nap schedules

meg_2006

I was reading today that around 3-4 months of age, babies should start to have a more scheduled napping pattern.  Right now I do not see this at all. DS still takes a bottle every 3-4 hours, and naps every 1.5 to 2 hours.  He only naps for about 45 minutes each time. 

I keep reading about other babies the same age napping 1.5 to 2 hrs at a time.  Am I destined to have a catnapper?  Is he waking after a sleep cycle and not putting himself back down?  Will he develop his napping pattern or his own or do I have to guide him into it?  I'm so confused.  Too many opinions out there sometimes...so I'm asking for yours haha.  What have your babies been doing, and what has been working for you? 

sweetky_06

I was just talking about this with DH. I've read a ton of books and websites and they all say different things. 

It seems like there are quite a few of us whose LOs only do 20 - 45 min. cat naps and I have read that this is quite normal until 5-6 months. I think once they start being more active and staying awake for longer stretches they will start putting together longer stretches of nap sleep! 

And my little guy will only do 30 - 45 min unless he's on me or I'm carrying him, and then he'll go as long as 2h15min. 

megaloo27

My dd eats every 3 hours. The hour before her next feeding she has her nap. It takes 10-15 mins for her to settle and sleep, and then about a 45 min nap. It is working well for us. I wish we could go longer between feedings but if I give her more than 4.5 ounces she gets super spitty.

BritanyV

DS does the short naps in the morning and afternoon and takes one longer nap around lunch time.  There is definitely a pattern emerging.

PsyDr04

DS also tends to take shorter naps (usually around 30 min) in the morning and his longer nap (2-3 hours depending on what's going on) in the afternoon.