Quick nap length question

[~Jen~]

Is a 40mins nap UT or OT generally? DD2 always wakes happy so hard for me to tell sometimes.

We are slowly transitioning to 4hr EASY after a string of 45mins naps the past few days. I pushed her morning A time to 1hr40 this AM and got a 40mins nap. She was doing 1hr20/1hr30 and always did 45mins nap. I will give it a few days but just wanted to see if I am heading in right direction.

Also are the 45mins naps always UT and a sign that you need a bit more A?  Are they ever OT?

Thanks!

[creations]

She was doing 1hr20/1hr30 and always did 45mins nap

By this do you mean she has not ever done a longer nap?
It may be she needs help to learn to stay asleep, waking at 40/45 mins may be UT but it may also mean she is in the habit of waking instead of transitioning into another sleep cycle which would indicate a bit of sleep training would be helpful rather than only increasing the A time.
But I may have misread you - as it looks like you also said the 45 min naps lasted a few days.
A one sleep cycle nap can also be for other reasons so it's good to look at the bigger picture, discomfort (eg teething or a cold), too hot/cold in bed etc.

Waking happy be be either really, as can waking upset. Often we think of happy waking as well rested and crying waking as OT but there are always LOs who don't follow the general rules (mine!).  Sorry it is not so cut and dry.

[jessmum46]

We get 45 minute OT naps here (actually just a shade under 45 mins), 50 mins seems to be a sleep cycle for us. DS seems to be one of those who always wakes yelling

[creations]

50 mins seems to be a sleep cycle for us

That's interesting katherine. Has your DS always had a 50  min cycle or is it extending since turning 6 months?
Tracy said the cycle extended from 6 months to reach adult length roughly by 12/18 months (from memory) but I have not often seen evidence of it...more so the cycle staying quite short until much closer to 12 months when it shoots up.

[jessmum46]

I may be wrong but think it's always been about 50 minutes. When he pulls off a long nap 1h40 is common (almost never had 1h30) and he often did 2h30 as a young baby so three cycles.

[creations]

Cool - always interesting to 'meet' these LOs with a different cycle length.

[~Jen~]

Oh dear now I am really confused 

She has been a chronic catnapped from about 6 weeks. We would get the occasional long nap but it really was like 1-2 a week. I've been pulling my hair out. Finally we started seeing longer naps at 45mins when I started stretching A times. I thought she was always OT but now I am wondering maybe she was UT. Yesterday she did her first two naps at 45mins and then slept 1hr50 with an A time of 1hr25. That was the same A time from her 1st nap but she only slept 45mins that time.

I agree she could use some sleep training but with DS/DD home from school for a few weeks I just can't commit to it right now. I'd love to figure out her A time so I could start putting her down at the right time and work on some IS once School starts again. She does the odd long nap like yesterday so I know she can do it... I think It would help if I also get the A time right to save us both lots of frustration iykwim?

[creations]

Yes you do need to save yourself from the frustration of trying to sleep train or extend a nap with an UT LO, it's agony!

Your first post you said you'd increased to 1hr 40 for the first A. I would go with that for now, actually if you have the courage you could increase again, I say that because I actually prefer a bit of OT than a bit of UT.
Obviously you have your other children to care for. If you think you can manage a W2S at 35 mins through to say 50 (this is shorter than the usual length of time suggested) then this could be a start, just do it for the first nap not all day.  W2S can take time, but it can also be amazingly fast. I managed to time my DS's W2S so well that I went in at 19min to see him through an OT 20 min WU, I was out of his room by 21 min...went in again at 39 min and out by 41 min, guests in the house didn't even know I was doing it! if I didn't go in he woke bang on 20 min screaming blue murder and took 30 mins to calm down, totally wrecking his nap. He was much older so it is a different circumstance but I'm just saying it as it *can* be possible to nip in and out if you're lucky and if you get the times right.

Yesterday she did her first two naps at 45mins and then slept 1hr50 with an A time of 1hr25. That was the same A time from her 1st nap but she only slept 45mins that time.

My guess is she was not tired enough having 1hr 25 following a long night sleep. By the second nap she had accumulative tiredness from two A times plus a short nap so she was more tired, more ready for a longer nap.  If you extend the first A and the nap extends you may need to increase the second A the same day to try to keep her tired enough for that second nap,. don't assume the same A time will give the same result as she will be more rested.

I know it is confusing. Sorry.

[~Jen~]

It's helpful to talk through it because lately I feel I am going around in circles trying to work out what is going on.

So yes I thought the same thing yesterday so I went ahead and increased A 15mins to 1hr40 and got a 40mins nap which prompted my post. After that she was in a great mood and we had to go to an appt so she fell asleep in the pram on way back (which she never ever does) at 1hr55mins. Fell asleep peacefully without much fuss. Then I transferred her at home and she woke at 15mins and then back asleep for another 30mins. Tried to resettle but she was having none of it so got her up and she is happy as can be doing some tummy time.

She slept about 12.5hrs last night but also had more NWs than usual. None very long and they could have been discomfort fron her reflux. Hard to know for sure. ??

[creations]

I would stick with it a few days and see it she settles.
Happy to be here if you just want to talk through