Back to 2 short naps at 9 mo- do third nap, or bed early?

[clarapist]

Ah, the joys of having a baby that changes. Just when you think you have them figured out, they change.
We were card carrying members of the 45 minute nap club. At 6-7 months, he started lengthening his first nap to 1.5 hours, and then for a week or two, was doing 2 long naps.  He is on 4 hour EASY, 3 solid meals/day. We dropped dreamfeed successfully at 7mo.

After the time sprang forward, all heck has broken loose.  First, instead of sleeping 8-7, he's now waking at 6:30ish (which WOULD have been 5:30). That's a different issue.

The main issue is, that the short naps have returned. I have tried lengthening A times, shortening, etc. but nothing changes them. He is an independent sleeper for naps and bed: put down wide awake, might fuss or cry for a few minutes, (has been more lately, due to SA?) but always falls asleep independently.

Here's what yesterday and the day before looked like (the day before, however, there was no 3rd nap, and we put him to bed at 7:00)

6:30 wide awake- Mommy tries to stay in bed till 7:00
E 7:15 (FF) Breakfast one hour later
S 9:05-9:45
E 11:15 with Lunch an hour after
S 1:00-1:50 (Woke up crying) Only stopped crying when I picked him up.  (PU/PD never worked with him)
E 3:15
Went to do errands with DH and guess who fell asleep in the car from 4:10-5:50!!!!
Dinner:6:00pm
Bath, Bottle 7:45
Asleep by 8:00

SO, the same thing has happened today. In the past, if he needs a 3rd nap, I usually have taken him for a walk around 4:30 (Mommy needs to lose the last 7 pounds! and he usually fell asleep for another 45 minutes. I am tempted to just put him to bed tonight at 6, BUT I'm wondering if a) he will be hungry enough for a bottle to last him all night and b) he's NEVER slept 12 hours, and I'm scared he'll wake at 5:30.

ANY THOUGHTS?
Jill

[*Natasha*]

Ok first of all the early wake up is due to overtidness with the 45min naps returning.i always advise as this is what i do and that is an early bedtime rather than another nap. Sounds like you may be ready to extend his awake time. At this age my DD was doing:

7am - Wake
9.30am - Nap 1.5hrs
2pm - Nap 1-1.5hrs
7pm - Bedtime.

[bmommy]

I am experiencing the same thing with my 8.5 month DD. After the time change, naps starting getting a little crazy and she started waking up around 6:30 instead of 7. The morning nap is still good, anywhere from 1.5 to 2.5 hours, but the afternoon nap is short, about 45 min. DD is not crawling yet, so I don't think that it is a milestone thing. So, I should be taking out the catnap and putting DD to bed early? I will try it and let you know what happens.

[bmommy]

Sorry, didn't post our schedule.
6:30 - wake up, bf, cereal and fruit an hour later
8:30 or 9 - nap for 1.5-2.5 hours
11:00 - bf, lunch an hour later
1:00 or 1:30 - nap for 45 min.
3:00 - bf
try for a catnap around 5:30
6:00 - dinner, then bath
7:15 ish - bf
asleep by 8:00 (have been trying earlier the past couple of days, with no success yet)
DD falls asleep independently after cuddling and lullabies on the couch. She has slept through the night since 3.5 months

[clarapist]

Hi BMommy, I will be VERY interested to see your results!  I am chicken to drop the catnap if short pm nap.

Jill

[Layla]

Bmommy - around 9 months, alot find that they need to cut the morning nap to get a good afternoon nap in. I have to do this with my lo and everytime I let her sleep past 45 mins, she takes a short 45 min nap in the afternoon. Totally ruins the whole day... tired by bedtime (won't take a catnap) and then starts waking up earlier in the morning. I would actually cut it down to 1hr to start with.

Good luck
Layla

[bmommy]

Well, dropping the catnap has actually worked out alright. The first night I think that I waited too long to put her to bed, but the rest of the nights I put her in her crib aroung 6:45 and she went to sleep by about 7. Now, the morning wake is later, but we have had a couple of night wakings due to teething, so I can't really say if she is sleeping later because I put her to bad earlier or because her sleep is interrupted at night.
Her naps have been averaging 1.5 hours.
Today has been a bit nuts because DD is fussy and her naps have been about an hour today and she is not taking a catnap. I guess tonight will be a really early bedtime.
I thought that extending her awake time might be difficult and result in a worse nap, but it has been quite easy and she is less reluctant to nap.
I will update again when teething seems to be settling down. You would think we would get a break after getting 6 teeth all within a month and a half!
Layla - how long is the afternoon nap if the morning is cut to 1 hr?

[Layla]

Well mine has always only slept for like 1hr15mins for her afternoon nap (when I cut the morning nap to 45mins). She's only rarely done more than 1.5hrs in the pm. If I let her sleep an hour in the morning, she will only take a 45min nap in the afternoon. On the plus side, she's always done 12+hrs at night so I think thats why she's a short napper.

Alot find if they cut the morning nap to 45mins, they get 1.5-2hrs out of them in the afternoon. You can try experimenting and see how she will do if you cut her morning nap to 1hr. If she's still taking a short pm nap then try 45mins in the morning.

[clarapist]

Hi all-- I am back after no internet access for over 24 hours!!! (I got so much done!) Well, Connor must have a "reset" button!! Yesterday, after a 5:50am wake up, he did a 1.5 hour nap in am, then after his 9mo appt, slept for 2.5 hours in the pm (I woke him after 2.5 hrs at 4:30!!) His bottle would have been at 3, so he went to bed later , without eating much (8:45-- my husband put him down and it took him 45 min of struggling with him to take 1.5 oz) SO, I decided to dreamfeed him at 10 (This won't be a habit, but I just wanted to top him off) ANYWAY, my little cherub slept till 8:00!!!!  He took an hour nap in am (I woke him b/c we had to go to Gymboree) and 1.5 in the pm, and then asleep by 8:30.  I REALLY hope that the reset button sticks!!!!  He has never done more than 11 hours, so maybe he's starting to lengthen to 12.
One question-for I&J's mum:  How long are J's A times from awake to first nap, first to second, and second to bedtime??  THX!

[Layla]

That sounds amazing!!! I surely hope he will keep this up (and give you much needed rest  .

Jaz's A time in the morning is 3hrs then in the afternoon its 3hrs (although alot do 3.5 but mine has yet to master that) and 4hrs before bedtime.

Btw - I've just realised that I've been calling your lo a "she" instead of "he".... sorry I'm in lala land these days 

[clarapist]

Thx- that was almost exactly Connor's A times today and yesterday (and I didn't even notice you were calling him a she!)
Has your LO dropped to 3 bottles/BF yet?  I'm finding that the 3rd bottle is pushed back after the long pm nap, and then not very hungry for 4th (bedtime) bottle.

What is the time diff b/n US (east coast) and you? Is it 18 hours? Just wondering. It's 10:35 pm here.

[Layla]

Bottles - we're going from 3 to 4 bottles sometimes, depending on how well she's eaten thorughout the day. She's a terribly fussy eater so I do need to work at that as well  . I know what you mean about the last bottle. If she's had 3 full bottles in the day, the last one is a little less in quanitity so I see it more like a top up before bedtime.

I think its 14hrs difference. Its 1.35pm here now

[EsMum]

Bmommy - around 9 months, alot find that they need to cut the morning nap to get a good afternoon nap in. I have to do this with my lo and everytime I let her sleep past 45 mins, she takes a short 45 min nap in the afternoon. Totally ruins the whole day... tired by bedtime (won't take a catnap) and then starts waking up earlier in the morning. I would actually cut it down to 1hr to start with.

Good luck
Layla

Hi Layla, I just want to say THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!  My LO is 9mo and pretty consistently naps 45m in the am and 1.25 in the pm (it does change but this seems to be the pattern, more or less), and all I hear is how I'm supposed to extend naps.  This is the first time I've read anywhere that her naps are ok!  She usually gets a good 12hrs at night, last night was closer to 13hrs, so I know she's getting enough sleep.

I've been driving myself insane over this, and reading your post made me feel so much better.

Thank you!
Michelle.

[Layla]

Oh Gosh thank you for the thank you's . I was always really worried about the short naps with my 1st born... she always took a 45min nap in the morning and she seemed to be ok on that. Your lo is doing something similar to Jasmine - she has these amazing 12+hrs at night (although not at this very moment since she is teething and the time change has stuffed her around) and she is a "short" napper - 45mins in the morning and 1hr20max in the afternoon....

Layla

[clarapist]

When, oh when will my LO sleep for 12 hours at night??  He does 11 at the most. Ok, I'll stop complaining now.   He's done 2 long naps again today!