Help with 3-2 transition, 6 month old

[Tabathagucci]

Thank you!  That's basically what happened, we had shorter A times all day and it all worked out ok. 

On another note, our naps have fallen sort a bit so it looks like I need to extend A times to
3.5 hours. I've gotten to to 3h25m but still getting short naps with sporty chance of extending so going to try the full 3.5 hours tomorrow. I've been getting night wake ups starting around 1/1:30 am though instead of 3/4 am.  Amy thoughts on what this could be from? Imagine it's related to naps...

[Scottishmummy]

Hi

Is your LO around 7mo now? 3.5hrs would be high end of average, but possible if she needs higher than average A times typically.  See how you get on.

Could shorter naps & NWs also be related to anything else? Developmental leap? Teeth? OT?

[Tabathagucci]

Hi!  She's always needed higher than average A times, usually 20-30 mins more than the average.  I don't see any teeth and she's between developmental leaps.  Not sure about the night wakings but I think she may be used to having her naps around the same time each day and if she wakes later and I use the same A time she gets OT and takes a short nap.  I'm not 100% sure but looking at her history
(I track it all online), I appears if I put her down anytime from 9:44-10:15 she sleeps well but if it gets much later even if I use the same A time I've been using and has been working, I get a short nap. Does that sound crazy??

[Scottishmummy]

No, not crazy...I have done a set first nap with both of mine from quite a young age and found it worked well, then adapted the rest of the days naps according to how long they slept at first nap.

[Tabathagucci]

Ok good to know!  And she'll be 7 months on the 11th.  Any tips on how to get established with the first nap?  She's also been known to have early wakings when first nap is too early so don't want that to happen!

Thank you!

[Scottishmummy]

Any tips on how to get established with the first nap?

Sorry, not sure what you mean? It sounds as if you have a set "window" for it already?  If you want a set time you just keep putting her down for the nap at the same time, but, as you day, the set nap does need to be adjusted as her sleep needs change, otherwise you do get EW,

[Tabathagucci]

Sorry for the confusion, I guess I feel like I need to start all over again because we haven't had a good morning nap in a week and I've been using the same A time but putting her down at different times each day, anywhere from 9:30-10:45.  He last string of good naps we had was at an A time of 3h10-15m and putting her down between 9:30-9:45.  So how do I get back to this?  Wake her at 6:30 and put her down at the same time for a few days until she gets the hang of it again?  And then I have no idea where to go with the second nap... I'm super confused because I've always just used A times....
I'm also quite frustrated because we had a solid morning nap, a sometimes solid afternoon nap and spotty but ok nights and now both (or all 3) naps are short and nights have been tough too!

[Scottishmummy]

It is frustrating when you have a good routine and then they change, it does feel like constant change for the first 12months, I don't think we had more than 2-3 weeks of stability at a time with DD.

Could you post get last few days in EASY format, please, so we can chat them through?

[Tabathagucci]

I think her reflux has been flaring up, I've been slowly decreasing the elevation angle of her mattress and I think the last notch I took it down is causing some issues.  On a good note, she woke at 6:30 am and went down at her "usual" time yesterday and slept a full nap.  Will try again today!  let me try to get the reflux under control and see how the next couple days go then I'll come back with where we're at.  Thank you sooo much for the help and support!  I greatly appreciate it!

[Tabathagucci]

Ok, I have her back elevated and for her back on schedule yesterday.  We had 2 full naps, yay!  First was right before 10 am and the second at 2:15, which seems to be her times she likes. we are still getting night wakings but it may still be her reflux so will see if that improves after a few days.  I'll post her EASY if we're still having issues.
In the meantime, I have a couple of questions:
1) did you do the nap at the exact same time every day no matter what time they woke?
2) how do I know when it's time to move the morning nap later if we have it at a set time?

Thanks again!

[Scottishmummy]

Hi!
My DD tended to wake around the same time each morning +/- about 15 mins so it was fairly easy to set the first nap - I think at this age I did it around 9.15/30ish with a 7ish wu. If your LO's wu time varies widely it might be harder to set the nap.

I found our first nap had stayed arums the same start time for awhile..DD is 11mo now and still takes a short nap around 9.45..but we do get EW, which I think is a sign of needing a later am nap now.

[Tabathagucci]

That makes sense!  She woke up twice today during her first nap but went right back to sleep after I gave her the paci and she's been asleep for 1.45 total, longer than usual! 

How much do you vary the second nap based on how long she sleeps for the first nap?  For example, she usually wakes from first nap around 11/11:15.  It's 11:40 and she's still sleeping. 

[Scottishmummy]

I use A times for the 2nd nap..so if I got a longer first nap, I'd still do the full A time before 2nd nap. How did the rest of your day go?

[Tabathagucci]

I put her down at 2:30, am A time of just under 3 hours and she slept a little over 40 minutes and could not extend so we had to fit in a 3rd nap.  Today she woke early at 6, first A time 3h15, slept 1h20.  Second A time was 3h15, she slept 45 mins and couldn't extend.  Should I keep the second A time at 3h15 mins for another day or two or push it later by a few minutes?

[Scottishmummy]

I'd wait a day or so before extending it again. Pushing her A time more every day can lead to OT.