5-6mo waking but not upset...?

[creations]

good luck

[CattyPads]

Hello again, with an update, and a little question I'm afraid! 

Things were slowly improving, and I watched him like you suggested. He had a couple of little jolts at 35mins then a jumpier one at 45mins. Then always woke up at 1:10hrs so I'm guessing his cycle is maybe 35mins? But then there is quite a holt at 45mins... I did put my hAnds on him (httj) on all the jolts but he Never woke up or opened the eyes. So all good.

So anyway I figured out I needed to go in for the 1:10jolt but the last two days he has woken up SCREAMING at 30mins! He hardly ever cries when he wakes up! So I investigated further...and he is teething! Two lumps on the bottom gums 

So shall I carry on trying whilst he is teething? He is kinda crabby...!

[creations]

What a great update!
yes I would agree it looks like a 35 min cycle, although admit it's kind of guess work, the jumpier jolt at 45 mins could be an OT jolt (10 mins into his next cycle) perhaps.  I think with httj you can go up to 20 mins into the new cycle so it's great you've observed when the jolts are and how long you need to hold.  Great!

There's no harm at all continuing to httj during teething, just expect some rough sleep at the same time yk?  If he wakes screaming you can try to re-settle him with shush/pat or adapted version but if he's in pain you may not get anywhere, APOP can be your friend during teething just to get some sleep into him to hold off the OT.  Don't be afraid to give him an EBT if his naps are short from the teething pain too, he could crash out and make up for it at night.  I would medicate 20 mins before nap time and see if it helps.

[CattyPads]

Hi creations!
I am back with an update and, looking for some more help please.....I just can't figure my baby's naps out! 

So after doing the httj we started getting 1 hour 10mins for the second nap, but then that started getting a bit touch and go a few days after i stopped httj as things were going well... so some days he would, some he would just wake up after either 35 or 45 mins, but I would say more at 45.
45 can be OT or UT right?!
But before I go onto the question, a bit more info, he actually stared doing 1hr 10mins for his first nap on his own, with me never doing httj for that one!  In fact, he does a longer nap for his first nap more often than the second nap even though I never did httj for that one.

Also, he is 7mo now and I have increased his A to 2hrs 45mins (can't get anymore in the morning...today he started getting sleepy after 1,5hrs! But I distracted him...maybe it's cause lately he has been waking at night at 6ish am and staying Awake for a bit and that makes him tired?).
His second A is about 2,45-3hrs.

I just don't know where I am going wrong..I mean, somedays with exactly the same EASY he naps 35mins some other times 1hr10 or even longer...??

Sorry for the long post, wanted to give you as much info as possible to see if you can shed some light...maybe it's really obvious where I am going wrong but I look into it so much I can't see it!
Thanks 

Oooh meant to say, I read this by another moderator in this forum last night : A 30 minute nap is usually OT, and the snapping to wide awake is fairly typical of OT too.
He usually snaps wide awake too...like, I go in to httj and suddenly eyes are wide open and there is no going back. He isn't upset or anything...!thanks.

[creations]

Hey, sounds good that his first nap lengthened!

Well, 45 mins naps are usually UT but I'm not sure with your LO, he appears to have an unusual 35 min cycle, if we are right with that 

A times look fine for age.  Maybe look at the level of stimulation during the A time - he might need a certain level of physical or mental activity to sleep well on the A time and perhaps some days he gets more than others?  If there is a day with lower level stimulation perhaps he sleeps shorter time then? (could be trips out or visitors to the house, books, songs, new toy, anything).  If you feel the daily routine is much the same every day then maybe try a 10 min increase in A, although looks like you might struggle with that.

Anything developmental going on at the moment?
What are the NWs like?

[CattyPads]

Haha he is a bit of a mystery isn't he 

Developmental, he has (finally!!) learnt to roll back to his tummy  but that's only been going for for about 3/4 days. He also seems to be attempting to kind of crawl, he slithers a bit like a snake...!

NW, usually at 6ish, just chats to himself, I give him his dummy and switch on his musical sheep then he goes back to sleep after about 20mins. Also he wakes up at 8am but sometimes goes back to sleep till 9am.

As for 35-45mins, it varies, very unpredictable.

So do I still need to httj? I stopped as I was unsure if it could become a prop?
And
The A types, are the ones you mention energetic? Shall I try and make A busier, more tiring?  We usually play on his activity centre thing, of the mat for tummy time, we sing, look out of the window, go out for walks, to the shops...

I appreciate your help so much, thanks!!

[creations]

OK, looking at the NW at 6, going back to sleep, waking late... it could be this throwing his naps off.  What time is regular WU time? 8am?  I would try regulating morning WU so his night is a consistent length. I think you have a later than average BT, is it that right?  I'd look at a 'regular' night length (in your case this may be 9pm to 8am, it doesn't have to be the same as everyone else, although some do say there is a natural sleep window and I think 9pm is later than this, so I don't know, you may want to bring BT earlier) and stick to that for a while.  As he is waking at 6am and again at 8am this can effect his first A time and nap. I'd wake him up at 8am and start your day, then try to get a full A time before his nap so that he is less likely to break his night sleep.  Hope that makes sense. It might be hard to keep him awake the first few days so persevere and i think this will help naps over all.

What do you think?

(oh and if your activity is quite regular each day in that A time then it may not be that. And httj isn't a prop but for some it only works whilst you do it and not after you stop, it's a useful tool to prevent OT even if it doesn't work to help them learn to transition alone in the long term)

[CattyPads]

Thanks again.
You know, his A is not regular, and you made me realise that with your message! Some days he does lots of tummy time and that tires him out more than if we do other things, looks obvious now but I hadn't realise

We have got a new issue (does it ever end lol, you solve one thing and another one creeps up!). The last few days he has been waking up from his second nap (usually 1hr 10mins but sometimes around 45mins) gruuuuuuumpy, crying, and he only wants to be in my arms. I can tell he is tired but he refuses to go back to sleep. I tried getting him back to sleep with shh pat but its impossible as when he sees me he starts crying a LOT!

Thanks for the other advice, I do need to try and getting his routine better, I am struggling a bit though 

[creations]

That crying wake up on the second nap sounds like mine used to be if he went to sleep a little UT. Mostly we tend to think of UT naps as waking happily (but unable to handle a full A time) but I found mine would wake unhappy, just like you described really, still tired but unable to sleep. Extending the A before that nap (if it is on the lower side) could help get him that bit more tired and more able to transition to another sleep cycle either with or without your help.  Meanwhile you could try a W2S, beginning shush/pat before he wakes to see him through. Mine was the same, if he fully woke he wouldn't go back to sleep.
hope this helps x