Author Topic: 6-1/2 month old still catnapping / short naps  (Read 3146 times)

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Offline ameliebob

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6-1/2 month old still catnapping / short naps
« on: August 06, 2015, 14:05:43 pm »
Hi everyone, I'm starting to lose faith that my boy won't grow out of his short crappy afternoon naps. He's now 6-1/2 month old and it's been the same since he was a newborn.

I simply can't figure out why he won't nap more than 40 min on the lunchtime nap, and it's been going on since he was only 7 weeks old.
He goes down awake with no pacifier, without much fussing at every nap and bedtime, and he made a lot of improvements getting rid sleep associations and night feedings (with a lot of help of your posts!! I can't thank you enough everyone!)

2-1/2 hours after wake up (usually at 6:30) is morning nap wich lasts 1.5 hour, then 3 hours after that is lunchtime nap wich always lasts 40-45 min. We dropped the third nap at around 5 months because he was fighting it and we simply could not make it happen anymore in any possible way, so bedtime is at 6-6:30. He STTN and awakens himself sometimes because he moves a lot, but he can put himself back to sleep with thumb sucking.

but why the hell he still wakes up at 40 min?! I know he's still tired as he wakes up crying and not babbling. We have tried a lot of things since he started doing it at 7 weeks old; Swing does not work (he sleeps only 30 min in there!), Wake to sleep does not work, cry it out ends up with a frustrated and inconsolable baby for the rest of the day, we are unable to soothe him back to sleep, longer period of wake time (sometimes up to 3-1/2!) not working either, plus he's having a hard time to get to sleep, he is not hungry because he has solids 30 to 45 min before naptime, i think he have enough soothing and routine before nap time (quiet time in swing with lovey, then close curtains, nappy change) and goes down awake with lovey and his favorite thumb live a champ!

Please could you give me one more advice?


Offline Kellyjs

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Re: 6-1/2 month old still catnapping / short naps
« Reply #1 on: August 06, 2015, 18:48:25 pm »
Oh I feel your pain hun. I had a chronic short napper until I found this site. Drove me insane, however it was amazing what I could do in 45mins  ;), when I did get long naps I didn't know what to do with myself  ::)

Ok, first off I want to say that we do not support CIO here. Tracy believe it broke the bonds of trust between a LO and it's caregiver. We're all about gentler methods and actually getting the routine right so not to get to that point.

I would say that second nap is UT hun. However if we do push it much more it might make your day a lot longer. Do you want BT later? As he's not waking during the night I'd be reluctant to change much if his over night sleep is good.

 The thing is he is capable of longer naps because of that first nap. W2s wouldn't work if he is UT either just like you said. How much over night sleep does he get if you don't mind me asking? A day in the life of the two of you laid out in easy format would be really helpful to see.

So wu time
E
A
S etc etc all the way to BT and any NF or NW's.

Research on why 'cry it out' and 'controlled crying' is NOT recommended!

Regaining Trust of Your Child
« Last Edit: August 06, 2015, 18:50:20 pm by Kellyjs »



Offline ameliebob

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Re: 6-1/2 month old still catnapping / short naps
« Reply #2 on: August 07, 2015, 01:17:46 am »
Today he got 3-1/2 hour of awake time (visitors and errands,  :-\), he was unable to find its sleep and looked so overtired that I finally gave him a bottle until drowsy. Thinking back he was probably so hungry since it was almost 4hours since its last bottle. But well he slept again for 40 min but at least he woke up happy today.

E 6:30 wake up and bottle
A
E 7:30 solids
A
S 9:00 to 10:30

E 10:30 bottle
A
E 12:45 solids
A
S 13:30 to 14:10

E 14:30 bottle
A
E 16:15 solids
A
E 18:15 bottle
S 18:30 and he sleeps trough the night

There you go. I'm hoping you can find something ;) pushing back the bedtime a bit would be ok if we can get a longer nap, because he gets so cranky and fussy after that nap my ears are almost bleeding


Offline ameliebob

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Re: 6-1/2 month old still catnapping / short naps
« Reply #3 on: August 09, 2015, 11:58:23 am »
Yesterday he even woke up for his morning nap! After the same amount of time as usual. Two 40 min naps equals sooo much fun! how is our easy routine please?


Offline Kellyjs

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Re: 6-1/2 month old still catnapping / short naps
« Reply #4 on: August 09, 2015, 14:01:25 pm »
I'm so sorry hun, I don't think I saw your last post  ???  Please accept my apologies.

Have you checked for teeth coming through? That could be waking him at the sleep cycle transition?

If there's no sign of teeth, I would be tempted to push that first A out by 15mims now. It is much shorter than your other A isn't it? Did you pd for nap 2 at the same time as usual and he still had a 40mims nap? If that's the case we might have to think about reducing that second Aa to rule out OT. Just to try and see? Xx



Offline ameliebob

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Re: 6-1/2 month old still catnapping / short naps
« Reply #5 on: August 09, 2015, 23:41:05 pm »
He already have 2 teeth. I don't think the whining and nap troubles comes from teething as he sleeps so well at night (wich was not the case with his first tooth! Waking every 2 Hours)

We put him down at the same time this morning but we made a lot more physical exercise and boom, he slept for 2 hours. I realized that when he's not active enough, he's not sleeping for a long time. But hell, it's not working for that afternoon nap!  :'(  still waking up exactly at 40 min cooing and babbling, but an hour after that he's fussing and eye rubbing but refuses to sleep  ::)

Tomorrow will try to reduce the second A time to 2:45 instead of 3


Offline Kellyjs

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Re: 6-1/2 month old still catnapping / short naps
« Reply #6 on: August 10, 2015, 07:49:04 am »
It might be just worth a go for a day hun, I'm thinking if he is waking up happy he may be UT but I just wanted to check and see ok?

Great news about the first nap though, physical exercise like swimming also helps with good naps here!

Let me know how it goes with the reduced A time, if it doesn't work we'll have to try and extend the A time a lot more considering 3.5hrs still gave you a short nap in the pm  ::) xx



Offline ameliebob

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Re: 6-1/2 month old still catnapping / short naps
« Reply #7 on: August 10, 2015, 11:18:33 am »
We've been trying longer a time last week at 3-1/2 hour and it didn't work either., he was super cranky before bedtime. I'm starting to think that maybe he doesn't need more sleep... We will try shorter today and see.


Offline ameliebob

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Re: 6-1/2 month old still catnapping / short naps
« Reply #8 on: August 10, 2015, 18:30:38 pm »
 :( reducing time still got us 40 min. Should I try again tomorrow?


Offline Kellyjs

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Re: 6-1/2 month old still catnapping / short naps
« Reply #9 on: August 11, 2015, 06:10:32 am »
How was he when he woke? Was he happier yesterday? Xx



Offline ameliebob

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Re: 6-1/2 month old still catnapping / short naps
« Reply #10 on: August 11, 2015, 11:43:58 am »
Yep, and less fussy than usual. The only problem is that he was not as tired as usual and it took him about 5 min of fussing/crying before falling asleep, wich I'm not used to anymore because he usually doesn't fuss at all.


Offline Kellyjs

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Re: 6-1/2 month old still catnapping / short naps
« Reply #11 on: August 11, 2015, 12:03:39 pm »
I'm wondering if there's a sweet spot somewhere in the middle yk? Perhaps we try going up to 3hrs 15mins and holding for a few days and see if he settles into it? A bit of w2s at the 30mi s mark after he falls asleep too? Wdyt? Xx



Offline ameliebob

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Re: 6-1/2 month old still catnapping / short naps
« Reply #12 on: August 11, 2015, 15:27:12 pm »
We tried 3 weeks ago for a whole week and it didn't work.  :( Maybe I should give another try to w2s..! Fingers crossed! I'll keep you posted thank you


Offline ameliebob

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Re: 6-1/2 month old still catnapping / short naps
« Reply #13 on: August 11, 2015, 20:06:52 pm »
is there any topic on W2S? It's so hard! he sleeps like a rock and I can't get him to stir even if I move his arm!!  :-\ I went in there 30 min after he fell asleep. Should I go at 35? He still took a 40 min nap and is very fussy. any advice?


Offline Kellyjs

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Re: 6-1/2 month old still catnapping / short naps
« Reply #14 on: August 12, 2015, 06:42:10 am »
Here it is hun. How to address habitual wakings (w2s and other methods)

Keep trying for me ok? It can take time to get it right. Let me know how it goes xx