7.5MO - Short Naps... ignore sleep cues to extend WT's?

[stephanne2]

LO is 7.5mos. Aside from some NW issues, things were going pretty well until this week.  The last few days, our morning nap has been pretty solid at 1hr, 25 minutes but our afternoon nap is 45 minutes (previously 1hr 30-40 mins).  To get us through, we're trying EBT to get us through, but consequently we're getting EW with that. Oh well--one thing at a time.

Here's our schedule:

7am, DWT
E - 7:30 Nurse, 8:30 Solids
A - 2.5 hours (want to extend, but VERY fussy/cranky-tired by 2.5 hours)
S - 9:30 to 10:55
E - 11 Nurse, 12/12:30 Juice
A - 3 hours
S - 2 to 2:45 (ideal 3:30)
E - 4:30 Nurse, 5:30 Solids
A - 3.5 hours
BT - 6:30 (try for sooner b/c of short p.m. nap, but crammed for time with BF & evening solids + 6YO at home and 6:30 seems to be soonest we can get down)

I know I probably need to extend her A.M. WT to closer to 3 hours, but in doing so, I'd be ignoring some serious sleep cues!!! Rubbing eyes, red eyes, burying head in my arms, fussy/irritable, etc.  I have been holding tight to the 2.5 hour morning WT b/c I suspect she's legitimately tired from frequent NW. 

This afternoon the same thing happened with the sleepy cues--she was acting seriously sleepy after about 2 hours awake following a 1hr, 25min nap! I ignored them b/c of the longer WT we've typically been doing and I just wonder if maybe she was OT? 

When you're trying to stay consistent with longer WT's, do you ALWAYS ignore the sleepy cues or are there sometimes exceptions to the "rule"?
Or... at 7.5MO, could we be looking at a longer WT?
 

[*Becky*]

Hi there,
Yes I do think you need to increase her A time. The problem atm is that she is probably a bit OT from the short pm nap, possible OT at BT and night wakings. It may seem hard to push her when she is already tired but if you do it slowly and gradually it should really help.
I would move to 2.45 for the next 3-4 days. Walk her around the house/garden, put her in a sling, whatever you have to do to keep her awake but calm. Lo's do get used to sleeping at set times so if she knows she sleeps after 2.5 hours A time she will show sleepy signs then...as hard as it is you do need to move things forward. If 2.45 goes ok for a few days then we move to 3 hours.

Are there any teeth on the move? That can make them more sleepy and cause NWings.

Exceptions to the rule for pushing A time would be illness or serious OT, in this case I would slowly push forward xx