Author Topic: 30 - 45 min naps throwing off EASY  (Read 3718 times)

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Offline jilll

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30 - 45 min naps throwing off EASY
« on: November 30, 2008, 23:57:48 pm »
Hi.   I have a 5 month old that is definately not a good sleeper.  She can now put herself asleep (couldn't before due to AP).  At night she will sleep 6 to 8 hours straight, then feed, and sleep another 3 or 4.  During the day she only sleeps 30 minutes, or 45 minutes.  I have tried extending them with no luck.  She is tired when she wakes up from her naps.  Some days our EASY looks like EASAS or ESASE  (she is on a 4 hour routine).  My sister has a baby that gets up approx the same time each day, is awake for 2 hours, 1.5 hour nap, awake for a couple more hours, and a 2 hour nap, and sleeps 12 hours at night (our babies are only 3 weeks apart - hers is older, and a bigger baby).  For me however, every day starts at a different time - 6:30 to 8:00, and she still has one night feeding.  I am just concered with the 30 min naps, as I know that it is OT, but how do I correct the OT when she won't sleep longer.  Somedays we have 6 1/2 hour naps, and somedays it seems like I am spending all day just trying to get her to sleep.  She is a very spirited baby, and a bit of a touchy baby.  Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.   Thanks.

Offline becky1969

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Re: 30 - 45 min naps throwing off EASY
« Reply #1 on: December 02, 2008, 14:25:56 pm »
First, can you post a routine? You can just pick the one from yesterday since her days aren't very similar.  That will help a lot!
Owen, 12/28/05 7 lb 2 oz

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Offline jilll

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Re: 30 - 45 min naps throwing off EASY
« Reply #2 on: December 02, 2008, 16:19:23 pm »
Yesterday went like this
5:30am - EAT 4.5 oz
  6:15-7:45am - sleep (1.5 hrs)
  8:30-9:45am - sleep (1 hr 15 min) (she was really tired from the day before)
9:45am - EAT 5.5 oz
  11:10 -11:40 am sleep (1/2 hr)
  try to get her back to sleep
  12:30 - 1:15pm - sleep (45 min)
1:40pm - EAT 5 oz
  2:20 - 2:50pm sleep (1/2 hr)
  try to get back to sleep
  3:35 - 4:20pm - sleep (45 min)
4:45pm - EAT 4.5 oz
5:30pm - EAT rice cereal, bath
  6:00-6:30pm - sleep (1/2 hr)
6:30pm  - EAT 2 oz
  6:45 - 8:15pm - sleep (1.5 hr)
8:15pm - EAT 2 oz
  8:30-11:00pm - sleep (2.5 hr)
11:00pm - EAT 4.5 oz
  slept from 11:30pm - 4:30am

Offline deb

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Re: 30 - 45 min naps throwing off EASY
« Reply #3 on: December 02, 2008, 16:36:41 pm »
Can you gently extend the A time by finishing it quietly in her room so she's relaxing instead of getting too cranky in preparation for nap? That worked great for Josie, who was pretty Touchy, especially on not enough sleep.

Offline nathansmum

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Re: 30 - 45 min naps throwing off EASY
« Reply #4 on: December 04, 2008, 16:40:07 pm »
just marking
I want to hear the replies because this sounds just like us
Marilyn,
mom to Nathan - december 6, 2005
& Lilymae - June 20, 2008

Offline becky1969

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Re: 30 - 45 min naps throwing off EASY
« Reply #5 on: December 04, 2008, 23:13:21 pm »
Actually, I think you've got more of an undertired problem!  For instance, you've only got about 1.5 of awake time between the nap at 8:30 and the 11:10 nap.  She should be able to go more like 2-2.25 hours between naps.  Also, a 30 minute nap typically means undertired, while a 45 minute nap usually means overtired.

Also, your first two naps are more like night extention sleep.  In other words, she's treating those two naps as nighttime sleep rather than a full day waking.  You only have about 45 minutes between waking and 1st nap, and then only another 45 minutes between that 1st nap and 2nd nap.  Both naps are long, but I think that's because she's thinking of them as night sleep.

Then your nights are a little bit messy as you're feeding her again at 8:15 and 11 pm, so treating those like  naps rather than a nighttime sleep.


So, if we stretch out her A time and give her a decent bedtime I think you'll see that 11 pm feed disappear, and your naps will lengthen out!

Try this out for size

If she wakes at 5:30 am, treat it as a NW.  Do not turn on lights, talk, nothing.  Feed her and put her back to bed immediately.  We'll work on eliminating later, but for now let's just treat it as a NW.  Then, Hopefully she'll sleep until around 7:30/7:45, like usual.  Here's how the rest of your day would go:

7:30 wake and eat
9:30 nap (1.5 hours)

11:00 am eat

1:00 pm nap (1.5 hours)

2:30 eat

4:30 nap (30 minutes -- this will only be a cat nap)

5:00 eat (you can tank her up if you want and offer another feed before sleep)

7:00 in bed for the night


add in a dream feed at around 10 pm.  You can read posts about how to do a dreamfeed here http://babywhispererforums.com/index.php?topic=54662.0  .  Essentially, you are going to feed your baby while she's still asleep.  This is very important! And you must not do it any later than 11 pm or it messes with their sleep.  I'd try a 10/10:30 feed if you're on a 4 hour EASY right now.

Does this make sense? Do you understand what I mean about how she's using those 2 first sleeps as night extention? Do you also see why she might be undertired, rather than overtired?   We'll try this at first, and then try and move her to a 2.25 A time if this doesn't work all the way.  You should see improvement.  You may also see 2 hour naps instead of 1.5 hour naps.  If that is the case, then you probably won't get a cat nap in the late afternoon.  Try it out and let me know how you get on!
« Last Edit: December 04, 2008, 23:15:46 pm by becky1969 »
Owen, 12/28/05 7 lb 2 oz

Enjoying the toddler years!

Offline jilll

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Re: 30 - 45 min naps throwing off EASY
« Reply #6 on: December 05, 2008, 15:00:41 pm »
Thanks for the advice.  I will definately try this and see if it works.  Last night she went to bed at 7:30pm and didn't wake until 2:00am.  I fed her and she went back to sleep until 6:00am.  I fed her and put her back to bed and she didn't wake until 9:00am (as so tired).  There was no dream feed.  So I am going to keep her up 2.25 hours and see how the rest of the day goes.  Thanks again for your help!  I love this site - people are so nice!

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Re: 30 - 45 min naps throwing off EASY
« Reply #7 on: December 05, 2008, 16:00:35 pm »
marking, interested to see how things turn out!

Offline jilll

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Re: 30 - 45 min naps throwing off EASY
« Reply #8 on: December 05, 2008, 19:30:29 pm »
My lo just slept 1.5 hours!  Although she was up 3 hours prior!  She woke up at 6:00am and ate, slept from 6:30 - 9:00, and then got up.  We ate at 9:30, and then at 12:00, and went down at 12:30pm and slept to 2:00.   I had tried to put her down at 11:00 (after 2 hours of being up), but she wasn't tired, and wouldn't go to sleep!  We will see how the rest of the day goes!

ernurse05

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Re: 30 - 45 min naps throwing off EASY
« Reply #9 on: December 05, 2008, 19:40:21 pm »
doesn't it feel great, like you just conquered the world?!  It's so funny how we get so excited over naps and sleeping.  Great job!

Offline becky1969

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Re: 30 - 45 min naps throwing off EASY
« Reply #10 on: December 06, 2008, 04:51:30 am »
Glad you're seeing some progress!  :D

Sounds like 2.25 might work better for her.  3 hour A times in the long run might start to backfire.  But, if she took a long nap after a 3 hour A time, I suspect you had an angel/textbook pumpkin!

Hope things continue to go in a positive direction!  :)
Owen, 12/28/05 7 lb 2 oz

Enjoying the toddler years!

Offline ~Alexa~

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Re: 30 - 45 min naps throwing off EASY
« Reply #11 on: December 09, 2008, 19:41:27 pm »
Just marking!! VEry interesing topic!!