Author Topic: Set naps fr 8 month old, how does this routine sound?  (Read 1067 times)

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Offline roimata9

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Set naps fr 8 month old, how does this routine sound?
« on: September 02, 2015, 21:38:12 pm »
Hi,
I'm trying to establish set naps for my 8 month old to fit in with his older brother's activities. He sleeps pretty well, usually waking once for a feed at night between 2 and 4, however sometimes he wakes again at 5:30, sometimes he will resettle after another feed, other times he's up for the day.

This is what he is tending towards, does it seem okay?

WU 7am
A time: 2.5 hours
Nap 1 9:30-11:30 (he only copes with a short first A time)
A time 3.5 hours
Nap 2 3-4:20 (I wake him up at 4:20 if he isn't already awake)
A time 2.66 hours
BT 7pm

When he wakes at 5:30 I try to push him as long as I can til that morning nap, but he turns into a whimpering mess around 9 so I put him down then. How do others manage EWs with set naps?


Offline newkidontheblock

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Re: Set naps fr 8 month old, how does this routine sound?
« Reply #1 on: September 03, 2015, 09:27:43 am »
Hello there:)

You know, I wonder if the am nap being so early is in fact reinforcing the EW issue. On days when he does not resettle at 5.30, is he happy or grumpy? Anything different about the previous day - more/less activity? Right now, IMO, his A is on the lower side and he's getting a fair amount of day sleep. It might be worth focusing on ending the EW issue first because that might help to push the am nap later too. And in the mean time, maybe you could cap the am nap, and aim for a longer pm nap? How does that sound? We have moved to a set nap at a much later age than your little fellow but from what I know of others on here - if LO has an EW and it is not possible to settle them, they usually do a quick CN and then stick to am nap at normal time.

When we went through EWs, I would make it a point to keep her in her room in the dark till as close to normal WU as possible. I would then estimate WU based on when I felt she was absolutely up - not drowsy or resting. So A times stayed pretty much the same. I kept at this until the EWs stopped.






Offline roimata9

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Re: Set naps fr 8 month old, how does this routine sound?
« Reply #2 on: September 03, 2015, 17:47:06 pm »
Yes I think you're right, we need to fix the early waking. He's happy if we get him up when he wakes early, but not if we leave him in bed. My older child is in morning preschool and we're usually out in the afternoons so I want him to have his long nap in the mornings. Any tips on how to work that? Do I just try and move his nap later?

Offline newkidontheblock

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Re: Set naps fr 8 month old, how does this routine sound?
« Reply #3 on: September 03, 2015, 18:32:29 pm »
Well, with the EW, if possible, just try to get him back to sleep however possible - hold if necessary, or keep a hand on him - whatever works. I also preferred a long am, short pm routine but DD's A time was a lot higher at this point. We moved to 1 nap shortly after this. I would simply keep her in her room and then count A times from 7am, which was normal WU time. Then I would let her sleep for as long as she wanted. Pm nap was then a 30 minute CN in the sling with BT 1.5 hours later.

But yes, I do think that he would be able to cope with longer A times. It won't be easy in the beginning as he gets tired and cranky but his body should adjust in a few days. You could go out for a walk in the fresh air or something to keep him awake without being over stimulated. A times for an 8 month old should be closer to 3.5-4 hours. But don't push too quickly. Simply add 15 minutes every couple of days and hold at that point for a while to give him a chance to adjust. This might lead to a few messy days with OT naps but it should have a helpful effect over all
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Offline *Ali*

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Re: Set naps fr 8 month old, how does this routine sound?
« Reply #4 on: September 03, 2015, 23:13:41 pm »
Since you are getting a good first nap I'd be tempted to play around with the end of the day instead. My 8mo DD does a similar routine to fit with our afternoon activities and I'm wondering if that last A time is long enough after a 1hr20 nap. I'd either wake LO after 1hr or I'd push BT to 7.30pm.

Btw, please feel free to join us for chat about these general tribulations on the birth clubs 6-12 months, part 1
Cadan Dec 2009 and Colby Aug 2011


Offline roimata9

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Re: Set naps fr 8 month old, how does this routine sound?
« Reply #5 on: September 05, 2015, 22:49:32 pm »
I was just looking at the sample 8 month easy routines, and it says the average A time for that age is 3 hours. All those routines are bottle fed and on a lot of solids by the looks of them, are there any routines posted for bf babies who are still only experimenting with a bit of solids?

Offline newkidontheblock

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Re: Set naps fr 8 month old, how does this routine sound?
« Reply #6 on: September 06, 2015, 07:29:57 am »
I always found the A times in those routines much lower than what mine could do. But each baby is unique. With us too, E was mainly nursing at that point with a sprinkling of solids. She was pretty much on 2 meals- breakfast and lunch and nursing on WU in the morning and from nap 1 and at BT.We also had a top up nurse at around 3pm but she lost interest in that after a while






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Re: Set naps fr 8 month old, how does this routine sound?
« Reply #7 on: September 06, 2015, 21:19:56 pm »
Oh yes, I never noticed that all those 8mo routines are for bottle fed babies. They are just examples posted on these forums anyway not what you should try to fit your LO into at all.

FWIW my DD is 8.5mo and EBF with some solids. I can give you an example of our routine.

6.30-7.30 WU and BF (very occasionally she is up a tad earlier, mostly it is 7.10 when my boys wake)
8.00 solids with water in a sippy. E.g. Cereal. Toast and egg or peanut butter, or pancakes
9.15 BF (small top up)
A time 2.5-3
S 9.30 or 10 set nap window. I aim for 3hr A time but don't let the nap go earlier than 9.30 or later than 10)
11.30/12 WU & BF (usually 1hr40-2hr nap)
12.30 solids with water in a sippy. Usually fruit or veg, sometimes bread
15.20 or 15.45 BF
A time 3.5-4hrs
S 15.30-16.30/50 or 16.00-17.00 ( has to be 16.00 if we have school run) 1hr-1hr20
17.00 solids with water in a sippy (dinner with my boys) usually few bits of meat, pasta/potato and veg. Whatever she can eat from our dinner.
A time 2.5-3hr
18.30 bath
19.00 7oz bottle of EBM.
19.30 BT Mostly straight to sleep but if she has a 1hr20 PM nap she might take up to 15 mins to fall asleep so it's 19.45.
She normally has a NF sometimes between 1-5am, mostly 3-4am.



Cadan Dec 2009 and Colby Aug 2011