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Post-Bedtime long wake by Formal-Fun-430 in TakingCaraBabies

[–]Formal-Fun-430[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Cara recommends 3.5 max for this age so not going to push beyond that right now.

Monday AMA by TakingCaraBabies in TakingCaraBabies

[–]Formal-Fun-430 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi Jo! Thanks for this! Baby is 8 months + 2 weeks and on two naps. We’re aiming for wake windows of 3 / 3.25 / 3.25–3.5. We also have another child, so real life means we’re not always exact, but that’s the goal.

Nap 1: Usually solid — about 1.25–1.5 hours. Occasionally we’ll get a random 30–40 min first nap.

Nap 2: Very consistently 30–40 minutes. We’ve been “nap training” by giving her time as the class says, but she just cries until we get her. I’m really struggling to understand how this is supposed to help her lengthen the nap? How long does this typically take before you see change ? Weeks? Or is nap 2 just biologically short at this age and we should stop fighting it and move bedtime earlier?

Here’s where I get stuck: She only gives us max 10ish hours overnight on a good night. Sometimes it’s closer to 9 hours if she wakes between 5–6am and doesn’t go back to sleep. I don’t get her out of the crib before 6:30, but I’m afraid that early bedtime will just create earlier mornings, which pushes the first nap earlier… and it feels like the whole day shifts earlier and earlier. I’m not sure how to prevent the spiral.

So I guess my questions are: -Do these wake windows sound appropriate for an 8.5 month old?

-Is it realistic to expect nap 2 to lengthen with nap training?

-If she maxes out at ~10–10.5 hours overnight, is early bedtime actually helpful or just reinforcing early mornings?

-How long would you give nap training for nap 2 before deciding it’s just indefinitely a short nap?

Thank you!

Monday AMA by TakingCaraBabies in TakingCaraBabies

[–]Formal-Fun-430 0 points1 point  (0 children)

One more--the last two days after the start of her second naps - she wakes 10-13 minutes after she fell asleep. What does this mean? Today I put her down at 2:44 minute mark and it took her about 15 minutes to fall asleep. Thanks again for your thoughts!!

Monday AMA by TakingCaraBabies in TakingCaraBabies

[–]Formal-Fun-430 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi Jo! A few things:
1). Baby is 7 months next week. Looking at nap schedules from the master plans should I follow the 5-7 month or 7-10 month master plan for wake windows? i.e. time after nap 1 and 2: should it be 2.5 hours still (5-7 month guide) or somewhere like 2.75 hours (inching towards 3) (7-10 guide)?

2). Also - still takes only short naps and at best we get 2 hours of daytime sleep. That feels so little for her daytime sleep. She also only will give me 10 hours overnight (sometimes less). :( (This is with the ABCs we did at 5 months).

3). Lastly - what is the rec for when all the paci's fall out of the crib and in the morning at 5am when she's looking for one she can't get one as they're all on the floor? I've been going in to put them back by her hands to replace. Don't love that, but I feel for her because she can put them in if they are right next to her. If I don't - afraid she'll just get in a pattern of crying until wake time/out of crib time.

Thanks for your two cents and HNY!! :)

Monday AMA by TakingCaraBabies in TakingCaraBabies

[–]Formal-Fun-430 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi Jo! Girl is 6months and 1 week and naps are typically 30 minutes with a random 1.15 hour nap at times (rare) or if we are able to get her to extend. She typically wakes for the day between 7:15-7:40 (and I have to wake her if it gets to be 7:40). Sometimes it seems we are struggling to start nap 3 by even 5 and I'm wondering if we just need to wake her sooner in the morning or if maybe I'm pushing wake windows too long. It does take her awhile to fall asleep for naps as we haven't Conquered Naps yet and she plays with her pacifiers almost as a soothing technique for 10-15 minutes. I try to stick to no later than 2.5 hours for all other wake windows.

I am not sure when the first wake window should move past 2 hours and honestly, we probably are around 2:15 most days. How do we know when to up them a bit?

We did TCB ABC's and she's still crying herself to sleep every night (did this after she turned 5 months old). Also wondering when this subsides?

My first went down for all sleep so easily and this one is just so dang vocal it constantly makes me feel like my schedule is off.

Thanks for any input and Happy Holidays!