A method for coordinating communications between a user equipment and a base station is presented. The method includes receiving an assignment of a first set of timeslots for at least one of uplink and downlink communications between the user equipment and the base station, and reducing a number of timeslots monitored by the user equipment to less than the first set of timeslots for communications. The method includes, after reducing the number of timeslots monitored by the user equipment to less than the first set of timeslots for communications, transmitting a block to the base station, the block signaling a resumption of timeslot monitoring by the user equipment, wherein the block includes at least one of a dummy block format, a specified block format, and a predetermined communication, and increasing the number of timeslots monitored by the user equipment.