Hi,
I posted before about short naps.
DD is now 14 weeks old and still doing 30 min naps all day every day,we had a week of slight improvement where she would do one long nap a day (1.5-2hrs) at random time of day but things have since gone back to where they were pretty much since week 2 of life.she used to sleep well in the pram so I could ensure one long nap a day,but about a month ago she gave up on the pram altogether so all naps now happen at home.
She is a spirited baby very prone to overstimulation, things have not got any better still in this sense and I still struggle to read her sleep cues and get the window for putting her down right.her A time varies but is usually 1 hr 20-30 min first thing and then variable as naps are short,but we be tried everywhere in the range of 1-2 hrs...nothing seems to make any difference.
I am desperate to make her nap longer as its taking its toll on both of us-she is a much happier baby when rested and I am feeling very frustrated spending all day to put her down.
I shh/pat to sleep for naps-the duration that she needs varies greatly (5-20 mins)depending on what time of day it is and how tired she is etc.
Occasionally if she wakes up early I pick her up and extend th nap by holding her but its rare,she wants to sleep as she carries on that way.first couple of naps of the day she wakes up happy,as the day goes she is more and more cranky and tired.
We are not on a routine as I just try to feed every 3 hrs and fit everything else round that.
So I want to prolong her naps and am wondering whether shh/pat is the way forward,so far I tried for may be 10 mins at most and it never made her more sleepy once she wakes up.i know that it can take a long time to start with and I am willing to try.my question is-if presumably her naps are short be because she is overtired,will shh/pat help her transition to longer naps eventually or will it be inappropriate to train her given that the initial reason is OT?....
I am desperate to help both of us as we are really struggling at the moment...
