9 month naps changing and back to early w/u!

[OliverRowland]

Hi, my ds will be 9 months next week.  Over the last week his naps have been off and he is waking early in the am's again!
Before this, we had a good 3-4 week stretch where I thought we had made some fabulous progress and we were on our way!  I let my guard down!  He was sleeping from 7pm to 6am, and 2 1.5 hour naps.  He doesn't display sleep cues, so I went by the clock.   BUT now he will wake early from his naps (today was 25min into the nap!)...usually the pm nap.   And he is also waking at 5:00-5:15am!!!!!!!   What has happened!!!!!

I know the 9month mark is a big develpomental one.  He isn't crawling yet and I don't know if he is close to it (not sure what I am looking for to say that he is close).  This week he has also become significantly more vocal...doesn't cry but yells.   He seems more impatient too.   Teething...well he has been teething since 4 months.  I thought he had one coming in but every time I look it hasn't come thru (been looking for a week now!)

Does anyone have any advice as to how to get my ds back on track?

This has been his schedule:

6am w/u
6:30 brf
7:30-7:45 breakfast
9-10:30 nap
10:30 brf
11:45-12 lunch
1:30-3 nap
3 brf
4:30-4:45 supper
6:30 brf
7 asleep

Thank you!

[*Natasha*]

Ok try and strech out the afternoon nap to 2pm perhaps that awake time needs extending so he is tired enough for a long nap.

[writelydivided]

We are in a similar boat. . . .

My little guy (almost 9 months) has gone from sleeping nearly 12 hours at night (7 pm to 7 am) to more like 11, and naps haven't gotten longer. Perhaps it's a nine month thing? I've been wondering, too, if it's developmental. Mine's not crawling either, just rolling everywhere. He's also started yelling/screaming at times. Very disturbing!

He seems to alternate between a 1.25 hour nap and a 20-30 minute nap. If he sleeps over an hour, he wakes happy. If less, he's crying and visibly tired. Usually, the longer nap is in the morning. I think he's been getting progressively overtired. I can use pat/shh if the nap starts poorly, but not if he wakes up early. That just turns into 40 minutes of crying for him, and a sore back for me from leaning over the crib.

7 AM (although the last few days this has been 6:30 ish) - wake, BF @ 7
8 AM solids
9:45 nap (was about 1.25 to 1.5 hours; today, 20 mins , plus 40 of unsuccessful sh/pat)
11 or 11:15 AM FF
12:15 solids
2:00 nap (same as above; usually shorter than AM nap. Today's was an hour, but he woke crying.)
3:00  or on waking later (when the starts align ), FF
5:00 solids
6:15 bath
6:45 BF, had been asleep at
7:00. . . but last three nights, this has been 7:30

I've no real advice. . . Maybe just reassurance that you aren't alone (although my wake up times look a bit easier to deal with. . . Sorry!).

[OliverRowland]

Natasha, do you think he is ready for more A time?!  Should I build into it or just try 30 min more right away?  So I should be shooting for 3.5 A time just for b/w nap #1 and #2?   Keep the #1 nap at 90min if he'll do it?  Thanks.   Is this normal for the 9 month mark?

Writelydivided, I have read that the 9 month mark can be tough.  Especially tough as we think we have finally figured things out and bam they go and change things on us again....how dare they!   Do yu know what to look for when someone says: "he is almost crawling"?  keep me posted as to how you are doing and especially if you figure things out!

[KathrynK]

it seems that 9 months can be a really disruptive time for naps- certainly we experienced it. Longer A times was the key for us. I would try to keep the am nap at 90 mins for now and extend the A times after as Natasha suggested.

[OliverRowland]

Thank you.  Will certainly give it a go!

[writelydivided]

Here's my update:

Had a terrible afternoon yesterday: after giving all his tired signs, doing our wind down, we ended up with immediate crying when I lay him down, required "nap intervention" (pats on the back; a few pu/pd), and a dreaded 20 minute nap. (Luckily I had an afternoon babysitter who helped deal with the aftermath. . . . )

But, he slept (well, was in bed) 12 hours last night. (Gas incident about 10 pm meant about 25 minutes of frantic crying, pu/pd to get him back to sleep.)

Up at 7:10 AM. Wouldn't BF. . . Grrr.

But, an AMAZING nap from 10 am-12 pm, followed by another AMAZING 3:30 - 4:30 nap. Someone must have done a baby switch on me. I seriously don't remember the last time he had a 2 hour nap. Maybe the slightly longer awake times helped? They happened more by circumstance than design. I actually forgot to start putting him down when I usually do this morning, and this afternoon I had to drive my afternoon babysitter back to her campus, otherwise I would have started his nap at 3:00 (he was showing tired signs then).

Bedtime was late for us, about 7:40. I think I actually may have kept him up too long, tonight. He had trouble settling to BF, but finally did (thank goodness, after this morning's strike!).

I did add room darkening curtains this weekend. . . . maybe that was the trick. I've learned not to get too excited with one day's naps!

Any progress on your schedule, OliverRowland?

I take "almost crawling" to mean mobile, but not crawling. My little guy's an expert roller. He does great pushups, and will sort of get one knee bent and inch forward a bit, but then decide rolling's easier.

[OliverRowland]

Hi, sorry I haven't been on lately.  Lo and I flew up to visit family for a long weekend (thurs-monday).  he did well considering.   Ds' sleep patterns have changed again.  I am afraid to speak about it in case i jinx it!    He is now waking later than our usual start time!  He has gone from waking 5-5:30am to later than 6:30 yesterday and this morning (6:50 and 6:40)!  He did however wake early am (3am and 4:30am) but put himself back to sleep.  It's wonderful considering we just returned from a trip!  I am hoping he just isn't trying to catch up on sleep and only temporary. 

So, with him waking later I am assuming that I should push his day back to accommodate?

He has also had a couple of upset early wake ups from naps which are unusual for him.  I have been able to get in there and gets hands on and shh him back to sleep which is also unusual for him (when he wakes early he is usually happy but tough to get back to sleep and is usually in my arms).  What's going on here?!?!?!

The other thing but bad thing that has changed since returning from our trip is separation anxiety.  It happens in the afternoons only so far.  When  prep his tub he cries when I leave the room.  He NEVER cries.  Some mums from my play group have said that that is not unusual after a trip.  But will it go away and how do I handle it? 

Ideas and recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

How are things going writelydivided?

[writelydivided]

I know what you mean about being afraid to speak for fear of jinxing. . .

The last few days, my husband has been on vacation from work, and was handling naps while I worked (I work from home). He recognized Jack's sleepy signs better than I had been (well, actually he just trusted them more than I did), and we've had more successful, longer naps with shorter A times. Nap number one has been about 2.5 hours after morning wake up (had been closer to 3), and nap number two 3 (had been 3.5) hours after wake up from nap one. Shhh!!!! Don't tell anyone, but we've had THREE days of 3+ total hours of naps; I'd been lucky to get 1.5!

I think it's a combo of Jack not getting overtired and recent great improvement with his reflux. I've been surprised that his night sleeping hasn't changed at all: still asleep by 7:15 at the latest, and up about 11.75 to 12 hours later.

I haven't had to deal with separation anxiety, so I'm afraid I can't offer any insight. I was encouraged though to hear that your trip went well. We hope to travel to see family this summer, and I'm kind of nervous about it since Jack's never slept anywhere but his crib, except for one weekend when he was about 10 weeks--but that was easy.

[*Natasha*]

That is great news sometimes it is about tweaking the routine and keeping an eye those sleep cues.