naps all over the place..help!

bubble515

LO eats every 3-4 hours.  that schedule is consistent and so is bedtime. wake up time varies very morning and napping it all over the place, random times.   she naps for 30 minutes at most but im noticing that she is still tired after she wakes up. i try to help her fall back alseep, but we typically just let her stay up.  so throughout the day she fussies more and keeps cat napping at random. my dh is very helpful, but when he is with her its less "structured" and then we debate if shes tired or not.

i want to help her nap longer, so am wondering if any books will help to have a "set" nap time to help her rhythms.  im thinking about reading healthy habits, healthy sleep and the contented little baby book.

any suggestions

eebaehr

I read HSHHB, and it does give you specific times that a baby is supposed to feel sleepy, I believe he promtoes naps at 9 am, noon and 4 or five.  I can tell you knowing those times hasn't helped my baby sleep longer. I thought the book was somewhat helpful, but really it just made me feel terrible about my catnapper.  My LO also only takes short naps, sometimes 5 a day, and  I can honestly say I have tried every trick to get her to nap longer...none of it has worked.  Occasionally I can get her down for another 20 mins, but this is rare. 

More than anything what has helped me is just accepting it.  Everyone says she will sleep longer when she's ready, I just have to wait.  All we can do is give our babies every opportunity to nap when they are ready, the rest is up to them. 

divajackie67

My son is a catnapper. I read the 90 minute sleep solution book. In a nutshell no matter how long or short the nap is the baby should be back down for another nap within 90 minutes or when the baby shows sleepy signs. (Yawning, etc.)  DS will sometimes nap only 30 minutes other times 2 1/2 hours. Regardless I always make a mental note about when he wakes up and make sure he goes back down within that 90 minute window. Sometimes earlier if he is showing sleep signs.  The author mentions as they get older they may go an 180 minutes between naps, but always in 90 minute intervals.

This has really worked with my son. Since implementing this nap schedule he is sleeping between 14-16 hours a day and sleeping through the night. He goes down at about 6:30-7pm and wakes up at 5am when the alarm goes off.