can someone please help me with sample EAEASY for 30 min napper?

[bcmom]

Hey there

I am a wreck.  My ds#2 is 5 months old this week and he is a 30 min napper.  I have tried everything to extend his naps from W2S, pat and shush and even rocking back to sleep (the only thing that has every worked semi-consistently).  But, I have a 3 yr old so can't be doing that every 30 min and now it is taking a toll on me physically and mentally.  Hi night sleep was not too bad but just recently we have had 2 very bad nights...I am not sure if it is due to teething or his recent discovery of being able to say babababababab.  Cute, but not at 1 in the morning.

Anyway, I am almost at the end of my tether and feel like I might just have to give in to the 30 min naps.  That said, I have no idea how to structure his day with feeds and awake times.  He usually eats every 3.5-4 hours and when I have rocked him back to sleep for a 1.5 hour nap, he is able to stay awake for 2 hours.  I am just not sure what his awake time should be is he only has a 30 min nap. 

I don't feel like I am good at reading his tired cues.  He just woke up from a 30 min nap and 5 minutes later he yawned.  No kidding he is tired!  But when is he ready to nap again??

Thanks!
K

[Grace's Mom]

Hello bcmom (k) 

30 minute naps usually mean they are overtired.  I would try putting him down 15 minutes earlier than normal for each nap.  Give it a few days (3-5 days as with any new thing you try it takes a few days for their bodies to actually adjust) and see if that helps any.   

Here are a few links that may help you out some...

https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=80827.0

https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=65944.0

https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=65957.0

https://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=65943.0

Feel free to check out all our EASY FAQ's as there is a ton of great information there.  It's at the top of the EASY thread.

[bcmom]

Thanks for the reply Grace's mom.

I have played around with shortening and lengthening his A times to no avail.  He really is a 30 min napper!     Sometimes, if he is feeling generous, he will sleep for 40 min!

So, like I said, I am at the end of my rope and feeling like I might just have to accept his short naps.  For the most part, he wakes up happy and raring to go.  The longer naps would be nicer for my sake but I know I can't control this...

Hence my plea for anyone else with a short napper at this age (5mos) and suggestions for EASAEY.  I am really finding his sleep needs tough to balance with his bfing needs (3.5 to 4 hrs) and I am afraid bfing him earlier is causing him to take less and maybe resulting in more night wakings...

All thoughts greatly appreciated!
K

[Grace's Mom]

Sorry about the 30 minute naps.  Mine did this from about 6-9 months and it drove me crazy because we were on a perfect routine up until them.  Just keep following your lo's cues, making sure he's going down before becoming overtired and I am sure in time he will grow out of it.  It seems like it might be a crazy phase.

Have you posted on the BF board?  There are some great mom's on there that will have some great advice your BF question(s). 

[shanjakson]

Hi I have a16 week old son Jakson.  He is also a chronic catnapper.  he will sleep for  about 45-50mins at a  time.  i try for 30 mins to resettle and resettle to no avail.  i have been doing EASY with him since birth and until recently has worked really well.  he feeds every 3-3.5hrs.  i just don't know what to do with him when he won't resettle?  do I let him play and then feed?

[Grace's Mom]

If they do wake early....before their next feed time....you do have some A time, then feed them, then some more A time until their next nap. 

For those that have lo's that are waking at the 45 minute mark, have you tried W2S?

Shanjakson: Would you mind posting your routine?
Your lo may need more A time.
-My lo, when waking up early, would never resettle....ever.    

-Melissa

[shanjakson]

Hi,
Yes have tried W2S and PU/PD.  Nothing has worked yet.
Here is our routine mostly.  It does vary day to day depending on Jakson's mood.
7am Feed
7.20am Play
9am Sleep (aim for 1hr 30mins, mostly only an hour)
10.30 Feed
10.50 Play
12.30 Sleep (aim again for 1hr 30mins, mostly only 45mins-1 hour)
1.30pm Feed
1.50 Play
3.30 Sleep (aim again for 1hr 30mins, mostly only 45mins-1 hour)
5pm Feed
5.20 Play, bath
6pm Top up feed
7pm Sleep
9pm Feed or dream feed

I have only recently extended his A time and yesterday he slept 2hr 30mins in the morning an 1hr 20mins in the afternoon!! I was stoked.  Maybe this is the key.
Will see how we go the next few days.
Thanks for advice
Shan and Jakson

[Grace's Mom]

Yeah, with anything new you try....give it at least 3-5 days for the change to really take place.  With in those days there may be some naps that don't extend but don't give up.  It takes a few days for their body to adjust to the change.

After a few days of it, let us know how it goes.

Melissa

[jadeborn]

My DS was a 30 min napper from 2-5 mos.  He took quite a few naps each day to get him through.  If you LO is happy after his thirty minutes and he makes it through the day on several naps, then there shouldn't be too much of a problem.  I found that getting my DS to fall asleep quickly was key.  We had a very ritualistic nap routine that worked in just a couple of minutes because I couldn't spend all day getting him down for naps since he took so many. 
Sometimes my DS would have two naps between feeds.  I didn't worry so much about when the A and the S were.  I just kept the E consistent so that there was some sort of routine during the day.  My DS is also hard to read with tired cues because he actually gets more energized and happy as he gets tired (Weird, but true).  Just watch for yawns (sometimes they are just wake up yawns so don't think he is tired five minutes after a thirty minute nap).  Sometimes my DS only yawns once and I might miss it so I have to be really vigilant.  I also watch for eye rubbing and especially for fussing prior to his getting energized and happy!
My DS now takes two longer naps during the day instead of all those thirty minute naps, so maybe things will change for you!  Hang in there.

[bcmom]

Hi Jadeborn

Thanks for your reply. 

I was wondering if you could elaborate on your nap routine with your son.  You mention that getting your son to fall asleep quickly was key...mine usually goes down pretty quick but any improvements would be welcome!

Also, when you mentioned that you kept the E times consistent, was that from day to day?  My ds wakes at different times each day so we have different E times...

On the weekend he actually took 2 1hr 30 min naps all by himself!  Of course, it was for my dh and I have not been able to repeat that performance but it was still nice to see he has it in him somewhere...

K

[jadeborn]

Congrats on getting your LO to sleep over the weekend!  You should get your DH to tell you EXACTLY what he did.  Maybe he is doing something that you're not. . .

If your LO is going down quickly for naps, then your routine is probably fine.  I don't think it matters exactly what you do, as long as it is extremely consistent. . .for example, I make sure every little detail is exactly the same. . .same music, same thing I say to him, etc.

As far as keeping E consistent, my little guy used to and still does wake at all different times, so I just try to hold him off until about the same time everyday.  For example, I don't feed him breakfast until 7:00 am unless he slept through the night pretty well and I know he is starving. . .then I might give him his bottle at 6:30 and his solids at 7:00.  When he was younger, I paid close attention to when his last night feed was.  I didn't care when he woke up to ate at night (I didn't try to get him to eat at the same times at night), but if his last feed was about three or less hours before he woke up, I would try to wait until an appointed breakfast time.  Or, if he wakes around the appointed breakfast time but he ate only a couple of hours before, I would still feed him, just not as much and then hold him off until the next feed (through distraction or whatever).  That way, we had some semblance of routine even though sleep was so sporatic.

Hope that helps!