help with nap scheuling

[Gage and Sophie's Mom]

Well, I am back. I dont know what I would do without you guys. You are my saving grace!

We have gotten rid of the accidental parenting and are now doing the shh pat method which is working pretty good. Now my next prob is getting the child to sleep at regualar times during the day. He fits his morning nap. If he does take it, it is usually only 45 min if we are lucky. Then is a crab pants until he sacks out in the afternoon. This nap is usually 2-3 hours depending on how long I let him sleep. Then he wont take an evening nap and crabby until bed time. We are on a 3 hours EASY schedule, but not on any real time schedule. How do I fix this? help!

This is what we are doing so far

E 4:30-6:30 am.
A (sometimes depending on how awake he is. i try to avoid it)
S 4:30 (he goes back to sleep) 6 am+ then he sometimes fights the nap

E 6-9 (depending on what time he woke up)
A
S 9:00- 11:00 (he is always tired by then and fights a nap)

E 12-2
A
S 1-3

E Sometimes I will wake 2:30-5
A
S Yeah right!

E 4:30-8
A
S I have tried to lay him down at 8 and 9 for bed, but he fights me. Looking at my log, he has been sleeping at 10-10:30 pm

If i get brave I will do a dream feed at 10:30 or 11

[Taylor's Mommy]

sorry I am new to your posts so don't know how old your lo is.  please reply back and I will try to help.

[Gage and Sophie's Mom]

my son is almost 9 weeks

[Taylor's Mommy]

Hi there,

congratulations on your son.  He is still very young so still lots of time to work on the sleep training :wink:   First, i was a little confused by the schedule you posted, specifically the E times.  I am guessing that he eats anywhere from 12-2 pm for example?

First, I would not do any type of activity with him from 4:30-6:30 am...definitely treat this as a night feed no matter how awake he seems.  Keep lights low, don't make eye contact and don't really talk at all.

Second, it may still be a little early, as you are still trying to get as much rest as possible...But very shortly I would recommend starting a set wake up time of your choosing.  So if he is still snoozing at 9 am from his last feed at 6 am, get him up around 7-7:30.  We started a set wake up time for Taylor at 12 weeks (too tired to do it any earlier!), and it really helped get her bodyclock set to expect the same thing at the same time everyday.  If you wish, visit the EASY forum for more advice on adjusting his routine.

Lastly, watch cues as well as you can and try wake to sleep to get your lo into the next sleep cycle (there is a post about it on the nap board).  If he does wake up, try pat/shush to get him back to sleep.  Day sleep is still normalizing and will be until 12-16 weeks, so contine to do what you are doing and hang in there.  I am proof that the 45 minute naps do go away and you will survive them!

HTH!

[Gage and Sophie's Mom]

Thanks you have much help. If I do have him wake at 7:30, about what time should his bedtime be? He has been going to sleep between 10-11. Is this too late? I have noticed that most babies are going to bed between 7-9. What is the latest time I should let him sleep? What is the longest I should let him sleep (naps)? I think the poor dear is sleep deprived and that is why he is a crab pot much of the day.

[jingers]

Hi, how did you get rid of the accidental parenting? My 8 weeks girl only falls asleep if I pat/shu her on my shoulder. I have tried to lay her in the cot when she is calm but awake. But the minute I rolled her on her side and start to pat/shu, she starts to scream. I also tried to let her lie in cot to fall asleep by herself, but with no succeed. She would lie there at first, then start to kicking, then start to crying. Could you help me and give me some advices?

[Gage and Sophie's Mom]

My accidental parenting involved rocking, so it was kind of different than your dilemma. However, I found out that it was much more than my accidental parenting that was keeping my son up. He longed to be swaddled, which I quit doing because I thought it might be overrated. Heck no! I bought the miracle blanket and he sleeps wonderfully when he does sleep (we have a 45 min issue). I think every baby should come

 Also, I bought a wedge pillow that elevated his head a bit to help with reflux. Does you little one have any issues with reflux?

Do you hold your lo in the cradle position at all? When I try to get Gage to sleep I rock him (I have just learned that it is okay as long as he doesnt fall asleep) and pat him on the bottom while he is in the cradle position. So he is used to it.

Oh, I also dont always turn him on his side to pat/shh. Most of the time I will lay him on his back and put my hand behind his leg to reach his bottom.

I hope this helps.

[jingers]

Thanks for the reply. We think she does have reflux problem, because sometime when she woke up in the middle of sleep, it looked like she was having a heartburn. Also she bring up food a bit after the feed. Maybe I should try to elevate the matress a bit to see how does it go.

I found it is very hard to do the pat/shuh method when she is in the cot, as I can't access her back easily...

Thanks for the advises.

[Meg's Mom]

Jingers - for the reflux have a look at our reflux forum...there is excellent advise from experienced reflux moms!

Keep up the good work and stay away from those acc. parenting traps  :wink:

[jingers]

Thanks Michelle

[Taylor's Mommy]

gage's mom:
to answer your question, ideally for a 7:30 wake up his bed time should be 7:30 pm apx.  But at 9 weeks, it may be hard to get there at first.  He is still a newborn, so maybe still hard to settle at night?  With Taylor at 9weeks she was going to bed around 8:30-9:00, and then it got earlier each week by about 15 minutes until around 14 weeks she was going to bed by 7:30.  So yes, 10-11 is a bit too late in my opinion.

HTH