Routine for 45 minute napper?

[carolynq]

I've just re-read the section in "Solves All Your Problems" about pick up/put down for 4 month and older babies.  She states. "If the baby is fine during the day, and a good sleeper at night, it might just be a case of her biorhythm - she doesn't need the longer naps."

So, if I have a baby that only needs 45 minute to 1 hour naps, what does my EASY look like?  He is 5 months old and is not too difficult to put down about 2 hours after he wakes up.  So, for example, he wakes up at 6:30am and I feed him then put him down for a nap at 8:30am.  He fusses/cries a little, but goes to sleep.  He then wakes up 35 minutes to an hour later.  Should I feed him even though he is 5 months and that is less than 4 hours?  If he is on a longer than 3 hour cycle, how do I work eating and activity and sleeping together?

Thank you so much for your advice.  An additional trouble is that he weighs around 20 lbs and I am a small woman.  Pick up/Put down is really not an option for attempting to extend naps, anyways.
Carrie

[vadensmommy]

At five months he probably should be on a 4 hour EASY, especially since he is staying awake for 2 hours at a time.  I would not feed him before the 4 hour mark, unless he is hungry.  If he is formula fed, he probably can go that long fairly comfortably.  If he is nursing, he might not be able to.  Has he always had 45 minute naps?  Or is this just started for you?  I would work on extending the naps if he seems cranky or grumpy when waking up from his nap.  You could try wake to sleep, but it looks like the times are a bit inconsistent - btwn 35min and 1hr.  So that would make it hard to know when to go in.  If he is happy with the 45 min naps, his routine would be more like EASAE with awake time before it is time for eating time.  You might want to post your routine and we can look at maybe some other reasons why he is having short naps.

[carolynq]

I'm breastfeeding exclusively, at this point.  He has had 45 minute naps or less since birth except for rare occasions and about 2 weeks when he was 3 months old (I thought we had had a breakthrough).  I've tried the wake-to-sleep, but I could never figure out exactly what was supposed to happen.  i also never knew when to go in since I could go in at 30 minutes and then wait half an hour (and I have two other kids at home right now).  He usually wakes up crying, but as soon as he sees my face (or his Dad's) he is all smiles and very cheery.  Whenever we take him out people always comment on what a mellow fellow he is (also how big he is  ).  He also sleeps about 11 hours at night.  Here is a typical day:

7am wake up and nurse
9am put down for a nap
(9:40-)10am wake up
10-10:30am nurse (I usually hold off as long as I can manage, but I often cave before he's showing signs of really being hungry)
12pm put down for a nap
(12:45-)1pm wake up
1:15-1:30 nurse (again, I try and hold off until over 3 hours, but sometimes I feed right at 3 hours)
2:15pm put down for a nap
2:50pm wakes up from a nap (usually this is the last nap he takes)
4:15pm nurse
6:30pm bath
6:45-7:00pm nurse
8pm bedtime

That is a very approximate routine since everything shifts based on nap amounts.  I usually feed on a 3-3.5 hour cycle.  Sometimes I only get two naps if he takes a long one (say 1.5-2 hours).  The only times we really do 4 hour feeds are when he sleep for a 2 hour stretch (something that occurs maybe once every 2-3 weeks).

Any insight?  Thanks!
Carrie

[rooroo]

Hi there,

What a coincidence, I just joined so I could ask a similar question! My little one ( 4 1/2 months old) has always taken 45 min naps, which has meant we've always had activity time before eating, and I tend to put him down after 1 1/2 hours when he gets tired, so for the next feed we're up early as well.

We've been trying this week to go to a 4 hour EASY, he's doing really well on the eating side, but he's  getting so tired staying up, even 9 am is a struggle.

I'm beginning to question the benefits of the 4/4 routine,  he seemed much happier on the 3 hour one. If there are no transition signs is it really worth doing?

Thanks
Sarah

[vadensmommy]

Carolynq: Well, you say that ds wakes up crying, but when you go in he is all smiles.  Does he stay smiley for the rest of his A time, or does he get cranky early from having such a short nap?  If he functions fine on those 45 minutes, and is sleeping fine at night, then he may just be a short napper, and doesn't need anymore sleep.  But that does stink for you with having such a short napper and two other lo's in the house, not much Y time I expect.

The other thing I am thinking is that he may be having these short naps because he is hungry.  Do you offer both breasts for each feeding to make sure he is getting a full tummy?  I have bottle fed since dd was a week old, so I am just thinking outloud, and none of these may be good solutions - as I don't have any first hand experience to rely on    If you think he might be taking short naps due to hunger, you could try to do something like EAEAS and feed him twice during his A times, to try and tank him up before nap time, and see if that helps.  Since he is such a big boy, he just may need more, I don't know.  Well I just re-read what you posted and it sounds like you cave even when he doesn't seem really hungry.  Are you creating a snacker?  Where he doesn't take in as much as he needs to take him to a 4 hour EASY?  Again just thinking aloud.    Other than that your routine looks fine if he is able to handle that amount of A time - especially right before bed.  Looks like over 4hours A time between last nap and bed

rooroo - All I can tell you is that my dd was a HORRIBLE 45 min napper on a 3hr EASY.  We transitioned to a 4 hour EASY and she hasn't had a 45 min nap since (well maybe a couple, but not many)   The key for us was making sure that first A time was a good 2 hours, and she takes a pretty good nap- 1.5-2 hrs.  45 min naps often mean not enough A time, so that would be my first suggestion is to see if that will help.  The only problem with keeping them on a 3hr EASY as they get older is that 1) they often don't want to feed as early 2) it can interfere with their night time sleep.  If you aren't having problems with either of those - stay with what works, and transition when you start to see those signs that signal he is ready for something different.  HTH!

[carolynq]

Thanks for your input.  In reality, the 4:15pm nursing usually turns into a sleep/nurse session. 

Over the last few days I've been much stricter about putting him down exactly two hours after he wakes up and feeding him when he wakes up or at 3 hours, whichever is later.  I seem to be able to get another 30 minute nap in by doing that.  Also, the second nap has been more like an hour plus as opposed to 35-45 minutes.  He is also getting over a cold, so that could be what is causing him to sleep more.  Still, I'm feeling like a much saner person just from that amount of extra sleep.

I think I will stick with the 3 hour EASY for now and increase in time if his nighttime sleep starts to be interupted.  Thanks again-
Carrie

[vadensmommy]

Sounds good.  If he starts having night wakings, you may have to take another look at things.  It's great he is such a good sleeper at night   Keep up the great work!  And it may be when he starts solids (which I am assuming you're waiting for the 6mo mark for) he'll start to go longer between feedings.  Post back if you run into any other questions or problems!