OK, I will try and not be too lengthy! Our schedule is truly varied- that's another problem I am REALLY struggling with. But here goes:
6:00-7:00am Wake up
7:15am BF
8:00am Solids
9:00 or 9:30am Nap #1
10:00-11:00am Wake up (depends on length of nap. This nap is usually longer than his PM nap. Sometimes, though, it lasts only 30 min!)
11:00 BF
12:00 or 12:30 Lunch (solids)
1:00 or 1:30 Nap #2 (anywhere from 30 min. to 1 hour. Occasionally has been 1.5 hrs.)
2:00-3:00 Wake up
3:00-3:30 BF
5:00-5:30pm Solids
6:30-6:45pm Bedtime (sleeps 11-12 hours straight)
I am having more than a few problems with the daytime sleep! I would prefer it if he awoke in the AM around 6:30-7:00am. However, I think he is waking up much earlier and not talking to let us know some days. Also, b/c I don't want to get up at 6:00am, if I hear him talking then, I will just ignore him and he usually goes back to sleep. Per DH, this is maybe a problem b/c he says that DS is ready to get up and I should get him up when I hear him. Take this AM, I didn't hear him talking or anything so I always get him up by 7:00am. I went and got him and he wasn't too happy, like he was going back to sleep and I interrupted him. He also rubbed his eyes around 7:50am and was fussy but I kept him up 'til almost 9:00 b/c I'm trying to keep on a schedule. I am really struggling with setting naptimes b/c I don't really know what his ideal wake times should be. Everyone I know tells me to stick with 9:00am for the AM nap and 1:00pm for the PM nap but doesn't that change slightly as they get older and can handle more awake time?? I'm totally confused!!!! Thus, his naptimes are all over the place. Usually, though he sleeps by 9:00-9:30 in the AM but the PM nap can vary anywhere from as early as 12:30 to sometimes 2:00. That is usually due to him being overtired from having a bad AM nap. A couple of days last week, he simply wouldn't fall asleep in the PM (overtired???) and when he FINALLY did, he had a 45 min. nap and woke up crying. (I left him in his crib about an hour and a half and he just talked and talked then went to sleep)
As for how he goes down, I try to look at tired signs as well as the clock. A lot of times he doesn't show tired signs though, which is frustrating. In the morning he will but the afternoon he really doesn't. I change his diaper, pull the window shade and then we'll read a couple of books and listen to the same lullaby CD. I try to walk around his room w/ him but sometimes he just really fusses when I do this so I go ahead and put him in his crib. He can put himself to sleep easily but has problems not getting all he needs! By days end, he is usually exhausted and rubbing his by 5:30-5:45pm. I think his bedtime should be later (more like 7:00) but it's hard when he seems so tired to push him to that.
I know I'm not "reading" him and that he is exhausted so somethings gotta give! I have struggled so long with him being overtired during the day...months! I have read a lot on this board and am still so confused. Any and all advice would be MOST appreciated!
Suzanne