Help with overtired 8 mo

[wendi]

Hi

any advice welcome on my situation...My DS is almost 8 months and has suddenly started taking 30min naps, his routine used to look like this:


6:30  - 7am wake   
7:30 bottle
8am breakfast
9am nap (was 1.5h)
12 noon lunch
1.30pm nap (was 1h)
3pm bottle
4pm dinner
5pm catnap
6:30pm bath
7:00pm bed


Now he's awake before 6 in the morning, I put him down for his first nap around 9/9:15am when he's showing all the signs of being tired and he drops off no problem, but he's been waking again within the half hour and it's really impacting on his day, I leave him when he wakes to see if he'll drop off again, which he used to do, but not any more. Then by the time 1pm comes around he's very tired and only sleeps for 30 Min's again
- Today he didn't even make it to 5pm for his catnap (which I realise he should have dropped by now ) and just cried at dinner, wouldn't eat so he went for a catnap early, awoke crying at 5pm. I put him to bed at 5:45pm he was hysterical but finally dozed off. He's just so tired I don't know what to do....... it's a viscous circle as I've put him to bed so early tonight I know he'll be awake early again tomorrow and the cycle starts again.
He is normally such a happy little boy and its awful to see him in such bad form.
Any help appreciated. Thanks.

[wellerhouse]

My DS is almost 8 mos old and is doing the same thing.  What I do is go into his room when he wakes up and try to quiet him down with pat/sh (it still works for him like a charm!) and he will usually go back to sleep for at least another 45 minutes if not longer.  Another thing might be to try wake to sleep.  I haven't tried that yet, but it seems to work for a lot of people.  I am not sure how it works exactly, but the basics are to go in before he usually wakes up and stir him a little then he'll go back to sleep to start the sleep cycle over.  I'm sure a moderator will be able to tell you exactly how it's supposed to work, but I hope that helps a little!  Good Luck!!

Daysha

[wendi]

Thanks Daysha. Days like this I think I'm the only one with a bad daytime sleeper.... I have been threatening to try W2S but have been afraid to try it in case I wake him up earlier still, (also he cannot sleep when I'm about as I distract him). I will have to try something though...

[tammy29]

Hi.I have been posting here recently with the EXACT same problem.My dd is 7 months old and her naps are 30mins too.She will not go back to sleep if i am there either.Im at my wits end.She is starting to wake up earlier and earlier in the mornings now.It was 4:45am this morning.I haven't had much help so far to be honest.Im getting desperate now.Hopefully you might yet some good advice that i can try too.

[Colin Macs Mom]

Wendi, you're right, it IS a vicious circle. The problem with short naps is that even if night sleep remains good, LO stays in a cycle of overtiredness, which then furthers the bad napping.

Like Daysha said, wake to sleep is a really good technique and so is pat/shhh or a variation.

[Mamoushka]

Hi ladies!

I agree that trying w2s is iffy to try since it will likely wake him instead of prolonging the nap, but the way I see it, won't he/she likely wake up after 30 mins anyways? At least this way, you may get a little more out of his/her nap! I was sceptical at first, I tried it a few times, and it worked! Sometimes, I was too late, and he would wake so I had to jiggle his bum while he is on his side (our version of shush/pat) and it would send him back to sleep. Sometimes only for 15 minutes more, but at least it was a bit more. I must admit that I took to sitting next to the crib with my book, and when I notice him stirring, I just reposition him, or put my hand on his chest, or back and he is off again. I now don't need to w2s and he will more often than not finally give me an hour nap! And for the record, he was a 30-45 minute napper since birth. Another trick is that introduced a paci/soother! I will deal with that later, but for now, I need sleep and Y time!