30 min nap and NW, but not crying

[Jemimah]

DS2 is 6.5 mths old.  3hr A time with 1.5 hrs nap. Just finished switching to 2 naps, so 3 hr A time is still a work in pprogress, and we have many OT days.

DS2 has had 30 min naps ever since I remember, and we have tried everything to extend them.

What do you do when you little ones wake after sleeping only 30 min cooing and giggling?  Clearly not enough sleep, but wide eyed!!!  Do you go in and intervene to get back to sleep? shh/pat? PU/PD?
If you leave him cooing and playing, then how do you ever get to a normal 3 hr A with two solid naps?
He does a few NW as well where he wakes up giggling, and playing - leave him?

[jessmum46]

Yes I would definitely leave him if he is cooing and giggling - no point in intervening if he is happy and you are unlikely to be successful either.

Are the naps exactly 30 mins?  That would typically indicate OT (even with happy WU - could be LO is a bit giddy/delirious if naps haven't been good for a long time) so it could be by shortening your A times a touch for a day or two you could get things back on track.

It may be that although you are 'officially' on two naps you still need a catnap on the occasional day if both naps are a mess.  Make sure if the first nap is only 30 mins that you don't leave it another full 3h A time before the next nap as that will (for most LOs) just perpetuate the OT - I'd be ready from closer to 2h and then do EBT or a late catnap to get you to a decent BT hour.

[shirat]

my lo is 10.5 months and has been a 30 min napper since about 3months. the best decision i made was to forget aobut extending nap. she woke 30 min on the dot, if she was standing up and happy i just take her out and move one. this week for the first time ever i have been getting 1.5hr naps in the morning,
its really difficult with a 30 min nappers, i hope it gets better for you

[Jemimah]

Thanks for support and advice ladies!

Do you think if I can extend naps I should?  I can usually extend them if I go in, shhh and hold him - it takes 20-30 min, but usually works.  My concern is that I dont' want to become a prop......

Shirat - Did your little one just need less sleep, or did you give multiple 30 min naps?  Do you remember your schedule at 6-7 mths?  Could you post?

[shirat]

at 6 months i was doing 3 naps, 30 min each.somedays i was able to lay down with her in bed and we got 1.5 hr nap in the morning and then 30 min naps rest of the day. now we do 2 naps, until this week, it was 2 naps, 30 min each. i had to extend her A times in order to make it through the day so her schedule was something like this:
6:30- wake
9:30-11- nap
2:00- nap until 2:30
6:00-bedtime

on a typical bad day:
6:30 wake
9:30-10:00 nap
1:30-2:00nap- i would always push her second day until at least 1:30 or else the day was too long to handle,
before 6 months she napped 1:00-1:30 then did a third nap 4:30-5 and later bedtime
6:00 bedtime

My lo also takes exactly 20-30 min to go back to sleep on times when i do try to extend