3 week old not settling well at night

[Keren]

I am trying to implement EASY with my three week old. Her routine is:

E 7:30
A 8:15
S 8:30

E 10:30
A 11:15
S 11:30

E 1:30
A 2:15
S 2:30

E 4:30
A 5:15
Refuses to take a nap
E 6:30
S 7:00 (my ideal time)

However she is finding it very difficult to go to sleep at 7:00pm and it is usually 8:30 by the time I get her down. She goes down relatively easy for naps. A few grumbles or cries at naps but at 7:00pm it is full on wailing. She is very alert during the first feed of the day then the other feeds are done almost asleep and she seems not to be able to stay awake. Then when she gets to 4:30pm she is wide awake again and will stay alert.

Is she napping too long in the day and making her too awake at bedtime? Should I maybe decrease her nap length to 1.5hrs and keep her awake after her feeds a little longer?

My first child just bombed at 7pm and I have no idea how I did that lol.

Thanks
Keren

[LŠuren]

Hi Keren
By the looks of your routine your LO can stay up an hour between naps.

If this is the case, that fact she is missing her catnap is interfering with her bedtime, that is why she is finding it difficult to sleep.

There is a couple things you can try;
1.Keep the 'A' time low key after her 2:30pm nap and start her winddown about 10-15 before the end of the hour 'A' time (so winddown at 5:15pm for catnap at 5:30pm).   Catnap is about 30 to 45mins?

2. If you still find after trying the above she will not take a catnap, try and go for a walk in her buggy at that time and she is she will take a nap that way, at least you can then see the difference in her bedtime routine if she has a catnap.

I personally would changer her daytime naps until you can get her to start taking a catnap.

HTH's