A Time for 4 Month Old, Maybe too much stimuation?

[Girlcrystal]

HI, my ds is 4 months last Wednesday (4 days ago). His A Time was 1.5 -1.75/2 hrs about 3 weeks ago before we went on holidays. He WILL NOT sleep in car seat or stroller so during our one week holiday he had very long A times (sometimes 4-5 hrs). We have been home for just over  a week now and I am trying to get him back on schedule but his naps have gone a bit wonky and he is now NW. His EASY before we left for holidays was 3.5-3.75 hrs. I think he can extend to 4 hrs cause he does not finish his bottle when I feed now after 3.5 hrs but I cant seem to get him to stay awake for 2 hours.

How much stimulation is good, how should we be spending his A time. He is a very active boy (almost crawling) loves tummy time and loves to flip himself over when he is bored of tummy time. I am thinking that maybe his A time is TOO BUSY and that is why he cannot make the 2 hour mark. I can leave him on his belly or in his stationary walker for over 45 minutes easy but is that too much for him?

He just started waking around 130am this past week and I don't feed him till around 330-4am. Before holidays he never woke prior to night feeding and  I give him the soother and he falls back asleep only to wake 45-1hr later until I feed him. He doesn't use the soother to fall asleep he only gets it in the early am (he wakes around 6 am but doesn't get up till 7-730ish) and he also gets the soother in car seat.
Any Help is appreciated.

[Erin M]

Hi hun -- just noticed your post hasn't been answered -- how are things going now?

[Girlcrystal]

A bit different. He can sometimes make the 2 hour A time but a new problem/issue started last week. Last week he started waking in the middle of night and playing. I put him to sleep on his belly (this has been after many different approaches to get him to stay asleep as we have had sleep issues since day 1) and in the middle of night he rolls to his side and then eventually to his back. When he rolls to his back he wakes up and decides it is time to play! He looks at his hand plays with his toes etc.  As he will not sleep on his back I will go in and flip him to his belly but I may have to do this 15-30 times for over an hour. Once he flips over he just wants to keep doing it. I watch him through the video monitor. I know he is tired and yawning but it takes usually an hour to get him to go back down. Last night he woke up twice prior to the rolling over which he now does between 330-4am. Those times I just put him back on his belly and he went back to sleep.

4 nights ago I also started to not feed him in the middle of the night so I think that is why he is waking at 330-4am, out of habit. He is not truly hungry (he doesn't cry and he doesn't need to be fed 1st thing in the morning).  I know that his middle of the night waking is definitely contributing to not making the 2 hour A time.

He goes to sleep pretty easily and independently at most naps some times I have issues with last cat nap of the day and when I put him to bed at night I have been struggling for 45-1hr to get him to go to sleep. We have a routine so I think that he must be getting over stimulated and that is contributing to the struggle.

At night he can be yawning and almost falling asleep as soon as I lay him in the crib and (leave the room) he flips on his back. He almost always waits till I have left the room. So frustrating.

[Erin M]

Ugh, those motor milestones can really mess with sleep.  He will (eventually) get the hang of rolling and that will help him sleep better at night -- in the meantime, make sure you're offering him lots and lots of opportunity to practice it during the day (more floor time than usual!).

Him being wide awake in the middle of the night often means that you're in need of some more A time during the day (or less daytime sleep!) -- it might be worth an EASY post just to see if anything jumps out with your routine. 

[Girlcrystal]

I am trying to put him on a 4hr easy but he just wont make the 2 hr A time with night wakings. I think the playing in the night is from being used to being fed at that time. He is a very touchy, habitual baby.

Our days kind of go like this. But keep in mind I don't wake him in the morning nor do I wake him from Naps (I don't normally get more than a 1.5 hr nap)

Wake 715-730 (lately more like 7-715am)
Eat 15 min later
Awake for 1hr 30-45 mins
Down after being awake for 1hr 40 mins
S - Usually 1.5 hrs, he will often wake after 25 mins and I have to shush pat him for 20 mins or so back to sleep

Wake 11am
Eat 11:15 am
Awake till 1245
Down at 1245-1250
Sleep about 1pm-3pm (usually wakes up once in that time)

3pm wake
315 eat
445 eat (cluster feed) This is sometimes bumped to after his nap depending on how his day is going
to bed right after for cat nap
sleep 5-530

Wake 530
Awake (tubby around 640)
eat 7-715pm
Bedtime storey and sleep (hopefully after)

Today we put him to bed at 715pm and he has been trying to roll over since then and has not fallen to sleep. Right now it is 845 pm and it doesn't look hopefull.

I don't think he needs more A time during the day as I watch his cues and I only have issues at bedtime and lately 4am but I really don't know what the issue is.

He gets lots if floor time to practice but he doesn't seem interested. Maybe no toys during floor time? Im lost and out of ideas

[Girlcrystal]

Also if I extend his morning A time too long like 2hrs he will wake up after 25 minute into the nap (from being over tired I believe)

Could it be cause we got back from holidays 2 weeks ago and he had extremely long A times 4-5hrs sometimes? He will not sleep in crib or car seat.

[Girlcrystal]

Sorry for the multiple posts but I have also watched him roll over and he rolls over in his sleep then wakes up and plays. If he rolls to his side but not all the way to his back he stays asleep.

[Erin M]

if I extend his morning A time too long like 2hrs he will wake up after 25 minute into the nap (from being over tired I believe

This does sound overtired.  Sounds like your A time is right where it should be. 

Do you put him on his back during his A time?  It could be that he just needs to be there more so he gets used to it.

[Girlcrystal]

I put him on his belly mostly and he will roll over. Do you think more back time will help.  I am hoping once he learns to roll from back to stomach he will sleep better. That way he can get comfortable all by himself and sleep what ever way he pleases.

[Erin M]

I definitely think more back time will help -- wherever he's getting "stuck" at night and causing the wake ups.  They usually do start sleeping better again once they work out rolling.