45 Minute Intruder

I know I am not allowed to complain since Wyatt sleeps pretty good at night and does take 3 naps a day, but today I will be a rule breaker and complain aways.  The fact that he currently takes short naps doesn't make me sad because I don't get to finish watching a whole episode of Gossip Girl or something silly like that.  His short naps bother me because he doesn't wake up happy from them and if you believe the Babywise methods, he doesn't get into a deep enough sleep, and not enough sleep leads to an endless cycle of grumpiness, inability to sleep good at the next nap/night, and eventually developmental problems (worst, worst, worst case scenario).

So what is the 45 minute intruder?  In my words, when Wyatt wakes up exactly 42.35 minutes into a nap with a sharp Whaaaaaa, you have been 45 minute intruded.  The term 45 minute intruder is a Babywise term, but is a problem for many parents and kiddos.  I have read and read and read on this topic.  Infants sleep cycle around 45 minutes and if they aren't able to settle into the next phase of sleep, they are awake without getting the true benefits of the nap.  It is the equivalent of an adult rolling over in bed to get more comfortable, but an infant hasn't quite learned to master this yet.

Some of the speculative reasons for 45 minute intruder:

• Hunger
• Developmental awareness
• Overtired
• Not a long enough wake time
• Just gotta learn how to sleep
• Too much daylight in the room

Wyatt used to take 1.5 hour naps at every nap, but in the last month they have all turned into 45 minute naps.  I am taking it all scientific and doing tests with hypotheses and measuring results.  What else is a SAHM to do with her time?  My current guesses are a combination of hunger and not a long enough wake time.  We have just introduced solids at breakfast and dinner.  I am also working on keeping him awake for a little longer than 2 hours between naps.  Wish me luck!  My plan is to WIN so Wyatt WINS too.  :)  Plus I just like competitions and over analyzing.

***Disclaimer***:  I know there are many Babywise method haters and I can totally understand that.  I did not follow the methods to the Nth degree, but for Wyatt and me, the basic idea worked like a charm.  The methods turned my bad napper into a good napper and gave me some predictability in the day.  Yes, we had to endure some cry it out sessions, but lucky for me Wyatt never needs more than 10 minutes to have a good cry.