10 week old suddenly has 30 min naps

[shimmerchild]

My daughter has been doing wonderfully for the past month!  She was on a great 3 hour e-a-s schedule and would take naps lasting anywhere from 1 to 2 hours.  Two days ago, she decided to only take 30 minute naps...but still sleeps about 10 hours at night beautifully.  We thought it might just be a growth spurt - but this is the 3rd day.  We've tried reassurance...but it doesn't seem to help her back to sleep.  We even tried letting her cry it out for 30 minutes (sorry)...but that didn't work.  We need help!  Please!   She has no problem getting to sleep...it's staying asleep.

[hana1978]

Yvonne just wanted to say i am in EXACTLY the same situation as you - absolutely no problem getting to sleep its staying asleep.  My LO now takes about x4 30min naps a day and its becoming a habit - up to 3 weeks ago he was napping up to two hours  :cry:
I think his bodyclock is now used to it so it will take allot of work to sort it out and i go back to work in two weeks - eeeeeeeeeek.!!
What someone suggested is go in and watch them 5 mins before they normally wake up and do shh/patt when they do - hopefully you can help them into the next cycle without them waking up vo.  Im gonna try it - cant go on like this hes so grumpy  :?

[Matthew's Mommy]

Take a look at her awake time and be sure not to overstimulate before bed. They both can interfere with sleep and staying asleep.

[Meg's Mom]

I pulled this from the announcements above - please have a read at them all you may find something else really helpful.  But here is one that stood out for you both:

My 13 week dd recently reverted to short naps. I was convinced there was something I was doing wrong and that if I could just find out what it was the short naps would be gone.
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Strategy/Result:
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Matthew's Mommy (Jane) shared some info with me that has reassured me and given me the strength to face another day of trying to extend my dd's naps.

From 0-3 months babies work on organizing their night sleep. From 3-6 they work on organizing their day sleep. What is happening is biological and is a normal blip. In the meantime, I am going to try to extend her naps with wake to sleep so that she gets used to the sensation of going from one sleep cycle to the next. I am keeping her awake time at 1.5 hours and will start moving her towards the 4 hour EASY when she is 3.5 months or so.

Jane also advised that I do a pre-wind down before all naps. So if the nap is supposed to start at 8:30, around 8:00 start walking around the house or the garden. The swaying motion of walking releases a calming hormone in the baby. Walk around until 8:15 and then start your wind down. In my wind down I rock her for a bit, turn on a lullabye, take off her clothes, change her diaper, swaddle her, and then "slow dance" with her. I may tweak the wind down/pre-nap routine but it worked well this morning.

Jane did say that it could take a while for things to get sorted out in regards to her day sleep. But I just feel so much better knowing that what is happening is not my fault and it is just biology. I also feel like I won't be as frustrated with her as it is just another part of her growing up.