Author Topic: Trouble extending A times  (Read 791 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline MariaG80

  • New & Learning The Ropes
  • *
  • Showing Appreciation 1
  • Posts: 35
  • Location:
Trouble extending A times
« on: April 21, 2014, 01:11:32 am »
Hi everyone,
So LO is now 9 months old and I'm still  struggling with the 3-2 transition, think I have gotten stuck in a schedule that causes NW, due to OT before bedtime. I have been trying to extend A time from 3hr to 3h15 ( to eventually 3h30) but all I manage to do is get a 30 minute nap or a missed nap all together. I'd be fine sticking to a 3hr A time if that's what she can handle at the moment but if anyone can help me tweak the day after that, or offer any advice I would really appreciate it!

Her typical day is

6:15 Wake
6:30 Bottle
7:30 Breakfast
9:15 Nap ( 1h15m)


10:30 Wake & Bottle
12:00 Lunch
1:30 Nap ( This nap can be anywhere from 30m to 1h15m)

2:30-3:00 Bottle
4:30 Diner
7:00 Bottle & Bed

As you can see, the second nap is sometimes short and then I don't know what to do until bedtime, if I try to get in a 3rd nap, it would be too late.
Even when the 2nd nap is over 1 hour, it's still a 4+ hour A time until BT.
I have  tried an early BT, but it never works, she always thinks it's a nap and wakes up after 30 minutes FULL awake, and |I'm not able to resettle her so she ends up going to bed past 8h30.

Today was on of the days I tried to extend her first awake time by only ten minutes and she skipped that nap completely and only had 1 nap from 1h until 2h30 and was extremely cranky after that for the rest of the day.

Any advice on how to extend A time without OT?
Should I keep morning A time at 3h and try to extend the 2nd A time only?
Should I squeeze in a catnap in the late evening to make her last till bedtime on the day were her last nap was short?

Any advice would help!!
Thanks :)

Offline creations

  • Feeding Solid Food & EASY
  • Moderator
  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 496
  • Posts: 21993
  • Location: UK
Re: Trouble extending A times
« Reply #1 on: April 21, 2014, 06:53:55 am »
Hi. A few questions
Is she an independent sleeper - does she go down drowsy but awake?
What method do you usually use to try to resettle her?  Does she respond to shush/pat or adapted for instance?
When you did EBT what time did you put her to bed?
Have you tried W2S on the naps?
How do I address habitual wakings? (wake-to-sleep and other methods)


Offline MariaG80

  • New & Learning The Ropes
  • *
  • Showing Appreciation 1
  • Posts: 35
  • Location:
Re: Trouble extending A times
« Reply #2 on: April 21, 2014, 12:09:13 pm »
Hi,

No she's not an independent sleeper, I rock her until she almost asleep then put her down. 

I don't try to resettle for 30 minute naps during the day. At night, a pat on the back is enough for her to go back to sleep 9 out of 10 times. Then there's 1 wake up around 3am which can take about 40 minutes. She's not crying when I'm there, just when I leave, so I just stay by her crib until she's asleep.

The earliest bedtime I have tried is 6pm.

No, I haven't tried w2s in a long time for naps.

She was a cat napper since she was 3 months old, and I found I drove myself crazy trying to lengthen them. I use to try everything but nothing was working. After 5 months of trying to extend 30 min naps, I gave up. That's why I dont try anymore. Her naps got better at 8.5 months on their own.

Offline creations

  • Feeding Solid Food & EASY
  • Moderator
  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 496
  • Posts: 21993
  • Location: UK
Re: Trouble extending A times
« Reply #3 on: April 21, 2014, 18:21:38 pm »
Sorry, I'm a little confused and just need to clarify...
Are you trying to drop to 2 naps but without working on independent sleep and without using any methods to extend or resettle a short nap?