7mo sleep regression?

[Adelheid]

Is there such a thing as sleep regression at 7mo? It's driving me crazy. He will sleep for about 2:15min on average.
Currently this is his EAS
7am Wu/ BM
8am Solids
10am S (1.5hr)
11:30am BM
12:30 Solids
2:30pm S (45min-1hr)
3:15 BM
5:00 Solids
7:00 BM/ Bed time

I do try hard to get him to sleep longer in the afternoon and will usually even try for nap #3 in the stroller (which hasn't been working at all lately ) if he wakes up before 4pm. If he sleeps until 4pm, we are golden. Then the night routine is totally fine. But 3pm!?

What do I do from 3- BT? I loath putting him to bed earlier than 7pm because he has started to have earlier WU time in the morning (5:30/6am).

Its driving me insane because he's cranky and super needy all day.

[Martini~]

Have you tried to put him down a bit wadliwe for second nap? Like at 2:15pm? I know it may be a suicidal mission as with 45min sleep he will end it at 3pm but still you have nothing to loose I think:). He may be slightly OT for that second nap and that's why is napping only 45-1h. Simultaneously you can try to push his first A slightly ie 15min, do he could do 2h nap.

[Adelheid]

So increase A time by 15min in the morning and then decrease it for his afternoon nap? If he did sleep 2h in the first nap, wouldn't I want to then stick with a longer A time?

[cath~]

Hi there,

My only suggestion for the routine would actually be to try and increase your second A time by 15 mins and see if that helps you get a longer/later nap so he can last til BT. For us 45min-1hr nap is UT. And at 7mos H's A times are around 3hr15 now.

Regarding the crankiness and neediness, there is a fussy period for the 6th WW from about 33-37 weeks (from EDD) so perhaps that could be affecting his mood?  Or could he be teething?

[Martini~]

Hehe, different advice but you have to try I think. For us 45/1h is OT usually so it depends on your kid. But definitely I would try to work on A times and check what's working for you LO.!

[Adelheid]

Yeah. He was teething. Number 7 is out now. Gulp.
I tried extending his 1st nap this morning by 15min and he's still asleep! (hurray! 2hours)
However, I tried extending yesterday's 2nd nap and he went berserk. We were out so I assumed he'd sleep in his stroller or in the car, but the lull just sent him into a melt down resulting in a very long A time, like 5hours. 
All to say, I am tweaking away at his A time.

I feel like I worry so much about his schedule and getting enough sleep. Maybe because I'm a first-time mom. But, how do Moms do it who kinda just flow with it? I know so many who take their babies along to evening outings and I just watch enviously as I sit at home for yet an other dull evening. 

[cath~]

Hi, how is the tweaking going?

I worried loads with DD1 about her getting enough sleep and, in the end, I realised all I can do is try my best and give her the opportunity to sleep when I think she needs it.  There's only so much you can do.  I'm pretty sure ALL babies get OT sometimes (and survive!) and no one can ever know *exactly* when is the optimum time for a nap! As long as we do our best though, and give our babies lots of love , they will be fine

FWIW neither of mine would do well staying out late.  We did it the other week for a wedding ( BT only 1.5hrs late, H had an extra nap) and BT wasn't pretty with H but it was worth it as a one off on a special occasion. You just have to decide what's worth it for you and how well you think your LO will cope.

[Adelheid]

Its been going soooo much better.
His 3.15h A time seems to be working out. He usually will give me a 1.5-2hr nap in the morning and about an hour in the afternoon. So, I really can't complain. As long as I don't have to work at getting him to catnap, I'm happy!
When do I transition to 3.5h A time?

[cath~]

For me, when naps start getting shorter, or it gets harder to put H down for a nap , that's when I try increasing A time.  As long as everything is fine though, then I wouldn't change anything.

So pleased things are better

[Martini~]

Very pleased to hear that it's getting better:).