PLEASE HELP!

[Isabellasmama]

Hi - I am so tired and confused!  Isabella sleeps great at night, but only sleeps for 30-minutes during naps.  2 weeks ago I read Tracy's new book and did PU/PD and after a few days it seemed to work.  BUT, we went on a trip for a few days (STAYED ON ROUTINE), and she has been messed up since.  I spent almost 2 hours doing PU/PD yesterday, and almost 2 hours doing PU/PD today!  This is gonna drive me nuts if there isn't breakthough!!!     She is spirited and usually goes to sleep fine.  But she always wakes up about 30 minutes into her naps.  She cries and I do PU/PD.  As soon as I pick her up she arches her back, so I put her back down immediately.  She gets more & more hysterical and rubs her eyes and pulls her ears (I swaddle her tightly but she always mangages to get at least one hand out).  If I don't swaddle, she thrashes about violently and can't calm down . . . but swaddling doesn't seem to help, either.  She is just so upset.  I tried wake to sleep today and she still woke up after 30 minutes, so that's why I had to do PU/PD.  She never did fall back asleep and it was feeding time, so I took her out and fed her.  I waited 45 minutes after the feed and put her back down before she was super overtired.  Sometimes during PU/PD she will stop her hysteria for a moment and smile at me and try to play.  I keep telling her to go to sleep and do PU/PD if she cries.  She really fights me when I PU, so should I keep trying?  Any suggestions???  I am so so so so so so so so so so so so so so frustrated and I'm trying VERY hard to do what the book says.  PLEASE help!

[Isabellasmama]

THANK YOU!  She is 7 months.  I have tried to do her routine as the book suggests, but she is spirited and doesn't do anything unless she WANTS to.  Here goes:

She wakes up around 6:15-6:30am
BF right away
Solids at 7:00-7:30
Put her down for nap 9:00 (PU/PD)
BF at 11:00am
Solids at noon or 12:30
Nap at 2:00pm
BF at 4:00pm
Solids at 5:30
Sleep for the night at 7:30

Isabella rarely breastfeeds a whole meal during the scheduled time (she is too busy looking around or whatever).  So I feed her what she'll eat, then try again in a 1/2 hour or so.  Thanks so much for your help!

[Isabellasmama]

Well, it's pretty hard to tell if she's tired or not - that is, until she is rubbing her eyes.  She is so high-energy and is revved-up even when she is tired.  But, I do think she is tired around 9:00am . . . but I can give it a try tomorrow to do what you suggested and put her down at 9:30 instead.  She only sleeps for 1/2 hour, so is that enough until her 2:00pm nap? 

I'll give your 9:30 nap a try tomorrow and get back to you ASAP.  Another question:  she just woke up from her nap (around 30 min. again) and is laying in her crib content.  Should I leave her there until she cries?  (this is the nap in which I put her down earlier than usual (1:15pm) because she only slept 30min. her morning nap.  Thanks!!!

[Isabellasmama]

Hi - well, yesterday I tried what you suggested and here's what happened:

Went down for nap at 9:30am (instead of 9)
Woke up at 10:00am
A until 2:00pm (was grumpier than usual)
Slept until 3:30 (woke once but put herself to sleep)
A until 7:15pm (was grumpier than usual)
Woke up this moring at 6:00am (instead of 6:30am)

I think she was tired all day . . .she usually doesn't whine but she did several times yesterday.  She is 7 months and is only getting about about 13 hours of sleep a day . . . is that enough? 

How do I know when to push the nap longer (PU/PD) or if I should get her up?  She is so hard to read when she wakes up from naps because usually she is crying.  Does that mean she is tired and I should keep PU/PD to extend the nap?  I really appreciate your help and suggestions - I could use the support after 2 weeks of 1+plus PU/PD sessions!      Thanks.