A mess of a routine 5 month old

[hayley66]

Please can somebody help as I'm getting so stressed. We're back to 45 min naps and can't seem to get to 4 hours, his feeds are all over the place

Typical day

Wake him at 7.45
E 8
Sleep 10-10.45
Eat 11.30
Sleep 1.15-2 (I've tried putting down earlier but doesn't seem tired enough and wakes happy)
Eat 2.30/3
Sleep 4-4.45
Eat 6
Eat 7.30
Sleep until night feed of 5.30 back till I wake him

He's getting very tired and as no dream feed and I wNt his bed feed as late as poss.

There are also 2 feeds with very little time between night and 8am feed and 6 and bedtime feed 7.30. He's very hungry and on solids at lunch and tea.

He can do 45 min naps on 2 hours sleep and 45 mins on 2.5 hour sleep!! He self soothes fine

Please help what would u tweek? He's so tired.

[hayley66]

Sorry I mean activity time for naps, eg tried 2 hour activity and 2.5 with same result!

[jessmum46]

I'm assuming he has previously slept longer naps?  If that's the case you are probably due a bump in A times.  Welcome to the horrible phase (at least in my experience with both my LOs!) of 5/6/7 months and the 3-2 nap transition!  I am not suggesting for a minute that you should drop to two naps right now, but that there are signs that you are beginning the process.  Have a look at this link: All about the 3-2 transition- 5/6 months

It's not too soon to start increasing A times above 2.5h, in fact I had a post on here when my DD was just 6 months about needing more than 3h A time!  I'd start with the first A time of the day, add 10 mins or so, hold for 3-4 days, then increase another 10 mins again if no joy in lengthening the nap.  Similarly for the other A times.  It gets a bit messy for a while when A times reach around 2h45 when two naps isn't quite enough (make good use of EBT!) and three is too many, but it comes right in the end.  I'm going through it right now with DS so have to believe there is light at the end of the tunnel!

[hayley66]

So I've increased to 2hr45 and still 40/45 min naps. He used to do such long ones. He woke at 39 minutes exactly screaming head off. I've tried 2hr 30, 2hr 40, I just can't crack it!!

[hayley66]

He's also been screaming with eyes closed and just fallen asleep on me. I'm starting to think he could be over tired? I'm so confused :-(

[jessmum46]

He probably is overtired from a build-up of short naps, but may overall need a push.  Can you post today's EASY?  Can you ever resettle a short nap?

[hayley66]

So far he fed at 5.45am,
Slept again until 7.30
Went to sleep at 10am
Woke 10.40
He started to look visibly tired at 12.45, rubbing his eyes, put him down at 1.15, he's woken just now, 40 minutes later. I've tried to same morning schedule putting him down for 2nd nap at 2 hours, 2 hours 30 and 2 hours 40, the second two times he's shattered when he screams and will only go back with me rocking him and sleep on me.

He puts himself to sleep perfectly fine. I'm so confused and getting so stressed as I'm sure o/t is causing early wake ups.

[hayley66]

Sorry should say 1.05, not 1.15, he only grumbles for a few minutes before he sleeps

[hayley66]

Also when he was doing long naps two weeks ago he had a 2 hour awake time. We've not had a nap longer than 45 mins (except in a pram) for 2 weeks now

[jessmum46]

If he was on 2h just two weeks ago, you may have just increased a little fast and got in a bit of an OT cycle.  40 min naps can be OT (though we used to get 37 minute UT ones....) so maybe pull back your first A time to 2h15 and see if that gets you a slightly better nap.  After a good nap try around 2h30 and a bit shorter 2-2h15 after a short nap.  Do you get clear tired cues?  Can you APOP a long nap to get back on track a bit?

[hayley66]

Ah I'm going insane! As normal 2 hours activity after a 45 min nap and we get a 40 min nap. Tried 2hr 15 yesteday and same thing. He is clearly tired so I'm having to take him out in the car and drag my toddler with me. Without doing that he's a nightmare all afternoon. I really don't know to crack this. I'm happy with a 40 min nap in the morning but don't understand why the long lunch one has dissapeared so badly!! Surely they can't lost the inability to transition between sleep cycles?

[jessmum46]

I wonder if a little more A time may be needed after the 40 minute nap?  DS does 40 min naps when UT and then can manage a full A time which is now up to 3h or more (he's 28 weeks now).  Can you post your EASY?