Wanting to hear peoples experiences with regards to short naps

[gb18]

Thanks creations - night time settling is definitely a positive part of our day. He managed to settle himself again last night so we keep on practising.

A positive today is that he also settled himself independently for his second nap!! This led me to think I had the A time perfect but seems not as woke up inconsolably crying (never happens ever!!) and settled with put up/down and shh/pat combo after 1/2 hour only to sleep for another 5 mins!! Aargh!! First A was 2hr 10 and woke as usual after 45 mins happy. I left 2nd A 2 hours (despite some earlier yawns) and definitely seems to have helped him settle more independently but obviously did not help the sleep time.

Going to try and persevere though as unable to get any naps after about 3 unless I am out in the car so need to work on getting more morning sleep asap!! Do you think the refusal of a nap nearer the end of the day is because he is nearing transition to 2 naps? He is now 21 and 1/2 weeks old (5 months old in 2 days time)

Thanks so much for all the help. I am feeling a bit more positive this time round - I had let it all bog me down too much before!!

[creations]

I would push harder on those A times. I know you don't want to make him OT but a 45 min nap really sounds like he needs longer, even if he looks tired.  They can get in the habit of a nap at a certain time so start to get tired in readiness for it, if you push through that another 15 or 30 mins he will soon adapt to the new nap time.  If you don't push the A time and the CN goes you can get stuck with a very long A to BT.
I prefer mine OT to UT even though he gets moody, he is so much easier to sort out with a bit of OT, the UT is the killer for me spending all that time trying to sooth back to sleep and DS just not tired enough to sleep, but too tired to be happy, urgh I have memories of it being so draining.

[gb18]

Hi all. Thought I would update on our progress and hopefully you can all advise me where to go from here.

So unfortunately yesterday we had to be out of the house all day so first nap I wait 2hr 15mins and then put in car seat. Covered with a blanket to stop the light and my LO settle self to sleep in 1 min!! Unfortunately when we went outside in the car seat a car went past and woke him so he had 5 mins sleep!! He then went to sleep in my arms after feeding 1 hour later for 25 mins. Bad start to the day!!

Waited 2 hours and then LO went into car seat again (as we were out) and slept for 45 mins. Woke crying (second day in a row now) - jiggled car seat to settle him and then he woke on transfer to car but obviously slept again. (1hr 15 total)

11/2 hours later - slep for 20 mins in the car on the way home.

Struggled to settle at night time - overtired I think as although he was super happy possibly a little hyperactive - thinking I should have put BT earlier.

So my questions are - DOes the crying after nap indicate that this is probably the right about of A and I just need to work on resettling? Thinking about my previous success I had forgotten that in the first 20 mins he woke 3 times and required settling so ?? this was actually a bit like wake to sleep??? - still he managed to spontaneously sleep 1 hour 5 mins after last resettle that time so do you think he is able to settle himself?

Shall I persist with Shh/Pat or just leave him - just think that he may cry and not resettle.

Thanks

[gb18]

Hi - I also just wanted to ask everyone - have you had success at getting longer naps when you are out eg in stroller etc  once you have established longer naps at home? My LO is soooo nosey! Into everything and a nightmare to get to sleep without a blanket covering him

Thanks

[creations]

Hi. It's very hard to judge anything based on your out and about day.  I did use to time my LOs A time up to a car nap but only ever expected him to do one sleep cycle of 40 mins.  A times, nap extending and a regular 'EASY' is much more based on at home naps, Tracy suggested babies were always put in their own cot for every nap. We know in reality baby isn't put in their own bed for every nap because we have commitments, chores etc and need to leave the house (plus get some air!) but it is very hard to work out any tweaks on a routine based on an irregular routine.
I think if you want to establish long naps in the pram you need to offer pram naps every day at the same time so a habit is formed, but be warned LOs do like their habits, if you chose NOT to go out with the pram one day you might find yourself with a very cranky baby unable to settle in his own bed.  My routine with DS was morning nap at home followed by 2 short naps in the car, we did this 5 times per week, on the days I did not take him out it was crazy hard to get him to settle in his bed for the second nap despite him being a totally independent sleeper and able to do a 2hr nap there in the morning - he just wanted the same routine every day.

[gb18]

Thanks creations~ makes sense re routines. My lo seems to love routine too.
Main aim to gets longer 1st nap at home. What do u  think re him crying on waking? Does this mean I have the right a and to stick with it?

[creations]

How's your EASY look now?

Crying on waking is often a sign of OT, but for my LO it was a sign he'd started his nap too early (UT) but was still too tired to stop sleeping. So it's related to tiredness.

What happens after he wakes crying? Are you able to get him back to sleep for another cycle?

[Jodes112]

Hi again!

Also wanted to add that if were out and about al day its usually a bad nap day where we end up with OT at the end of the day. M wont have more than 40 mins in car or out walking in the stroller. She never has! She also gets hyper when OT totally confusing right?!

Also agree that the 45 min naps will be that he is UT - needs more awake. Even now at 9 months if i put dd down too early she will only do 45 mins and its pretty hard to re settle an UT nap, were as OT 30mins she will usually re-settle.

I totally agree with creations!

X

[gb18]

Hi. Well I am really not sure what is going on!!

Today I settled him for first nap after 2hr 20 but unfortunately he took a while to settle (with shh/pat) and was asleep after 2hr 30 - He woke at 30 mins and would not resettle!! Was happy though but he normally is as he is a very interactive happy baby.

When he woke crying the other day I had to pick him up and pat him to settle him and then he only settled for another 5 mins.

My gut feelings are that he is getting overtired through the days now as the last 2 nights he has been hyperactive at bed and super hard to settle. He also had EW today and increased NW - Aargh!!! I really don't know what to do for the best as worried about when to put him down for naps after a short nap now as thinking I am just making him OT

[gb18]

Jodes112 - did you just end up accepting that it would be a bad day when you were out. Did it effect your LO NW/EW etc?

Really don't want to get myself stressed out with it all again as only started addressing things again as I felt I was able to be a bit calmer about it. Felt really positive that both me and LO were ready to push A times and a had hoped that I would see better results quicker. I know hat realistically that probably does not happen to many people though.

Just wondering why Shh/.pat not working to resettle as he will settle on a night either Indep if not overtired or with Shh/Pat when too tired to settle himself. Any ideas anyone?

[Jodes112]

The nw is probably due to OT from yesterday. So this morn because of the nw and already being OT feom yesterday she has done an OT nap this am! It is frustrating right now but it will get better with time. Unfortunately even if you do get to a perfect A for now it probably wont last very long as will need a new A push shortly After! 4-6 months was a constant A push for us then it started to slow down and settle. Its so hard to judge wether OT or UT. After a bad night i would have probably aimed for 2hr10 A in your case this morning. Because of the OT nap i would aim for 2hr A until next nap and see how you go.

Yea, for us on days out i would just bite the bullet and accept were probably going to end up OT BUT on those days i aim for an EBT of 6/6.30, to catch up. Its scary doing EBT but it Definatley works for us here on catching up on OT.

Can you post a typical day EAS like creations suggested?

Im not sure about shh/pat as we dont use it so cant give any advice there!  M tends to re-settle herself if wake at 30 mins. At 5/6 months though it was hit and miss. If she woke chatting i would just leave her to it, and usually she would drop back off. However if crying/upset i couldnt resettle so just had to adjust next A accordingly

[creations]

Sweetie, I think your LO is 5.5 months now, is that right?  The guidance A time is now 2hr 30 to 3hrs and i don't think you have yet reached a regular 2hr 30 A.  In my opinion if you delay this problem will continue and continue.  Regardless of your LO looking tired or having OT NWs etc if you don't push the A up you will not sort the naps out.  Yes OT is awful, none of us want our LO OT but with UT naps your LO will be OT by the end of the day and you will still get those NWs.
I know this might sound harsh but throughout the thread you've been advised to extend the A time and it's been 2 weeks now.  You need to. I know the nap yesterday when he took a bit to settle he ended up with a 2hr 30 A time you must be thinking this is too long an A time for him but it could already be too short for his needs.  if you keep playing catch up on A time you will not see the results you are desperate for, as you will always be behind.
I would do one more day at 2hr 30 A time then increase to 2hr 45. I know I know it sounds a lot. If you get an OT nap you are more likely to be able to resettle and extend it, over 3 days he will adjust to the new A time (and if really necessary it can be reduced a little but by this time he will be a week older and able to take more anyway).  Just think, in 2 to 4 weeks time his A might be 3hrs, you have to start moving up in increments or you'll find yourself still on a 2hr 20 A instead of 3hrs.
hugs x

[Jodes112]

I did not realise he was 5.5 months, sorry guys! Agree though that the only thing you can do is push his A and he will get used to it xx

[gb18]

Hi - Sorry if it seems like I have not been listening. I really have as started on A times of around 1hr 50 - 2 hrs and am now aiming for 2hr 20. My LO was 5 months exactly yesterday (22 weeks today) so thought that by increasing 10 min increments to around 2hr 30 was what I was aiming for

EAS is roughly as follows

wu - normally 6.45ish - 5.55 today
e - 7
a
s-9.20 wu 10
e - 10.30/11ish
a -10 -12
s 12 - 12.45 this is the nap that has extended before with apop
e 2.30
a12.45 - 3
s 3-3.45 - normally have to get this in the car
e - 5
bt aim for 6.30
wu 10, resettle, 11 - feed, 3 feed - although in the past he has been able to manage 7 hours after first feed. No df as lo now refuses bottle even when asleep

hope this helps.

[MariaG80]

Hi there,

We struggled with 30 minute naps as well, and I feel your pain when you say you think you're to blame, I felt the exact same way. Some of my days were spent at home all day and all I can remember is trying to make LO sleep and trying to keep her asleep. NOTHING worked. I eventually stopped being so hard on myself but continued to try anyway.

Today at 4.5 months, she taking two 1hr20m naps and  1 (sometimes 2) 45 minutes catnaps in the evening. I'm still hoping they can increase to 1.5hrs but I'll gladly take this!

The 2 things I noticed I had changed around the time her naps increased was, taking the paci away cold turkey ( that was because of multiple and I mean multiple night waking to replug it). And increasing the A time. But not the stimulating A time, more like the wind down A time            ( singing a song, reading a book, walking around...) because she still got a little cranky/sleepy at her usual A time.

Not sure if these had anything to do with her extended naps or maybe it just got better as she got older but I just wanted to put it out there in case it helped you any.