finally fixed short naps & now they're back!

[shimmer]

My 5.5 month-old LO was notorious for the 30 minute nap.  After 2 months of PU'PD and pat/sh, she has finally been taking 1 1/2 hour naps for the past month.  Now, today, both of her naps have been weird, like 38 min & 42 min. and then she fusses for 15-20 min. before going back to sleep, where she HAD been going for an hour and a half straight.  The only thing different in her routine the last few days has been that she has fewer night wakings.  Shouldn't that be HELPING?!  And - she doesn't just wake up & fuss after these brief naps.... she is ANGRY!  Why, after almost a month of finally having good naps, would she just.... stop?  And they are ridiculously random lengths, and so I don't understand what it could be!  HELP! 

[Mom to M&M]

She might need longer A times now that she's older? Do you want to post your routine and we'll have a look?

[shimmer]

7:45/8 wake
8 feed
10:00 nap 1
11:30 wake
11:45 feed
1:45 nap2
3:15 wake
3:30 feed
5:30 catnap
6:00 wake (sometimes feed - if she's cranky)
7:30 bath and feed
8:00 in bed

thanks for any help

*she is still swaddled and I wonder if maybe she's getting out of it and waking up...?

[Gage and Sophie's Mom]

hi Shimmer. I would try extending A time by 10-15 min every couple of days, and see if that helps. I would just extend the first A time to a cap of 2.5 hrs or so, second the same, and maybe the last to 3hrs. I would do it slowly watching for her tired cues. At first she may get a bit crabby around 2hrs, so just distract her. If the morning extension fixes the naps then you may want to hold off of the other 2 A times. Just play around with thhe times, but be sure to give them a week or so to work.
HTH
ALice 

[Mom to M&M]

I agree with Alice. I would try 2.25 hours for the first A time and maybe 2.5 hours after that (assuming good first nap). But if it's just one day it could also just be a blip!

[Burmese3]

Hmm...this sounds familiar!  Had similar sort of thing not that long ago.  Our girl is now 6.5months.  And it was indeed the need to extend the Activity time.  Weird though, it just happened so suddenly and I kind of panicked thinking there's something physically wrong with her.   She would scream as soon as I put her down on the change table or into her crib, and doctor confirmed nothing wrong with her.  Extended out her Activity time and she's much better now. 

Now... if only she could get over her waking up around 5am!!! (that's been going on for the last 2 or 3 weeks now).

Good luck.

[Gage and Sophie's Mom]

hi burmese3! I also went through the waking at 5 am , and found that he was getting too much sleep during the day. You might want to visit that, and see if the is something there.