I'm in a vicious small nap/eat cycle....please help

I was trying the eat, play, sleep but I'm running into a problem from the very beginning of the day. DS wakes up around 8 so I feed him but he still seems tired (although he only wakes up because I give up putting the pacifier in his mouth but he kicks on and off from about 7am). He sometimes falls asleep while I'm feeding him without a full feed so sometimes I play with him and sometimes I try to get him back to sleep. Lately, the whole day seems like this. He naps (I can only get him to nap a 1/2 hr) then I want to feed him when he wakes up but he falls asleep. If I try to get him to sleep longer then a 1/2 hr, he wont. So he doesnt seem like he's getting enough sleep or getting a full feed and I dont know what to do. Please help!

Message edited 1/21/2013 3:48:04 PM.

I'm in a vicious small nap/eat cycle....please

how old is he?

Re: I'm in a vicious small nap/eat cycle....please

13 weeks

I'm in a vicious small nap/eat cycle....please help

In the morning, i know you said you can't "stretch" him to sleep longer but when you take him out of bed, does he seem hungry?

DS is 14 weeks and it's more of an Eat > Play > Sleep > Play cycle.

Maybe you can just play with DS until he's actually hungry in the morning?

If not, i've heard a lot of people say that they couldnt' do the EASY method until their kids were a bit older - don't worry, you'll get there eventually

I'm in a vicious small nap/eat cycle....please help

How long does he typically stay up during the day? Maybe if you try putting him down sooner he would sleep longer and not wake up so sleepy. In the morning, maybe try feeding him as soon as he wakes at 7, playing for a bit, then trying for another nap at 8 or 8:30. DD could only stay up for an hour at that age and she spent half of that eating.

Re: I'm in a vicious small nap/eat cycle....please help

when dd gets up in the morning, i don't feed her right away. i put her in her crib under her mobile (she's still sleeping in our room in the R&P) and she stretches and wakes up and is happy anywhere from 30-60min usually. then when she starts getting fussy, i change her diaper and feed her and then she goes in her swing, and usually falls off for a nap.

Re: I'm in a vicious small nap/eat cycle....please help

As simple as the idea seems, I never thought to do activities with him when we first woke up instead of eating. I tried that this morning so we'll see how the rest of the day goes

I'm in a vicious small nap/eat cycle....please help

I hope it works out ... good luck!