Author Topic: 45 minute naps and nighttime problems  (Read 1584 times)

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Offline Sarahjanetolman

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45 minute naps and nighttime problems
« on: September 10, 2018, 20:54:01 pm »
Hello. I am having a lot of sleep problems with my 11 week old baby boy. Currently, I am doing the EASY routine and he eats about every 3 hours. His day begins around 6:45 (typically). He is usually tired around 7:30. The rest of the day his awake time is about 1hour 15 minutes. His sleepy cues are hard to read and I think I miss them. A grunting noise and then yawning.  In general, he fights all naps. When I finally get him to sleep, each nap is ONLY 45 minutes. I have heard this is normal. However, I cannot figure out a good schedule for him if this is going to be the case. I have tried rearranging his awake time, but don’t know if I’m doing it right. #firstchild. Since it takes a while for him to go to sleep (doesn’t self sooth or settle), I end up putting him in the carrier or wrap for most naps because he sleeps long and well in there. Should I keep giving him naps in the crib even if they are 45 minute? If so, how do I schedule the rest of the day?

Nighttime - he is doing his last feeding around 8:30/8:45. Asleep by 9:00. I tried moving up his bedtime last week to 7:30 and it was a catastrophe - up every hour. Now with going to bed at 9:00, he generally can make it to 4 and then he has a tough time going back to sleep after nursing then. He finally will sleep until around 6:30-6:45.

So two MAIN questions for a tired mom - should I keep doing crib short naps and if so, how do I schedule the rest of the day considering he eats every 3 hours?

Offline Sarahjanetolman

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Re: 45 minute naps and nighttime problems
« Reply #1 on: September 10, 2018, 20:59:33 pm »
I’ll just include his current schedule to be more clear.
6:30/6:45-7:00 awake and nurse
Awake 45 min - 1 hour
7:30/8:00 - 8:45 nap in crib. Wakes at 45 min mark
9:00 nurse
Awake about an 1h20m
10:20ish try nap in crib. If he fights it for too long I put him in the wrap for a 1.5 hour nap
12:00 nurse
Awake 1.15-1.30 min
1:30 nap - again, I try the crib but he always wakes up in 45 min. I don’t want him over tired, so I usually put him in the wrap.
3:00 nurse
Awake 1.20
4:20 nap - if I do the crib it takes him forever to go to sleep and then only sleeps 45 min
5:30 nurse
Awake 1 hour
Catnap in arms or wrap or stroller 6:30-7:30
8:30/8:45 nurse to sleep

Offline Sarahjanetolman

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Re: 45 minute naps and nighttime problems
« Reply #2 on: September 10, 2018, 21:15:18 pm »
One more thing...
I also tried a week where all I did was crib naps with him. While he did get better at going to sleep more quickly, the naps remained 45 minutes each and his nighttime sleep was atrocious!

Offline Sarahjanetolman

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Re: 45 minute naps and nighttime problems
« Reply #3 on: September 11, 2018, 17:50:12 pm »
Here’s an update:
- Last night he fell asleep earlier than ever 6:30 and was out like a light. (Right after nursing after a 1.5 hour nap in the wrap) - so basically no awake time.
- He woke at 10:00 and I nursed
- Woke at 3:30 and I nursed - he was awake for an hour. Hard to settle with shh pat etc...
- Woke at 5:45 and wouldn’t go back to sleep. Nursed and awake for the day
- Showed sleepy signs and put down in crib around 7:00. Took a long time. I think he was already overtired and needs to go down for first nap after 45 minutes. He slept 45 minutes.
- Woke very sleepy and I had to hold him and rock to extend nap for another 45 min in my arms in nursery
- nursed at 9:00
- awake for 1.15 min - put in carrier for a nap because I was out after his pediatrician appointment
- woke at 12:00
- nursed at 12:30
- awake 1 hour and went in room to wind down (swaddle, sing song, shh pat) and he was crying, I nursed for a minute to insure he was full and wouldn’t wake early and be hungry,  but finally settled and fell asleep in his crib. Woke after 15 min. Shh pat and he went back to sleep. He kicks and grunts a lot in his sleep. He sleeps swaddled, on side, with paci for naps in crib.
- I plan to do one more carrier nap after his next nurse.


Offline Katet

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Re: 45 minute naps and nighttime problems
« Reply #4 on: September 12, 2018, 06:23:47 am »
I'm going to say that at 11 weeks old, it all sounds pretty good & normal & you could change things & have them go well for a week only to change again as around 12/13 weeks there is a very big growth spurt & they feed more often (if BF) & they seem to often find longer naps easier after that point.

the 45min nap can often be developmental where they haven't matured enough to put the sleep cycles together  & the reason they do longer when they are held is natural (it's actually unnatural that we expect small babies to sleep separate from us) & they have our breathing to help lul them back into a deeper sleep.

If I had my time over, I know I'd be realising that the 9pm -4am is golden & if I could keep having that then I'd keep it & just make sure my own bedtime was 9pm, rather than do what I did which was to try & get the perfect 10.30-6am with 1.5hour naps & ended up with multiple night wakings & still poor naps as well.
dc1 July 03, dc2 May 05

Offline Sarahjanetolman

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Re: 45 minute naps and nighttime problems
« Reply #5 on: September 13, 2018, 12:25:47 pm »
That’s helpful. I will just keep trucking along then. Last night he went to bed at 5:30-12:00, nursed, woke again at 4:15 to nurse and then was up on and off until awake at 6:45. Seemed like he just needed to go to bed earlier last night. I will try and follow his lead in what he needs and not be such stickler for the schedule.
Also, when should I start really training him to take naps in the crib and to fall asleep on his own and stuff? Is it okay that I nurse him to sleep at night before bedtime. It’s not everytime but most of the time that’s what he likes.