1.5 hour happy night waking!

[Eggimou]

I've just started capping the night feed for my DS (he's 10 mos old). Last night was the 4th night of it. He cries out for me, I wait until he's actually crying then settle him with patting. He starts playing, rolling around, even giggling. I leave him alone until he cries again then resettle. He plays. This goes on for 1.5 hours!! Why is this happening?!
His daytime naps are a total of 2-2.5 hours so he must be tired! Bedtime is at 7, wakes at 7.
Thanks.

[jessmum46]

Can you post your whole routine?  At 10 months my DD had probably 1.5-2h sleep in the daytime (she was LSN at that point) and a longer than 12h day.  You may well be hitting the 10/11 month sleep gone wonky phase......10/11 month old sleep gone wonky? Read this first! might need to extend some A times or cap a nap somewhere.  If you post the whole routine hopefully we can help . Is he usually an independent sleeper?

[Eggimou]

By independent sleeper, do you mean he doesn't need rocked or soothed to sleep? If so, yes most of the time. Sometimes if I'm desperate and he won't sleep, I will rock him until he does. He always wakes when I transfer him to the crib but goes right back to sleep.
My day is as follows...
Wu 630-7
Sl 9am
Wu 10 or 1030 (varies)
Sl 130-2ish
Wu 330 (varies)
Bedtime 7pm
Thanks for any insight

[jessmum46]

Yes independent sleep = does all the work himself . Sounds like he's doing great!

My guess is that he probably needs a bit of a longer day or a bit less day sleep.  Do you have a sense of whether he does better with shorter naps/longer night, or is better to keep the long naps and have a slightly shorter night?

Given your first A time is pretty short for his age, and second one is also relatively short, I would probably work on extending those by 10 mins or so every 3-4 days so overall his day gets a bit longer and he has some longer awake periods.  Many LOs easily handle 3.5h A time across the day at this age, and it might be at the moment he just isn't tired enough to sleep soundly at night.  They do sound like UT night wakings to me.

What do you think?

[Eggimou]

I agree with more daytime wakefulness...but if DS only sleeps 2-2.5 hour a day, would I only let him nap 1.5 hours now?

[jessmum46]

No I think you could keep naps as they are, but extend the A times so you end up with a longer day, ie bedtime gets later.  If you get to a 12.5-13h day and the happy NWs continue you would need to start capping one nap, but not both.  It's common around this age to have something like one 1.5h nap and one 45min-1h nap, or one 2h nap and one 30-45 min nap.  Generally you reduce the amount of day sleep slowly, so if currently you have one 1h nap and one of 1.5h, you might cap your shorter nap to 45 mins in the first instance.  Capping a nap might mean the next nap or BT needs to be slightly earlier to compensate.  There's a lot of good info in the 10/11 month sleep gone wonky link   But let me know if you have more questions!

[Eggimou]

I understand your suggestions...thanks and ill give it a try. One thing I noticed was you said to have a 12.5-13 hour day. My son wakes sometimes (most times lately) at 530am or 6 and goes to bed at 7pm. That's a 12.5-13 hour day. Do you suggest I make it even longer? This morning he was awake at 6am and fussed for his nap at the usual time (9ish). I kept him up until 930 and he is asleep now but cried for a few moments as if he were really tired. I hope this is a good sign.

[jessmum46]

Oh ok, on the EASY you posted you had a 6.30/7 WU time?  If your day is already 12.5/13h and you are getting happy NWs, then you might need to start capping a nap instead.  I would have though a day longer than 13h would lead to OT for most LOs. 

[Eggimou]

I did post 630-7 wake up time but right the next day after that post, DS has been waking at 5-530am. He will be happy playing in his crib until 6-615 latest before he cries. Today he woke at 545am. Ill keep him awake until 9?

[jessmum46]

I would

[Eggimou]

So I've been keeping him awake until 9 and he's been waking after 30 mins:( nothing will get him back to sleep.

[jessmum46]

So how is the rest of the day going after that short am nap?  I'm not sure I asked - is he teething at the moment?  Or have you tried resettling at 5/5.30?  Or perhaps W2S at 4am?

I do think you are asking for trouble at this age with a morning nap before 9am so I think if it was me I would persevere and hope he either starts waking later to compensate, or gets used to the longer A time.  What's your feeling?

[Eggimou]

I keep DS up for about 3 hours after his morning nap of 30 mins. He doesn't seem tired though when put in the crib! You'd think having 30 minutes nap and playing for 3 hours would tucker him out. He usually naps about an hour or so in the afternoon. The NW have decreased for sure and when he does wake, I can pay him to sleep within 5-10 mins. We have tried to resettle at 5-530 and he just pops back up ready to play. Giggling and whatnot. Thanks for keeping up with me.

[Eggimou]

After DS morning nap of 30 mins, he followed suit with another 30 min nap in the afternoon! Poor guy.

[jessmum46]

Ugh miserable, did the night go ok?  I'm guessing if his first nap of 30 mins was an OT one, 3h A time was probably a bit much.  If the same happens again tomorrow maybe try 2-2.5h A time and see if that suits him better?

[Eggimou]

He slept so well last night. Fed him at 1030pm then he slept until 430 and only woke b/c he was cold. Put a blanket on and went back to sleep until 6! Progress?!

[jessmum46]

It's a good start!  Sorry wasn't around much over the weekend, how are things now?

[Eggimou]

No problem! Last night he slept 7pm-6am! I fell asleep before the DF and woke in the morning realizing he never woke up asking for food. Daytime sleep is touch and go. Today he had a 30 mins nap this morning and afternoon was an hour. Early to bed.

[jessmum46]

Great night!  Hope tonight goes as well and remember tomorrow is a new day for naps