6 month old cat napper and easy method

[mandieman]

Hi there

Please excuse the war and peace, but It figured the more background the better.

I am currently introducing the easy routine for my 6 month old using Tracy's method in the baby whisperer solves all your problems (started 4 days ago). My boy is a cat napper - anywhere between 25 mins to 45 mins. And a poor night time sleeper. We have introduced a solid routine for naps and bedtime including a book (which we may or may not get through) and the 4S method. This has worked for us, no more rocking to sleep; he is usually in his cot drowsy (opens his eyes when we put him down and say our sleep time phrase) and settles himself very quickly (a dream come true!), but sometimes I miss it and he falls asleep too quick for me so doesn't stir when I put him down. Regardless, putting him to sleep is now pretty good.

We are using the PU/PD method for naps and when he wakes at night. At night time we are having success - sometimes we don't need to pick him up, or only need to pick him up once and he settles straight away. Each night we are having fewer wake ups so we are seeing great improvement there.  I no longer have to feed him during the night other than dream feed.  He is breast fed.

However, what I am unsure about is his nap times using easy...  I have included my schedule below but am wondering whether I should actually be basing his 2 hour wake time from when he wakes from his nap or when he should wake, e.g 9.30 rather than 11. So, instead his next nap time would be 11.30 instead of 1. (Meaning more naps through the day until, fingers crossed, we extend his naps to 1.5 or 2 hours). And feeding would be during activity instead if when he wakes up (potentially just before his bedtime routine).

An hour or more of PU/PD each nap time is pretty traumatic, although thankfully he is all smiles when I eventually stop (a few times he has had another 15-50 mins) And he gets super cranky at the end of the day. I have to pull out all stops to keep him entertained or he screams the house down. I am worried the PU/PD method isn't working for naps because he is so overtired to start with.

Using Tracy's method as per the book:
7am wake and feed
8.15 solids (solids aren't in the book but this is what seems to work for us)
8.40 start bedtime routine
9.00 nap
9.30/45 wakes
9.30/45 - 11 - PU/PD
11.00 feed
11.30 activity
12.40 bedtime routine
1.00 nap
1.30/45 wake
1.30/45 - 3 PU/PD
3.00 feed
3.30 activity
4.15 solids (again, not in the book)
4.40 bedtime routine
5.00 nap
5.30 wake and activity, including bath at about 6.15 as this calms him
7.00 feed
7.15 bed time routine
7.30 sleep
10 dream feed

Advice most welcome!

Thanks
Mandie

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Hi!

The one thing that jumps out at me is the A times - at this age babies are generally going to 2 naps and having lnger A times. This link show the averages:

Average A times- BOOKMARK ME!

What I am thinking is that since your lo goes to sleep fairly independently that the reason for the short first nap is being undertired and hopefully by increasing the A time that will solve it. Then it should have a knock on effect for the rest of the day (and perhaps the night too!) as then he is getting overtired by the end of the day. If he does short nap I would do a bit shorter A time to help avoid ot.

[katie80]

Hi Mandie, welcome to BW!   It sounds like you're having some good success with PUPD, well done!

However, what I am unsure about is his nap times using easy...  I have included my schedule below but am wondering whether I should actually be basing his 2 hour wake time from when he wakes from his nap or when he should wake, e.g 9.30 rather than 11. So, instead his next nap time would be 11.30 instead of 1. (Meaning more naps through the day until, fingers crossed, we extend his naps to 1.5 or 2 hours). And feeding would be during activity instead if when he wakes up (potentially just before his bedtime routine).

You should start counting A time from when he wakes up. As you have it right now, he's just getting more and more OT as the day goes on and thus making sleep harder. So, if he wakes at 9:30, then yes I'd try for next nap at 11:30. If you use PUPD to try to resettle upon waking from a nap, only do it for 15-20min as you'll be able to tell by then if he's going back to sleep or not. Doing it for the whole rest of nap time is definitely traumatic and exhausting. Just get him up, have a low-key A time, a feed, and try again at next nap.

I wonder if you might try adding a bit of A time onto that first interval in the morning. Average A time for a 6mo old is 2.5-2.75hr (Average A times- BOOKMARK ME! ), so he may actually not be tired enough to sleep longer for a nap at that point, but hen gets OT as the day goes on from the short naps. I'd still stick with a 2hr A after a short nap, though.

I am worried the PU/PD method isn't working for naps because he is so overtired to start with.

Hopefully, with the adjusted A times it will get better, but be encouraged that it's very normal for naps to take longer to come together than nights. Keep up the good work and it'll come!


Oh, posting the same time as Heidi... yep!

[mandieman]

Thanks so much for your speedy replies girls! Wonderful advice, I'll put it into practice from here. Also great advice re 20 min max PU/PD at nap times - thank you.
Mandie

[katie80]

Keep us posted!