Author Topic: DS struggling to self settle for the afternoon nap  (Read 1025 times)

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Offline Fifilottie

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DS struggling to self settle for the afternoon nap
« on: March 22, 2016, 15:32:41 pm »
Hello,

My DS(8mo) can settle for his morning nap(and bedtimes) although he can take forever, he always has. However he really struggles to settle for the afternoon nap. I need this nap to finish before 3pm as I must pick my DD up from school at this time. I thought it might be worth posting my routine to see if anyone has any great ideas. I am also worried as he will be going to the childminders two days a week from June(he will be 11mo) and she only gives the babies one nap in the afternoon argh.

So routine is as so:

NW - 9 ish(not every night) 3.30 ish(nightly)
W- 6.30
S.9.30 - 40 - 10.30 or sometimes 11  he has only just started to have longer naps and still sometimes only sleeps for 35 mins)
A 10.30/11 - 13.30 /2 
S- 13.30  - 14.10(normal)
today  he fell asleep with help at 14.15 and is still asleep now at 15.30. I put him in his cot at 13.20 so that is a long time to try and settle.

I always have to help him a bit to get to sleep for this afternoon nap which is a shame as it means he takes a long time to self settle generally as he knows another option is easy. Today however he did not fall asleep until 14.15 but is still asleep. This tells me that he might thrive off a longer awake time between the morning nap and the afternoon one but I just cant do this as I must pick my DD up from school. Luckily today a friend has come to my rescue but I cant depend on her everyday. Should I make the morning nap a catnap and wake him up. Such a shame as he has only just started to take longer naps.

oh and...
BT 18.30 to 19.30 depending on how long he grumbles in his cot to get to sleep - mostly 7 pm(he sometimes wakes 35 mins later but goes back to sleep if there has been a long activity time before BT.

Any advice most welcome as I have always had really helpful advice from using this forum. Thank you x

Offline jessmum46

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Re: DS struggling to self settle for the afternoon nap
« Reply #1 on: March 24, 2016, 13:20:47 pm »
I think you've hit on the answer yourself :D he's not tired enough and so needs a longer awake time. However since you can't do that the alternative is waking him from the morning nap. I would try limiting him to an hour in the first instance, and if that means the pm nap is still too late, try cutting to 45 mins and see where it gets you x

Offline Fifilottie

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Re: DS struggling to self settle for the afternoon nap
« Reply #2 on: March 25, 2016, 15:26:57 pm »
Thankyou for the reply and advice.

Had a school event yesterday morning so he had his morning nap in the sling, just 20 mins as he never naps long out and about. He was just the same in the afternoon though. He tries so hard to settle. He has a very unique sleep mantra.

School holidays now so don't have the worry about the school run but need to keep routine around it I guess. His first nap today was from 8.40 (woke at 5.20 am argh) until 9 40, he settled by himself in five mins. I put him down at 1.15 for afternoon nap. Again he really struggled, kept doing his sleep mantra, then crying a bit, then sleep mantra. This went on for about 50 mins until I stepped in. Even then he struggled to get to sleep. He ended up falling asleep at 15.00 with help and had a OT 20 mintue nap. He was up last night from 9pm until midnight. Even with help he struggled to get back to sleep. Tried calpol, teething gel the lot. It is soo strange that he can self settle easily for first nap and bedtime but not afternoon and night waking. Argh, need to get this sorted before he goes to the childminder. I don't want him to find it really hard to sleep there, poor thing :( something's seems wrong put I can't put my finger on it.


Offline jessmum46

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Re: DS struggling to self settle for the afternoon nap
« Reply #3 on: March 28, 2016, 09:40:06 am »
In that case I would suspect rather OT by afternoon nap time.  How have the last few days been?

Offline Fifilottie

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Re: DS struggling to self settle for the afternoon nap
« Reply #4 on: March 29, 2016, 19:39:20 pm »
Well, he is still isn't unpredictable and the clocks have gone forward but we seem to have managed. He seems to sometime self settle and sometimes completely refuse. In the past two weeks he has learnt to crawl, sit from lying and cut three teeth so I guess I should not expect an easy ride.

In the past couple of days he has fallen back into the 35 min nap nightmare. Today went as so:

NW 2 until 3 settled with shhh stroke(so,pleased but fed before this)
WU 6.55( clocks forward it is normally an hour earlier and I resettle, although he slept at 7 pm as normal(wierd)
S 9.50 -10.25 ish(self settled)
S 13.45 to 14.15 couldn't self settle as wanted to practise crawling and pulling himself up in the cot.
Refused catnap in car but tried as worried about long awake time before bedtime
BT 18.45 fell asleep on bottle (whoops, he doesn't normally so can get away with giving it just before bedtime)
Now he is still sound asleep

I think it is new mobility is getting in the way. Does this phase pass in your experience?

Thank you x

Offline jessmum46

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Re: DS struggling to self settle for the afternoon nap
« Reply #5 on: March 30, 2016, 20:38:04 pm »
Yes odd sleep associated with milestones does pass eventually.....until the next one ;) fwiw we had a lot of 37 min UT naps....did he wake happy from the first one?

Offline Fifilottie

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Re: DS struggling to self settle for the afternoon nap
« Reply #6 on: March 30, 2016, 21:23:21 pm »
First nap he woke up quiet but ok, second nap unhappy.

Ah, is a 35 minute nap possibly undertired. He did 35 minute naps today too but has been yawning like crazy all day. As the clocks have gone forward and he wakes later that awake time bet. WU and first nap has decreased( I am still working around that school run, even though it is holidays) Wonder if this is it. What would be average awake time for an 8 mo? Is it shorter before first nap? X ps thank you for all your help.

Offline jessmum46

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Re: DS struggling to self settle for the afternoon nap
« Reply #7 on: March 31, 2016, 07:33:19 am »
3.5h or so would be average. Sometimes the first A is shorter but typically then the first nap would also be shorter, with a longer one in the afternoon. Our first A was always long with DD x