Do the 45 minute naps ever stop? How does EASY work with it?

[Nic and Jackson]

Hi guys
just tell me that there is a light at the end of the tunnel!  My 5 1/2 month daughter naps only 45 mins each time and i was just wondering will it ever end or am i destined to endure this even when she is older?

Also, i have a bit of a struggle with EASY in that, because she only naps 45 mins, she's ready to sleep before she should be ready to eat so i end up feeding her more often as a result.  I mean she is 5 1/2 months and i am still  feeding her every 3 hours just to try and work an EASY routine.  I try to have her awake for 2 hours minimum just to stretch her feeds.

Oooh, i'm so confused.  i have managed to extend naps sometimes with W2S or a wheat bag for same purpose but it doesn't always work and three days a week i am totally on my own with baby and toddler who interrupts any of my attempts to settle.  Anyone have any suggestions on an EASY routine for these types of babies?

ta Nic

[KathrynK]

I had a 45min napper and sometimes I could extend her naps but I learnt to just go with the flow.
Basically what you end up doing is some sort of EASAS where he won't necessarily eat during every wake time, if you have him on a 4hr EASY, which he should be at his age. So your day would look something like this:
7am wake & eat
9am nap
9.45 wake
11am eat
11.45am nap
12.30pm wake
2.30pm nap
3.15pm wake & eat
etc
so you can see that there is an awake stretch between 12.30 and 2.30 where there's no milk necessary.
It does take some juggling and a need to be flexible (which I can appreciate must be challenging with a toddler) but can be done! It's more common then you think.
As far as growing out of 45min naps goes, my dd was 5.5 months when she did. I noticed completely by accident- one morning I heard her wake after 45mins but was busy doing something so didn't go to her for over 5 minutes- when I went in she had gone back to sleep! I thought Aha! and then every nap I would leave her for 5-10 min to see if she would go back off and 9 times out of 10 she did. After a couple of weeks she stopped waking at all. So I guess what I am saying is don't get him up straight away when he wakes, try leaving him for a bit if you can and see if he goes back to sleep.
hth
kathryn

[Nic and Jackson]

thanks
yes i usually try not to respond to her straight away so she has a chance to go back to sleep, and if she starts squawking then go in.

i asked the health nurse if i could have her up for a period of time without having a feed (thinking along the same lines as you) and she said no but i think your way sounds much easier and better.
thanks

[ej020575]

We've got a 20-30 minute napper!  I would love a 45 minute napper! 

Kathryn - would you recommend just leaving babies of any age (as you know, our little boy is 16 weeks) to see if they go back to sleep (providing they're not crying) or would you recommend doing shush pat, which does work for us quite a lot of the time? If we keep doing shush pat, then won't he become dependent on that to get him back to sleep all the time?

We don't use shush pat to get him to sleep - apart from if he is really unsettled. 

[Nic and Jackson]

Hey EJ

Don't worry maybe you can work your 20 minute napper up to 45 minutes too by the time she's 6 months old! LOL    I just have this sneaky suspicion that she will never EVER have a long nap for the rest of her life!!  when she wakes up it's impossible to get her back to sleep with shush pat or anything.  sometimes W2S has worked but she seems to have that sussed out too now!!!

Nic

[ej020575]

You won't believe how much I am counting the days until he is 6 months old.

I swing from thinking "it is what it is" to "I'm a bad mummy for not doing all I can to help him nap better" fairly regularly i.e. 10 times a day!

The thing is, he is fine in himself on multiple short naps and is great at night as well. I just see such an even better improvement in him if he naps longer during the day, plus longer naps benefit him EASY wise.

[Aly Mac]

Hi Ladies - we end up on the same thread as we are all so desperate!! I also go back and forth with just letting it be to wanting to *fix* it.  My lo is also great at night - no nw now.  So why do I worry....?  It just gets so tiring the cycle of wake/sleep/wake/sleep as there isn't much time in between.  And then it mucks up the last nap int he day (bc sh'es had 4naps already...) and wont sleep and meltsdown at 6pm!!!  thats' why!! 

I just keep thinking - patience......  I know she can do it, I just wish it was something that I did so I could do it again.

Also, it's fine to leave them to see if they will settle by themselves. In fact its' the only successful thing I have found that works for her to sleep longer (if I could keep DH out of there on the weekends). You'll know when to go in IYKWIM. 

You'll also find that alot of easy is really easae....

[Nic and Jackson]

I know what you mean and EASY would be easier if they complied.  i sort of end up on a 3 hour EASY as it is too hard to try and juggle it all around to 4 hours but i know i'll have to get it sorted as she starts solids now.

trouble is this is my 2nd child (and my first was a great sleeper) so it's hard to find time to try and work on her naps when he is around.  should have had her first and him second.

don't worry, you are being a good mummy and i hope your little one does sort himself out by 6 months.  Me, I just walk around like a zombie now.  Mum reckons my memory is atrocious - gee i wonder why???  sleep deprivation does shocking things to your system!

[ej020575]

NicandJackson - Funny you should mention about having more than one, I was thinking over the weekend what we would do if we had a little brother or sister for Alex and how we couldn't do half the resettling etc that we do if we had another to look after. I feel for you!

Aly Mac - I agree with the tiring thing. I don't especially find it tiring all the A time - it's the resettling I find tiring. Being in a darkened room for about 2 hours a day sends me a bit mad! You're also right about hoping it's something I can do to help - I would do anything for my little boy and I wish I knew whether it was something I could do to help or whether he just has to get there developmentally himself.

[KathrynK]

Emma- have you tried leaving him to see if he can resettle himself without shh/pat? Tracy always said in the books don't necessarily rush in when you hear him wake, give him the opportunity to try to go back to sleep on his own.

Trust me, ladies you are not alone! We have all been through the 45 min nap thing and it does get better in the end I promise. In the meantime all you can do is just try your best at using the different techniques to help your lo's sleep and they will be grateful for it- you are super mummies!