third nap nightmare

[kallaroo]

hi,
i have a 9 week old ds and started him on EASY three weeks ago.  his naps use to be around 20mins and he would only nap about 2 hours a day-i was crying more than him.!!  Since i started EASY we are now managing about 4 hrs a day
he sleeps really well for his first nap and i often have to wake him.  the second i do shh pat after 45 mins and most times he will fall back to sleep, the third he fights from the beginning and would wake after 30mins, it can take me the rest of his nap time to resettle.
if i gave him an extra 15 mins or half an hr at the first nap or divided it between the first two would that compensate for his last nap (his cat naps last only 20mins) and give him the extra rest he needs or do i just persevere.



 

[*Natasha*]

Could you post your routine?

[kallaroo]

thanks for responding
ive been doing EASY for three or four weeks now so the last two there has been more of a pattern.8.15
E 7.00-7.30/45
A 7.45-8.10
S 8.15/8.30-10.00 (SETTLES REALL WELL)
E 10.15-10.45/11
A 10.45/11-11.10/15
S 11.30-1ish (WILL ALWAYS WAKE AFTER 40/45-can most times resettle until 1 where i wake him or he will wake @12.45)
E 1.15-1.45
A 1.45-2.10/15
S 2.15-(CRIES ALOT,THRASHES UNTIL 2.40ISH)SLEEPS FOR 35-45 MINS THEN WILL USUALLY TAKE REST OF NAP FOR ME TO SETTLE HIM. I TURN HIM ON HIS SIDE AND PAT HIM.IF HE DOES FALL ASLEEP IT IS ABOUT 10 MINS BEFORE HE IS DUE TO WAKE UP.
E 4 OR 4.15
A 4.45-6.30- WILL PLAY AND THEN WE WILL GO FOR A WALK FOR AN HR OR MORE AND HE WILL SLEEP APPROX 20MINS.
S CATNAP APPROX 20MINS BETWEEN 5 AND 6.30.
A 6.30- BATH (WHICH HE LOVES)
7.00/7.15 FEED
7.30/8.45 SLEEP (TAKES ABOUT 20-30 MINS TO SETTLE)
11.00 DREAM FEED

HE IS A VERY GOOD BABY.  HE DOESNT REALLY CRY TO BE FED, BUT WILL ALWAYS FEED EVERY THREE HRS. I AM BREAST FEEDING AND HE DOES LOOK AROUND A LOT AND SO FEEDING CAN TAKE EVEN LONGER SO IM NOT SURE IF HE IS NOT THAT HUNGRY OR IF THIS IS JUST NORMAL CURIOUSITY. HE CAN GO UP TO 3 AND A HALF HRS WITHOUT A FEED- IVE ONLY TRIED THIS FOR ONE FEED, NOT THE WHOLE DAY. HE WOULD USUALLY CRY FOR HIS 7P.M FEED. IF WE ARE IN THE HOUSE AT AROUND 6.00 HE WILL GET VERY GRUMBLY BUT IF HE IS OUT WALKING HE IS FINE. I WATCH OUT FOR HIS TIRED SIGNS AS HE GETS OVERTIRED EASILY AND GETS VERY UPSET AND AGITATED AND IT IS REALLY DIFFICULT TO GET HIM TO SLEEP.
IF HE DOESNT MANAGE TO CATNAP THEN HE GETS REALLY GRUMPY AS HE WOULD HAVE BEEN AWAKE FOR SO LONG. IF HE CATNAPS TOO CLOSE TO 6.30 THEN HE IS REALLY ALERT FOR HIS 7.00 FEED AND DIFFICULT TO GET HIM TO SLEEP.
HE GOES DOWN AWAKE IN HIS COT.I DONT WAIT LONG WHEN HE CRIES IN THE MIDDLE OF HIS NAP- MAYBE A FEW MINUTES AS IT DOES ESCALATE. I DONT KNOW AM I INTERVENING TOO SOON.
HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN VERY ALERT AND NEVER BEEN A SLEEPY BABY- HE WOULDNT FALL ASLEEP JUST NATURALLY (IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN).
HE WAS 10LB AT BIRTH AND OVER 15LB NOW SO I DONT KNOW IF SIZE HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH MOVING ONTO A DIFFERENT EASY.
THANKS

[*Natasha*]

It looks like your awake time for the 2nd and 3rd nap are to long and the reason why he is fussing t those times as he is overtired. Your 1st awake time is only 1.15hrs which is geat for this age and probably the reason why he is napping so well for that first nap. I would try:

E 7.00-7.30/45
A 7.45-8.10
S 8.15/8.30-10.00 (SETTLES REALL WELL)
E 10.15-10.45/11
A 10.45/11-11.10/15
S 11.15 - 1
E 1.15-1.45
A 1.45-2.10/15
S 2.15 - 4
E 4.15
A 4.45-5
S CATNAP 5.15-6
A 6.30- BATH (WHICH HE LOVES)
7.00/7.15 FEED
7.30 SLEEP
11.00 DREAM FEED
I would start your windown routine 15mins before sleep.

[kallaroo]

thanks for responding. i didnt know that that would be a long time for a baby to be awake.
we are having a terrible nap day today and im finding it really difficult and feel very overwhelmed.
 i have some more questions- hope you dont mind.
 i do wait until he first yawns and then i bring him up to the room.  do you think i should be bringing him up sooner.(what would be average awake time for a baby and when does it increase)
i wind him down by swaddling him, if he gets upset i shh pat him and then when he calms i sing a song and put him down- he will usually cry again and i try to calm him in the cot.
if he cries in the cot straight away should i turn him on his side then or is it to early to do that?.he initially would calm at shh shh but now gets more upset if i start this.
this morning he started waking at 6.15 but didnt cry out until 6.40. he then went back to sleep at 7.50 and woke at 9.30.
He fed at 9.50 and i took him up to the room at 10.30. he was calm going into cot and fell asleep in 20 mins.  he cried after 40 mins and i only wait about 3 or 4mins to respond as he does escalate.  He escalates more once i enter the room.  i turned him on his side and he initially really fights this.  i picked him up to calm him and he stopped crying straight away.  i put him back down and he started again. i turned him on his side and did shh pat.  he calmed down and after 7 mins i stopped and he started crying. i did it again and this time he would calm for about five mins and just scream out with no build up.  We continued this until i took him out at 12.30.
he was all smiles when i got him out. i fed him at 12.50 and he was sleepy so the feed took about 40 mins.  i took him upstairs and swaddled him and sang to him and he seemed content.  he screamed when i put him down and i eventually got him to sleep on his side after half an hr.  he woke after 40 mins,and i got him back to sleep and waited 20 before leaving the room
should i wait longer before entering the room-? i cant distiguish a mantra cry
would he get dependent on me coming in?
i find i am spending so much time in the room with him during his naps and feel that it was working at first but now not really improving. is this normal to spend this amount of time as i feel like there could be no end to it (and ive only been doing it a few weeks). 
i hope i havent babbled on too much
thanks.
 
   

[heidiruthie]

i too, am very new at this. just managed to get my 12week old onto EASY a month ago and things have gotten SO much better (he too does not just fall asleep; i really have to help him). since i'm new, i'm a little shy at responding, but thought i might offer a couple of suggestions that have worked for my ds. 2 days ago he started doing what your's is doing...3rd nap just wasn't happening! today i'm finding things a bit easier, mainly because i've kept his A time VERY low key (sometimes we just "talk" in his room, listening to lullabies...nothing to bright and stimulating) then, i've also adjusted his A time 15 min earlier than normal. he used to be able to be awake for 1 hour or even 1 hour 15 min, but i think he may be going through a growth spurt and needing more sleep, so i've been watching his cues more than the clock and seeing that his first yawn is after 45min of awake time. as soon as i see it, i swaddle him up, turn down the lights and just hold him in my arms, singing softly to him in the dark. i give him his paci if he wants it. i do this for only 5 min because he gets overtired fast...then i put him in his bed. he likes to "grumble" for about 15 min, then falls asleep. i've found that if i wait until his 2nd or 3rd yawn, it is MUCH more difficult to get him to sleep. this is only the first day that i've tried these things, but they're working for me, so i thought i'd share, since your baby sounds a lot like mine. i hope things get easier for you. i've had my fair share of days where i've cried more than he has!