Author Topic: How to adjust schedule for OT baby  (Read 1132 times)

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Offline Okiemomma

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How to adjust schedule for OT baby
« on: July 09, 2014, 19:50:32 pm »
My baby is not on a good schedule at all, and it seems like everything is riding on his first nap.  Can someone please help me figure out how to tweak the schedule if we have a bad first nap?  I feel like once the first nap is bad (and it always is), I just have to wait til the next day, and on goes the vicious cycle with a chronically OT baby.  (Btw, he acts happy and is rarely fussy but I know he's OT.)

So, lets say this is our EASY for our 9 month old, 7 months adjusted age for prematurity (though we've never been successful at this schedule):

E - 7:30am
A - 8:00am - 10:00am
S - 10:00am - 11:30am
E - 11:30am
A - 12:00pm - 2:00pm
S - 2:00pm - 3:30pm
E - 3:30pm
A - 4:00pm - 7:00pm
S - 7:00pm bedtime

Then lets assume the day actually starts like this:

E - 7:30am
A - 8:00am - 9:45am
S - 9:45am - 10:30am

So, he conked out 15 mins early despite my attempts to keep him up. Then he slept for exactly one sleep cycle.  What do I do now?  I know what went *wrong* but don't know how to fix it for the current day.

This is what ended up happening:

E - 11:45am
A - 12:15pm - 1:00pm.  He was clearly very OT at this point, so I put him down.
S - 1:00pm - 1:30pm. Exactly 30 min nap. I tried to resettle for nearly 45 mins but gave up.  He is now playing happily although I know he's still OT.

What should I have done for his second nap?  Also, what do I do now?  Give a 3rd nap or just deal with an OT baby til bedtime?

Thanks for your help!  I love the schedule idea on paper but I am getting so frustrated and discouraged trying to implement it in real life!  Ever since swaddling stopped (just about a month ago due to bad reflux and sleeping in a RnP), I have not gotten more than a 45 min nap from him, besides maybe once or twice getting an hour nap.

Offline TB9

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Re: How to adjust schedule for OT baby
« Reply #1 on: July 11, 2014, 11:42:17 am »
If he is happy and not fussy then what makes you think he is overtired?

How are you trying to extend that morning A?  Dd2 will fall asleep at almost any time after 10am if we are in the car, and sometimes if she is in the stroller.  I really have to make a huge effort to keep her awake for her whole morning A (even now at 16mo) because she doesnt really need to sleep as early as she falls alseep, yk?  Just wondering if that is happening with your LO...

Is he on solids?  Or just one milk feed each A time?

Offline prismatrix

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Re: How to adjust schedule for OT baby
« Reply #2 on: July 16, 2014, 15:38:22 pm »
The same thing happens with my little guy! I just posted a thread on it - he wakes up after 20 or 40 min but seems happy. I know he needs more sleep, though, cuz if I hold him or rock him he goes right back to sleep. If I let him stay awake his whole routine seems to be thrown off when we have that first, bad nap. Or I just have to spend hours holding him. Hang in there! Hopefully someone on here can help, right?

Offline Newbiemommy001

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Re: How to adjust schedule for OT baby
« Reply #3 on: July 20, 2014, 14:25:39 pm »
Lately, my LO (7.5 months) has been having terrible naps too. I move his bedtime forward if he had two bad naps. Maybe that will help?