Nap timing?

LoveLo2010

How do you guys handle naps? My lo use to only take 30 min naps so I was constantly putting her down but now that we transitioned to the crib were making HUGE progress and she stretches some of them out but not all. If were out and shes in the ergo she only sleeps for 30 mins. I would love to have some kind of schedule so that I dont feel so stuck at home and can make plans with people. I also dont want her going to bed any earlier since she goes down at about 8 now, and thats pretty good for our family. If she went down earlier DH would never see her. 

If you have your lo down to three naps a day how much awake time do they have in between? What do you do if one of the naps is short? 

JayandEmm

I don't think how many naps they have in a day is important at this age. They're still learning out to get through the "45 minute intruder". Awake time between naps is key for good naps. Follow sleepy cues, even subtle ones, and it makes it much easier for Lo to get through the sleep cycles. Overtired or undertired equals a short nap.

We're on 4 naps a day. Ranging from 45 minutes to 2 hours.

twoitalians

Let's see, it's been kinda regular now so I think I can map it out:

DS wakes up at 7am first nap starts around 9 (2 hours awake)

nap 9-10 or 10:30ish sometimes 11 (1-2 hour nap varies GREATLY day to day)

awake 11ish to 2ish (so about 2 hours awake)

naps 2-3 (if we get that, this is usually his interrupted/short nap, so 1 hour)

 awake 3-5:30or 6 (sometimes 3 hours awake- he gets really fussy)

nap 6-7:30 or 8 depending on how much he starts stirring (hour and a half or 2 hour nap) at this point I don't like him to get too worked up cuz at 7:30 or 8 I will get him up to feed him and depending on how awake he is we'll either play for a few minutes or start his bedtime routine (bath, lotion, rocking, etc.) and he's down for the night between 8:30 and 9:15.

If any of his naps are cut short he is fussy very quick but will fight his nap. Like today, his afternoon nap was only about 30 minutes cuz DH comes barging in from the garage (I could have KILLED him) right after DS fell asleep and he wouldn't go back down very soundly.

katiem1025

Avery is five months two days and has been taking three naps for a few weeks now. She usually wakes at 7 or 730 and has her first nap about 1.75 hours later. Her morning nap is usually about 1.5 hours. Then she is up for about 1.75 or 2 hours then has another nap f about an hour. Her last nap of the day is just a catnap and she is usually down for that one by four pm. Wakes at 430 or 445. Then she is up for about 2 to 2.25 hours before bedtime at 645 or 7, then she sleeps 12 hours , well the last week or so has been hit or miss and its eother yhe four month wakeful or from us traveling.

I know they say sleep begets sleep but if Avery naps more than three hours total during the day she will wake up early or wake in the motn. So I think I just have a short napper. But I'll take it if it means she sttn.

allardr

I run naps based on what time she wakes up from the night or previous nap. I do two hours of awake time and then put her back down. So for example she usually wakes around 7:30am, so then I'll feed her then play until 9:30am when I lay her down. It doesn't matter if she sleeps 30min or the occasional 2 hours, I just note the time she wakes and in  two hours I put her back down. The only time I change is I let her nap as late as 5pm then I wake her up. Bedtime routine generally starts at 6pm.

This works well for us because I plan outings for right after she wakes and I feed her. That gives us usually around 1.5 hours to do stuff. And if we're still our she easy falls asleep in the carseat. 

vic8504

we get 3-5 naps depending on the day. I would say for the past month these naps average 45mins and are usually about an hour after she eats. If we have plans to go out somewhere we normally try to have everything ready so that we can head out as soon as she gets up from her nap.

ccam

DS has been napping 3 times a day around 9am, noon and 3pm. I just watch his cues and get him to his room before he's overtired. The length of his naps vary greatly though, anywhere from half an hour to two hours per nap. It all depends on the day. He really can't make it anymore than 1.5 hours between naps. The longest stretch is between his last nap and bed. He's asleep in his crib by 7pm the latest.

Andreabks

we're just over 4months here.

LO is up for the day between 6 and 7am, then unless she showes sleep cues sooner i put her down 2 hours later for her first nap.  then we follow this all day. (up two down for an hour). 

this is new for us since she turned 4 months.  before that she woke to eat at 6 then would go right back down for 2-3 hours, then do a short lunch nap, then be up from 12-2 and then would sleep from 2 as late as 5pm sometimes.  i miss those long naps.

anyway we start the bedtime routine (bath, book, bottle, bed) around 6 depending on when she woke up from her last nap.  the latest she's gone down in weeks is 8 and its usualy more like 6:30-7.

we still do a motn feeding, but i wake her up for that one on my timing.  we've found for us that this works best.  if i do a dream feed somewhere between 11pm and 1am, then she stays down until 6 or 7.  if we don't, she's up at about 3am.  as i have to get up to pump, i just feed her after i pump so i don't have to get up another time in the motn and can get a few hours of sleep straight.