Why are naps so hard?!

[creations]

He only slept an hour barely. So he woke at 615 slept from 930-1025.

Look like you put him down too early today. You can try later tomorrow.
9.30 is the same time as in your EASY (9.15/9.30) and that was after an earlier WU so I wouldn't have expected a good nap from it.
Perhaps it felt 15 min later to you because you often do 9.15am but with the later WU it ended up a shorter A time - hope that makes sense.
You just have to wing it the rest of the day and do what you can around your commitments

[Chloevalentine]

Ok so if he wakes at 6/630 do I wait until 10 to put him down? How early should I do bedtime when we don't get good afternoon naps ?

[Chloevalentine]

So today he was up around 615/30 which was great then I put him down for nap around 950 he cried for a minute but fell asleep pretty quickly. He was then up 20-30 mins later.  I realized it was time for him to eat so I fed him and try to put him back down with no luck. The feeding is when nap time is.
Now what do I do for next nap?

[Chloevalentine]

I was able to get him back to sleep after feeding and sitting with him. He fell back at 11:10!

[creations]

Keep a check on when E and S are coming throughout the day - any clashes you can see coming just move the E time. If it falls towards the start of the nap time then feed earlier, before nap. If it is falling towards the end of nap time then leave LO to nap and feed on waking.

[Chloevalentine]

Im desperate for some more suggestions. The wake up differs one day it's 5 the next is 6 but the problem is the second nap. I literally can't get him to take one. So he's up from 11 until bedtime!

[creations]

What time are you doing first nap and how long is he sleeping? Is it a reliable nap at the same time and for the same length every day?

and what times are you trying for that second nap? and for how long ar you trying? What methods are you trying (eg shush/pat, PUPD, WIWI, APOP?  If APOP what sort?)

[Chloevalentine]

Typically he's up at 6 goes down for nap at 930 until around 11. This nap is pretty reliable lately. The second nap I try around 230. It's hard to spend too much time getting him to nap as my older lo is home at this time. But yesterday I tried the car I tried feeding him because it got close to feeding time. When he does nap it's usually like 215-245. Today second day he was up at 5 yesterday I managed to get him back to bed for a little while but today I wasn't so he's already down for nap at 8!

[Chloevalentine]

Today he's already up from nap 8-820. 20!min nap!! Not sure what the rest of the day will look like now. Or when his next nap will be. Ugh I just thought we'd be in a better schedule by 7.5 months.

[creations]

I can only suggest what I have already suggested really. I see you want different suggestions but it's all I have.
The first nap IMHO needs to be moved later to regulate the WU and first nap time so that it is constant, I see this as helping with nap 2.

It's not clear when you are trying for nap 2:

The second nap I try around 230.

When he does nap it's usually like 215-245.

The earlier WUs can be caused by either the first nap coming too early or the second nap finishing too early leaving a long A time before BT. In your case it can be a combination of both of those things.

If you look back there is a sample routine I gave you - really it is my suggestion and still my suggestion. Getting onto an appropriate and settled routine happens more quickly when you follow the times and LO can learn when to sleep by consistency and habit.

[Chloevalentine]

But today being that he was up at 5 I couldn't have him up for 5 hours before first nap at 10! Even when he's up at 6/630 he naps at 10 like you said but he still won't go down for that second nap! Am i just off with that second A time ?

[Chloevalentine]

He's been up at 5/515 all week and I can't get him back to sleep. It's awful I'm exhausted and frustrated. Between that and the 30 min or non existent naps. He's got to be ot no? I sure am

[creations]

Sorry chloevalentine I am not able to offer any other suggestions.
Yesterday you said WU was usually 6am and nap at 9.30 and is reliable, but today you say he's been up at 5am all week, so the WU is not reliable, neither is the first nap. My suggestion is to look at the whole routine, not at one nap.

He's got to be ot no?

Probably yes, as I said, I believe the A time before BT is far too long, making LO OT and can cause EW.

[Chloevalentine]

Unfortunately he's been up at either 415 or 5 all week! His nap is about 1 hour in the morning depending on if I've gotten him back to sleep. I've been feeding him when he wakes at 415 and he will go back to sleep until 6/615 then nap from 930-1030. Even with a later or longer second nap and later bedtime he's actually waking earlier in the morning! So none of the typical reasons for ew are applicable with him. It's been such a hard week. He's 7.5 months old and he's been waking around 4 am the entire time. It's so frustrating and very exhausting.

[creations]

What time are you doing the first nap now?