Need help with naps, please!!

[kcchiefsgal28]

Hi,

I am new to this forum and to Tracy's book, The Baby Whisperer. My name is Lori and I am 28 years old. My son, Nicholas, is 4 1/2 months old.I read part of Tracy's new book last night and have a couple of questions on PU/PD. I really wish I would have known about her book before my DS was born so I could have started right away!! 

Anyway,  about 3 weeks ago we did CIO using Ferber's method as DS would not sleep anywhere but his swing. It worked great and he now goes to sleep on his own within 5 to 10 minutes of putting him down. He sleeps 10-11 hours at night so nights are not a problem, either. The problem is that his naps only last 40-45 minutes, usually. I never have tried to get him to go back to sleep because I had heard that some babies this age that is all they sleep. After reading part of Tracy's book I think it was probably our fault that he only sleeps that long because when he wakes up I get him up to play.

My question is how can I go about extending his nap periods when I have already used CIO and he knows how to get himself to sleep. I really don't think PU/PD would work since I have used CIO. I just started today doing a longer winding down routine before his naps so DH suggested once he gets used to the new winding down routine to use that when he wakes up early from his nap (he is wide awake when I go to get DS). Maybe I should do the winddown routine again when he wakes up from naps since he associates that with going to sleep??

What do you all think? Any help would be appreciated and I am sorry this is so long.   

Lori and Nicholas

[Lucysmom]

Hello -

I don't have an answer for you right now but I know that the moderators/others will probably want to see what your daily schedule looks like and then go from there.  Sometimes 45 minute naps can mean that they are ready for more awake time but it is hard to know what the case is without the whole picture.  Sorry I can't help more but definitely post your schedule and hopefully someone will have an answer.

[kellyhushhh]

Hi i dont know whether today is just a one off but i decided to extend my sons awake time today as he too was only having 45 min naps. I used to put him down no more than an hour of last being awake but today i have kept him awake an hour and a half and he has then slept for an hour and half!! I am so happy but no doubt tommorow will be totally different.  Good luck, there are so many helpful ladies on this site xx

[kcchiefsgal28]

Since I just started reading Tracy's book I haven't been on a firm routine. That is one of the reason's I got her book.

But our typical day goes like this:

DS gets up around 7:00 and eats.

8:15 a.m. - Start winding him down around usually an hour and 15 minutes after he wakes as this is when he starts acting like he is tired. His wind down routine now takes 5 minutes (was only a minute or two). He is asleep within 10 minutes of lying him down.

9:15 Wakes up from nap within 40-45 minutes.

9:20 Eats cereal when he wakes up from nap.

9:28 Plays for another hour and 15 minutes, maybe less if he is acting tired. Sometimes he is yawning by 20 minutes after he has been up, but I usually don't put him down then, maybe I should!!??
 
10:30 Goes down for nap for another 40-45 minutes.

11:15 Wakes up and has his bottle.

11:40 Has activity for hour and 15 minutes, just depends on how tired he is.

12:30 Goes down for nap for 40-45 minutes.

1:15 Wakes up and has cereal.

1:23 Plays for hour and 15 minutes or until tired.

2:30 Goes down for nap for 40-45 minutes.

3:15 Wakes up and has bottle.

Here's also where it gets tricky. He likes to sleep from 5:00 to ? We wake him up to play so he doesn't go to bed at 5:00. So he usually takes a nap from 5:00 to 6:00 or 6:15 when we wake him.  I am guessing he is so sleepy in the evening because of the way he naps during the day.

Gets up and plays around 6:15 (he usually is pretty grumpy), then we put him down to sleep.

We get him up for a bottle around 9:00 (dreamfeed). Last night he got up at 3:30 a.m. but got back to sleep himself at 4:00 a.m. and then woke again at 5:30 a.m. but went back to sleep at 6:00 a.m. and then awoke for the day at 6:45 a.m.

I hope this isn't too confusing!

--Lori and Nicholas

[Lucysmom]

Hi Lori - From the looks of it, you should definitely gradually increase his awake time by 15 minute increments to get him to the 4 hour EASY schedule.  If you have the second book "BW solves all of your problems" turn to page 230 and it talks about extending awake times.  Also in the book is a sample of the 4 hour EASY schedule which your son should be on or approaching.  When you increase awake time, make sure that the activity is low key for the extra 15 minutes or not more.  HTH!

[Lucysmom]

Hi Lori - From the looks of it, you should definitely gradually increase his awake time by 15 minute increments to get him to the 4 hour EASY schedule.  If you have the second book "BW solves all of your problems" turn to page 230 and it talks about extending awake times.  Also in the book is a sample of the 4 hour EASY schedule which your son should be working towards.  When you increase awake time, make sure that the activity is low key for the extra 15 minutes or not more.  HTH!

[kcchiefsgal28]

Yeah, my goal is to get him on the 4 hour EASY plan. I am going to try increasing slowly his activity time.

But, again, I guess my main question is when he probably still only takes 40 to 45 min naps after increasing activity time, how do I get him to go back to sleep. Like I said in my earlier post we have already done Ferber's CIO method and so he knows how to get to sleep on his own, it is just our fault for getting him up after 40 minutes. I guess maybe I should do CIO or maybe go in and do his winding down routine again so he knows he is supposed to go back to sleep? Do you think PU/PD would work or just confuse him??

The other question I have is that when you increase activity time, let's say instead of 8:15 to 8:30 and you have him sleep or try to get him to sleep until 10:00, then what? I can't feed him at 10:00 because he is already on a schedule of 4 hours and he won't be very hungry either. Maybe since he can stay up sometimes to 8:30, I should try to keep him up until 9:00 a.m? That is very confusing to me since the part in Tracy's book talks about switching a 3 month old to 4 hour EASY or a 4 month old who doesn't have a routine and Nicholas sort of has a routine, its just that his naps are out of whack!!

Thanks so much for your help!

--Lori

[Lucysmom]

Lori -

Hopefully increasing the activity time will cut down on the 45 minute naps or even eliminate them.  What I have been advised to do and what I read in the sleep interview that is available on this website, is go into my dd's room BEFORE the 40 minute mark.  And then I wait and watch for her to start stirring.  If it seems as if she is going to wake up completely, I pat her butt to keep her still sleeping.  You should check out the naps board as there are millions of posts about overcoming 45 minute naps.  But like I said I really think that increasing his activity time will help combat these short naps.  I don't know how to solve the issue with his feeding schedule and I am really exhausted right now so can't think straight!  I am sure you understand!  But hopfully someone else will see this and give you some input!