How early to start the 3 to 4 transition?

[heather10]

I am wondering, if all of my sleep issue might be related to needing to be on a 4 hour EASY...I just don't know.

My son is only 12 weeks, but he is a big baby - weighs 15 pounds and was 9-3 at birth.  He has the weight to sustain him and probably can go longer.  In fact, when he wakes early from a nap, and we work at settling him, he will often sleep through the next meal if you let him - which I have only done once when I knew that sleeping was going to be more important THAT day due to bad naps all day long and the day before...

Anyway...

At what point do you know when it is time to transition?  Tracy says when you see naps shortening, and I've been seeing that for 5 weeks now.  He can only stay awake for about 45-60 mins though still, although from time to time, if I miss his window and it takes him a while longer to settle, he will be up (although in his crib) for almost 1.5 hours before he falls asleep (45 mins up with me, then changed and put down where it takes him another 30 mins to settle) so he is actually awake for 1.5 hours even though he was put down at the hour mark.  This doesn't make him sleep any differently than when he is put down RIGHT in the window. 

How does one know when to transition?

It is funny because with this baby, I am more uncertain than I was with my first - probably because I have more going on with another child

[julieb]

Not sure if I can help much.  But I put my LO on 4 hr EASY when he was 3 months because we had 45 min naps and I couldn't get him to resettle.  At that point, he could stay up 1:15 hours though.  It was challenging making it to 2 hours, I'd end up practically holding him for the last 30 min of A time.  But that was the only way to get him to sleep longer than 45 min. 

So if you only have him up for 45-60 minutes, is he sleeping for that other 2 hours until his next feed?  Can you just try extending his A time and shortening his sleep to 1.5 hours per cycle?

What about a 3.5 hour schedule?  You could always give it a try for a few days and see how it goes.  It's a very gradual transition at only 15 extra min every few days.

[Colesmom]

That is probably my mistake...lo is likely overstimulated. 

Out with the exersaucer until this is figured out!

thanks for the tip.

Traci