to have an EASAEAS pattern at this age and with short naps
3. Great . The more practice he gets in the bassinet, the more he will become familiar with it as a sleeping place
4. Have you tried shh pat to settle him?  He shouldn't need feeding more frequently at night than during the day, so I probably wouldn't feed unless it had been more than 3h since a feed.  Nursing too frequently can actually cause gassiness and a sore tummy. 
5. How long is a piece of string?!  Some babies are good nappers early on, some aren't, but many mums find there is a distinct improvement around 6 months if not before.  Getting his A times right, working on independent sleep and extending naps will all help.
6. It might be his cold waking him so frequently, it could be a bit of OT, or it could be he is starting to expect to be fed each time.  If you try to spread out feeds, work on naps and wait for his cold to improve, you are doing all the right things.
7. Waking crying would usually indicate OT or discomfort.  I would continue with shh pat as best you can, and try to avoid feeding back to sleep.  Obviously though if all naps have been awful all day and he clearly just needs the sleep, do what you need to as a one off, then try again the next day.

Good luck!

[Kymmi13]

LO will be turning 10 weeks this Tuesday....there has been some major improvements!  YAY!!  But, I still have a couple of questions to keep me on track.


The things that I have changed:


1.  Wait AT LEAST 3 hours to feed day and night.  Sometimes he goes longer if he's sleeping, of course.

2.  Let him fuss 10-15 minutes before each sleep period if it's not a "I need you" message

3.  Let him fuss 10-15 minutes after each sleep period if he slept less than 45 minutes and it's not a "I need you" message.



The last 4 days, he's extended both his day and night sleep.  During the day, the first nap is the longest.  He goes down without a peep and is asleep anywhere from 1 hr 20 minutes to 2 hours.  He wakes up happy and playful and goes down for his second nap with very little fussing (if at all) and sleeps from 1 hr to 1hr and 15.  The third nap is a different story.  He usually fusses a little more, but not bad (5 minutes is the norm) and sleeps only 30-45 minutes.  Each sleep period, I make sure he's in his bassinet by 1 hr and 15 minutes wake time.  He wakes up from his third nap in a decent mood but deteriorates quickly.  I know the 30/45 min is NOT enough for him, but, I'm not quite sure how to help him.  Any ideas?

For the night time, he's sleeping 3-5 hrs stretches (whereas he use to do 1.5-2.5).  I know there are times that he wakes up because of discomfort of some kind (most likely gas) but he usually wakes up after 3 hours or so.  At this time, should I just feed him or have him fuss for a bit?  I'm not for certain that it's gas (he just passes gas when I pick him up and when he wakes, it's more of a "I'm in pain" message.  Any recommendations?

[MamaLiz]

Hi there. My 7 week old Is suffering with some congestion right now and I think it's affecting her sleep so I was reading this post to get some ideas. As she is so down we are still sorting out our easy as well. I just wanted to comment on two things: Number one - I nearly laugh so hard I woke my little one reading "how long is a piece of string?" Not so much because it's funny but because I Obsessed so much with DD1 over her sleep but I feel like somebody should've asked me this question at some point when I wanted answers right then and needed so desperately to know when it was going to get better/easier. Now with DD2 I realize that it's not so much when but just knowing that it will that helps me get through the hard days. Number two - I just wanted to tell you that there's nothing that you can do - there's no accidental parenting that can mess up their sleep so much that you'll have to resort to cry it out I promise. With DD1 she slept on me or in somebody's arms constantly - almost never in her crib for the first few months and after that would only take 20 - 45 minute naps because I didn't know how to get her to sleep and help her stay asleep. We didn't start Easy until around six months and obviously had lots of bad habits to undo - snacking, feed to sleep, rocking, walking, bouncing - the whole nine - and though it took some time it all got sorted out, and never cried it out - there were definitely some trying times - spending entire naps doing shhpat or PUPD, but in the end it was worth it. You're doing great - teaching independent sleep is not easy, Especially with a toddler, which I'm learning this time around with DD2. Anyways, hugs and more hugs.

[Kymmi13]

Thank you MamaLiz for your post...it really is nice to know that I'm not alone. 

Last night wasn't DS' best night.  He only slept 3 hour blocks at best (when he was doing at least 4 hours and close to 5 hours).   I know sleep isn't suppose to be a linear progression...but it really takes the winds out of my sails when we go back to 2/3 hour sleep periods at night. 

Right now, I'm completely confused.  I'm being told by my Pediatrician as well as a few friends that have gone to sleep experts that I should be waking up my LO at a certain time to start a schedule.  I was under the impression that he is too young for a set schedule.  In all honesty, I don't remember what I did with LO1 and even if I did, I'm not sure if that would apply to LO2.  It would be hard for me to wake him since I'm working so hard to get him to sleep!!  He's naps the past few days have been good and bad and the bad days are pretty bad with him screaming/crying because he wants to sleep and can't and he's so OT by his 3rd nap.  I know, I know, it will all pass, but it breaks my heart to see him so upset. 

Now that I've implemented some guidelines to help him sleep better, I've noticed that he's gassy.  Last night, he woke up crying and I picked him up and he tooted all over me.  During his diaper change, I did bicycle legs and he had a ton more come out.  I'm sure this is from him fussing on/off during and after his naps. 

Can someone tell me when the right time is to put LO's on a schedule?  Right now, his EASY will vary so much everyday since his nap duration is anywhere from 30 min to 2 hr 10 min.

Thanks for the input!

[ZacsMumme]

Hugs, Katherine andliz are giving you fab advice so I'm not here really for that

But - re schedule. Well I believe and I think Tracy did too that pattern and routine is important. At this age it is a series of predictable events ie wake, eat, change nappy, play sleep ...repeat. Before BT do BT routine so LO learns it's BT. YK? I would wait till closer to 4 mths before worrying about a 'routine' as such, and as long as your nights and days are reasonable ie LO isn't on BT of 4pm and up for day at 3! Then I wouldn't worry too much. A baby isn't a robot, they will barely ever adhere to a schedule

And naps...well naps are the Bain of our existence at this age. Is normal for them to be short. Resettling. Tweaking and offering more are techniques to prevent OT. But really. They all do the job. (Let's face it though we all love a long nap;) )

One Q how are poops? No mucus?

Your doing great!

[jessmum46]

So glad you've seen some improvements . I wonder if he's a little OT by his third nap as he's not quite getting a full second nap, so can't manage the full A time.  You could try offering that third nap say ten mins earlier and see if he finds it easier to settle and stay asleep?

With night wakings if he is just fussing I would let him be for a while - he may actually go back to sleep.  However if it seems to be escalating and it has been 3h since a feed, then at this age I would probably just feed him.

It can be really tricky when people give you conflicting advice about routines and schedules, but ultimately this is your LO and its your decision when the right time is to do anything . Tracy Hogg didn't believe in schedules per se, which refer to watching the clock rather than your LO, but she was a believer in routine ie a predictable pattern of events (eat, activity, sleep) as Sara said, always taking note of the cues your LO is giving.  That means if LO is tired sooner than usual, it's ok, you just put them down early, whereas a schedule would have you keeping them awake until the appointed time.  Things do become more predictable as LO gets older, but every day is a bit different even then.  That's normal

[Kymmi13]

I have notice some mucus now and then in his poops...but I think I would say there's only been 2-3 times I've seen mucus since he's been born.  I've read that mucus is normal and not to worry unless there's a lot or often. 

We are sticking to the same routine before naps.  The only time we deviate from it is when it's BT - he gets a bath and one more feeding before being set down.

That being said, when should I realistically expect him to sleep longer stretches at night?  He's doing 2hrs - 5 hrs, but the majority of his sleep is 3 hours.  Also, does night time affect day time sleep or the other way around? 

Thank you all for the great input.  I am starting to feel better about things...I know I have a long road ahead of me because as soon as we get a pattern down, we'll get thrown off kilter with teething.

[Kymmi13]

Hi Ladies,

So, today LO had a 2 hr 10 minute first nap and an hour second nap.  I watched him VERY closely his entire awake period after the second nap.  He was happy to see me when I went to get him up.  He then started to get really tired really fast.  He didn't even last our entire stroller walk which usually soothes him well.  So, I nursed him early (his nursing time would have clashed with his 3rd nap time) and started the soothing process super early.  I gave myself plenty of time to have a long wind down, but, when I was in the middle of his diaper change (which he enjoys because I couple it with a massage), I noticed he was starting to get read around the eye brows.  I quickly finished the diaper change, swaddled him and set him down.  He fussed for 4 minutes and fell asleep.  Not sure how long he'll sleep, but, he fell asleep quickly. 

Here's where I'm beating myself up.  His usual awake time is 1 hr 15 minutes (meaning, he's in his bassinet at that time).  His 3rd nap today, he was in his bassinet after only 40 minutes of being up.  I'm questioning my gut here...but I did see him try to doze off in the stroller and doze off during feeding (both of which are notorious for making kiddies doze off, so, not sure if that's a good indicator) - I'm wondering if I maybe set him down WAY too early?  I'm thinking I didn't because he fell asleep so quickly...but, I don't know....I do know that if he only sleeps 45 minutes, I'm going to tell myself I put him down too early....ugghhh...can someone please save me from myself?? 

[Kymmi13]

Update:

LO's 3rd nap was 1 hr 15 min!!  Yay!  So, I guess I was right (this time) to put him down super early.

BUT....he was still cranky when he was up.  We had to play musical baby so he wouldn't get too upset.  My husband ended up taking him for a quick stroller ride while I are my dinner (in under 10 min). 

Does this mean he needs a longer nap than 1 hr 15 min?  Or is his short nap (of 1 hr) still affecting him?  In the am, when he wakes from his night sleep, he's happy and playful and can lay on his play mat or do tummy time.  Usually, after his 1st nap, he can play as well.  His mood varies with the second nap and I have yet to see him playful after his third.  Could this just be him needing to get use to being awake at this time or is he OT even tho he's had some good naps?  Are the 2nd and 3rd naps not long enough?  How do I get him to sleep longer and do I just do what I can during his OT time to keep him content?  I use to nurse him, but I know that's not the answer - LO is 15.5 lbs! 

Thank you for the input.  BTW - he is 10 weeks today.

[jessmum46]

Great job following his cues give yourself more credit - you're doing great!

Most LOs get tired as the day goes on, it's normal, but very wearing for mummy.  Yes any shorter naps can affect the levels of tiredness, as it can take more than one good nap for them to catch back up again.  I'd suggest if he's really cranky just getting you both outside for a walk - the fresh air often calms LO and it's good for you too.

If you are getting a consistent 1h-1h15 nap for his second nap, that might mean he needs slightly longer A time before that nap.  So stick with 1h15 for the first A time if that's working, and try 1h20-25 for the second to see if that gives you a better nap.