Author Topic: Undertired or Overtired?  (Read 1814 times)

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Offline ecwinters

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Undertired or Overtired?
« on: September 26, 2015, 14:22:47 pm »
Hi
I have posted several times about my DS and his terrible naps!  However, recently we had a small breakthrough in that he'll normally do 1 longer nap per day.  But due to his increase in A times recently we are stuck in the 3-2 nap transition and if he does a short nap then there isn't really any time in the day to catch up with another full nap, leaving him really OT at bedtime.  I've had multiple wake ups in the early evening because of this. 

The last two days are an example of how confusing it all seems - I was wondering if anyone could please take a look and give me some pointers?
Many thanks.  He is just over 6 months by the way.  The first A time has always been shorter than the 2nd, but I'm trying to push it gradually.

Wake up-7:00
Eat - 7:30
Solids - 8:30
Sleep: 9:35-10:25 (so I assume under tired?)

Awake-10:25
Eat - 11:00
Solids - 12:30
Eat (top up feed) - 12:45
Sleep: 13:20-14:00 (was this under tired again?  Even after nearly 3 hours A time?)

Awake-14:00
Eat - 15:30
Sleep in buggy: 16:30-17:00 (woke him as I thought he wouldn't go down at 7pm otherwise)
Eat - 18:15
Asleep - 18:50
20:50 - OT wake up? 
22:00 - wake
23:25 - he woke up resettled
00:45 - wake up
3:00 - wake up!

TODAY
Wake up-7:00
Eat - 7:30
Solids - 8:30
Sleep: 9:40-10:50 (I tried for 5 more minutes of A time today and got a slightly better length first nap)

Awake-10:50
Eat - 11:00
solids - 12:30
Sleep - 13:45 - 14:15 (over tired sleep)

So now I'm confused and have an OT baby already again!  3 days ago I got a 1.5 hour 2nd nap with an A time of 2 hours and 50 minutes after a 40 minute nap so I wouldn't have expected today's 2 hours and 55 minutes after a longer nap to be too much? 

I am wondering if the variation in times he goes down for his 2nd nap is confusing him?  Because it all depends on the length of the first nap, it is very variable.  Do you think this is confusing him? Is there any way of setting the time of the 2nd nap a bit more do you think?  The only way I can think of is to cap the first nap at 40 minutes, but I'm not sure if that would be a good option?  Everything would then depend on that 2nd nap, and there is no guarantee he'd do a good nap. But it's starting to feel like it might be a good plan.  Do you think it would help regulate his body clock?

Any advice would be very much appreciated. Thanks so much.

Offline trimbler

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Re: Undertired or Overtired?
« Reply #1 on: September 26, 2015, 18:08:51 pm »
I personally wouldn't start capping the first nap until you've dropped the third, which usually happens once the A time gets to around 3h. So you may be close. Don't be afraid of slightly shorter nights during this transition, you may just find you have a little more flexibility if you're not tied to strict 7pm BT. Then of course you may need EBT for a little while once you're down to two naps. Also I think if you're a bit more flexible then you may find he can do an earlier, longer nap later on in the day after a short first nap, if you need to. Sorry I don't know if that makes sense, I mean you might be able to compensate for the short first nap by reducing the following A time a bit in the hope of a longer 2nd nap, even if that fails, you still have time for a third, which could even end up being the longest nap if it's early enough and he needs it. But I really would continue to work on pushing out that first nap, in the long run that should help to sort out the rest of the day...



Offline Martini~

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Re: Undertired or Overtired?
« Reply #2 on: September 28, 2015, 18:34:40 pm »
I was capping first and still having 3rd nap. Pusging to two long naps was too much for DS and capping first nap worked great:).
~Marta

Offline ecwinters

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Re: Undertired or Overtired?
« Reply #3 on: September 28, 2015, 19:41:41 pm »
Thanks.  I got a good first nap today with 2 hours and 40 minutes A time.  I will keep pushing this.  I think if I put DS down earlier for 2nd nap I would almost certainly get an UT nap.  He rarely does OT naps - mostly UT ones.  The only way I can get a good earlier nap is to take him out in the stroller, but am reluctant to do this for 2nd nap.  I mostly save this for the catnap!  I guess I will keep trying for 2 good naps but it's good to know that capping the 1st nap can work.  Thanks.