Still struggling to achieve consistent naps here; help me manage the 2-1, please

[shresmummy]

I feel for you Hun.. I'm struggling with the identical issues. Ebt doesn't ever work for us.

Winder what would happen if you put him down for the first nap at say 4.5 A time instead of 5? Would he nap linger? Do you think he's ot?

[katie80]

I'm pretty sure he's OT... was up at 4:45 this morning. Dozed while I fed him, but I don't think ever properly got himself back to sleep. I even tried putting him in the swing after I fed him, but he started screeching 20min later. I was thinking to do 4.5hr and let him sleep for 30min as he seems to be able to do a solid 3hr after that and then a decent nap. I think I keep getting bedtime wrong... I don't know?!

[jessmum46]

Katie - two ideas:  first one, go for a really short am catnap of 15 mins around 9/9.30am, then another nap around 3-3.5h later.  Or, realistically what's a bedtime you can manage on a daily basis?  Is 6.30pm always do-able?  Or 7pm?  You could set nap at 12pm, BT at 6.30/7 and push on through?  Am thinking 11.30 nap too early during tranistion if you can't reliably get him down at 6pm.....

[katie80]

Thanks, Katherine. I keep trying the 15/20min CN, but don't get very good results. That's what I'd like to work.

BT is tough... I can do 6-6:30 every night that DH is home, but when he travels I need to get Claire to her church class on Wed (so bedtime is 6:30-7) and Thurs is dance (which means 6:30 BT). I keep thinking we're close to the clock change, so maybe that will help.

[jessmum46]

What sort of A times have you tried with the short CN?  I wonder if you may not have pushed him quite hard enough?  I've seen elsewhere (based on 7-7 routine) some babies doing roughly 10-10.15 and then 1/1.30 for second nap just prior to the 2-1, wonder if that's possible for him?  Though if even that didn't get you a half-decent afternoon nap I think probably cold turkey one nap might be where you have to go....he may be further into 2-1 than we think

[katie80]

he may be further into 2-1 than we think

I'm sure you're right... I've always been a step or two behind with him, haven't I?! Cold turkey to one nap does sound appealing, I'm just worried about that proverbial 30min nap and the times I can't do EBT.

What sort of A times have you tried with the short CN?  I wonder if you may not have pushed him quite hard enough? 

Could be... I have only done the CN on days where he's up before 6 and have tended to do 9:30ish for 20min and 1ish (which has given varied results of 30min-1hr). It seems if I pushed him to 10am, that would be such a long morning A, 4+hr, that 15-20min wouldn't tide him over, but again I've rarely been right with him.

Yesterday was this...
WU 4:45 (nursed and dozed til 5:25, put back down but don't think he slept)
Nap 1 9:25-9:55am
Nap 2 1:10-2:15pm (with a resettle at 1:40)
BT fell asleep nursing between 6-6:30pm

Today...
WU 7-7:15 (not sure, he was awake when I went in)
Nap 12-1:30 (woke and stood at 12:50ish, but went back to sleep)
BT thinking I'll try for 6:30??

Any thoughts?!

[shresmummy]

I'd say go for it! Fingers xx it works

[Love, laughter, & PJs]

Before we pushed to the 1 nap (which, as you know, is going SO well ) we were doing

745: A
1115: S
1145: wake her up
3ish: S
445: wake her
815: S

So he might do a longer A to the CN than you think. The last couple of days, though, look like what I've been trying to do. How's his nighttime? Is he crabby as bedtime approaches or does he seem ok?

[katie80]

How's his nighttime? Is he crabby as bedtime approaches or does he seem ok?

I can really only tell on the one nap days. . He starts to really rub his eyes and generally just get tired. He's had a lot of spiritedness come out in the last month or so, so his crabbiness seems more geared to having to stop what he wants to be doing rather than get ready and go to bed.

Didn't go well tonight... he was basically a asleep when I put him down right before 6:30 and then really woke up and had a hard time settling. He and G have a nice, cruddy cold complete with wheezing cough so that didn't help.

Sorry, not meaning for this to be a diary... just feeling exhausted and unsure of what I'm doing.

[shresmummy]

Oh hugs Hun.. It sometimes helps to talk about it, so don't worry! I think it was the cold. Did he have a lot of early nws? Did he settle better later in the night?

[jessmum46]

Hugs lovely hope you managed a bit of rest overnight x

[katie80]

Thanks, ladies.

You're not going to believe this... he had his best night ever!! A quick resettle at 11pm and then slept til 3:50, when I fed him (wow, full boobs! )! Then slept til 6:45am. So, not nearly 12hr and was really tired and not feeling well this morning. Has fallen asleep nursing before his nap and I let him.

Now if only we could duplicate that! I'm wondering does he really only need 1.5hr nap and 12hr night?! Was it a one-off because he's not feeling well (which has never been the case before )? I don't know, I just long for some consistency (and sleep! ).

[katie80]

Oh my gosh, this is so ridiculous, I can't even believe I'm typing it, but I am. He's still sleeping for a nap! He went down around 11:45/50, has sat/stood up twice and resettled, and is still sleeping now at 1:42. DH and I are going out tonight for dinner (reservation at 7:15 or 30, I think), so I need him down by 7. Should I wake him at 2pm?!

[Martini~]

I would let him sleep... Max 2.5?

[katie80]

Thanks, Marta. He woke at 1:55... silly me! Not sure what's going on, maybe illness, but I'm hoping were on a better track!