Need help starting with 8 week old

[4susiep]

I have an 8 week old and we are trying to get on a 3 hour EASY schedule. So far it is not going very well at all. He is very overtired in general so I feel like we are starting at a deficit. Several questions that I have:

1) I am thoroughly confused about the first A and S. Some mornings he is yawning almost immediately after eating (he is a very quick and efficient eater) so we are talking 10 minutes after waking. Do I put him right back down? I can't seem to get the morning nap right and then i feel like the day is wrecked. He is an overtired mess.

2) Today naps were not going well at all. I finally had to resort to the Ergo just so he would sleep and maybe reset so we could start fresh. He had a 2.5 hour nap in there and woke very happy. After eating, he lay on a blanket and happily kicked and played. I watched very closely and didn't see a yawn. At 50 minutes after waking he fussed and i immediately started his sleep routine. He was asleep in bed within 10 minutes, however he woke up at the 30 minute mark. He was grouchy and yawning so I assume he was overtired. I was unable to resettle him. The rest of the day was a nightmare. I need tips on reading sleep cues- I feel like I fail at it continually and am always too late even though I am diligently watching.

Tell me this gets easier! I am at the end of my rope (sorry to be dramatic)!

[lauradj]

I promise it gets better!  Keep in mind that each baby is unique so even though some babies can handle an hour and fifteen/twenty minutes, your baby might only be able to hand an hour.  How much did he sleep before?  What time was he waking up etc?
DS1 couldn't last very long in the morning, seldom longer than an hour for the first two months, tops!  However, the rest of the day I was able to keep him up for 1.25 hrs, so I just went with it.  DS2 can stay up for the full 1.25 minutes but not a minute longer, literally not a minute!
Also keep in mind that your LO may have simply been bored of being on the mat and wanted a change of scenery, though the 30 minutes wake up makes me think he was OT. 
Can you post an example of his EASY so far?

[4susiep]

Thank you so much for your reply. I would appreciate any feedback or help! I just feel like i am wondering around in the dark with all this. Below is our EASY from today so far. I will update later with how the remainder goes.

Yesterday was a tough day with naps and bedtime. He was asleep at 8:00 but woke after 30 minutes and then did not settle for the night til around 9:45. He woke to eat at 1:30 and 5:15 and then went immediately back to sleep. I woke him up at 7:30 this morning, however he almost immediately started yawning and was not very interested in eating at all. He seemed so tired I regretted waking him in the first place. Perhaps since we were dealing with some accumulated OT I should have let him sleep and wake up on his own? 

Wake 7:30, yawning (should I have put him immediately back down?)
E 7:39, wouldn't eat much
S drowsy in bed 8:25, asleep by 8:30 awake at 9:00, resettled to sleep in Ergo

E 10:20
A
S asleep 11:15, 11:49 awake, left him for 10 minutes not crying a little fussing, yawned as soon as I went in.
A bath, yawned at 12:15
S could not get him to settle or sleep in bed, after 45 minutes resorted to sleep in ergo

E 1:38
A
S did not fuss at all during wind down, asleep 2:13, grunting 2:30 awake (gas I think), 2:34 asleep, 3:05 awake and quiet fussing, 3:25 crying,

E 3:37
A where we are currently

Obviously, I have been trying to err on the side of short activity times as I have read that at this age most problems are caused by OT and I think we were starting with a sleep deficit and the thirty minute wake times were making me think OT. I am thoroughly confused though as shortening them didn't really appear to help. I am still not seeing much in the way of sleep cues even though i am diligently watching.

[becj86]

At this age, it really doesn't hurt to just stick with the order of the routine and not worry too much about the timing - the first 13 weeks of a baby's life is not called the 'fourth trimester' for nothing. Popping him in the Ergo for a nap is not a bad thing and won't hurt at this age. Its much easier to teach independent sleep once you know you have a solid routine and LO is used to sleeping in that routine, then you're teaching only the settling at a time when he's used to sleeping and TBH, that's the way I'd go if I had another child having torn my hair out when DS was this age because he wouldn't sleep when the book said he should.

The 3hr EASY is really the 'typical' timing for a child at 13 weeks, 4hr EASY is the 'typical' timing for a child at 4 months. Your baby may be higher or lower sleep needs than average, just as he may be smaller or larger than average, eat faster or slower than average, etc. Really in these first few months, I'd be aiming for getting into the routine of EAS and creating some predictability in terms of that rather than worrying too much about times. The exception to that is to ensure you get some A time and ideally come sunshine in that first A time of the day to keep day and night differentiated so he doesn't creep his night into the day and leave you with a difficult bedtime.

Hugs xx This early stage can be tough.

[lauradj]

Just to let you know, I have also sidled into short nap territory with my DS2, so don't fret.  I knew it would come along eventually, and I know it will go eventually (though that doesn't stop me from asking for advice!).  I agree with pp ^^,  stick with the order of EASY, really focus on trying to learn his cries and signs and just ride it out as best you can.  It really does get better!