When do you time naps from? Short naps qu!

[ellenjess]

Hello
I'm just starting to get my 14 week old onto a 3 hour easy. It's a bit of a mess currently as he's used to eating every 2-2.5 hours and also Very rarely can i get his naps past 45 mins. I'm trying wts to address he short naps but I don't actually know when to start timing his nap from so that I wake/make him stir at the right point.

He has gone from being fed to sleep in my arms to being shh patted in his cot very easily (well it gets harder as the day wears on).

He falls asleep anywhere between 1 and 10 mins of shh patting. Do I count from then, or from when he is soundly asleep? He usually jolts a couple of times, maybe rolls back onto his back etc at 5-10 mins in. Should I count from there instead? I have just rubbed his face at either 25 or 15 mins into the nap, depending on how you count it. He took in a deep breath but didn't otherwise stir. I waited 2 mins and went in and rolled him over which he jolted at so I reckon that would count.

I also have a toddler so it's hard to be totally consistent with ds so I am not expecting miracles but I could do with sorting these naps as he often wakes 60-90 mins all night if he doesn't have at least one decent nap in the day and its tricky to keep his stimulation down with my daughter charging around excitedly all day!!

Thank you for any tips xx

[ZacsMumme]

Count from eyes closed, to eyes open the jolts etc occur while they are sleeping, the light stages through to the deep sleep, then some jolt out of deep sleep.

How long is he awake for Hun?
Are you patting right through the nap? - sorry I'm a little confused x

[ellenjess]

Thanks zacsmumme. No not patting for the whole nap, just to help him get off to sleep and then for up to 5 mins once he's sound asleep.

His A time varies a bit and is shorter if he's only had a 45 min nap. It's 1.25 - 1.75 hrs. The final 15 mins include getting into bed and shh patting. The 10 mins ish before this are usually low stimulation if I can. The days aren't settled yet but the last two have gone like this:

Awake at 8
E 830
A
S 915-10
E
A
S 1130-130 (trying wts by rolling onto front at 30 mins in, but he still needs repatting at 45 mins)
E
A
S 3-345/4
E
A
S 5.15-6
E
A
E
S bedtime 715 ish

I'm going to try wts for the morning nap tomorrow too and maybe think about shh patting at bt too as I currently feed to sleep at bt. The last two naps of the day might be in the buggy or car.

Thank you

[ZacsMumme]

I think your LO could do with some more A time that morning A is only 1hr15, common for 1-2 mth olds but often over 3 mth olds need a little more to be tired rough to sleep past 45 mins.

I would try adding and extra 10/15 mins A before the first nap and hold for 3 days. And see if it helps?

Is he a big jolted? I had to do w2s and HTTJ for my first DS

[ellenjess]

Brilliant, thank you!!

I will try the longer A time tomorrow and see how we do.
I've decided to shh pat at bt tomorrow too as he's had a really good day of nap settling today. Even though, again, 3 out of the 4 naps have been short, he has settled brilliantly and us certainly getting the hang of things. Bt has taken an hour of feed to sleep so ill keep an eye on A times tomorrow and give it a try.
Feeling positive xx

[ZacsMumme]

great progress. He is still little and short naps are so common. If he settles well for the naps that's 1/2 the battle.

Fx for tonight