Should I take a day off to help establish nap schedule?

KathrynMD · May 2009

DD still has no real nap schedule. DC won't really enforce one very much b/c they don't want her to cry for more than a minute or two. I understand where they are coming from, but the girl needs more sleep. She will sometimes sleep for 2 hours at DC, but other days, only 45 minutes. We need to start working on solids - and I would like her to be able to stay awake for a little longer at night, but she can't do that if she's still getting crappy sleep at DC - I'd also like to make our weekends a little more reliable.

So, I'm thinking that I can take the 3 day weekend and take off Tuesday to help set this up for her. Is this crazy talk? Do you think it'll get totally f&cked up when she goes back to DC anyway - so what's the point?

Opinions??

crysas81 · May 2009

Just like previous posts, I think it'll get messed up when she goes back. Babies respond differently to different caregivers. The environment at dc is totally different. My daughter just got on a nap schedule a month ago (dh stays home and has been working on it for months!) but when I'm home on the weekends, it goes out the window. I try to stick with it but she's not having it. She is just so different with me and we're not even talking about a different environment, just different people!

xmasbabymama · May 2009

I don't think it'll work either. I can't get any type of consistency and I was just home for 4 days in a row. I hope she grows into one, but there's nothing I can really do at this point.

katy75 · May 2009

I'm with the pp.

DD naps differently for us, differently for dc, and differently for our private dc lady.

azuremama · May 2009

I don't think 4 days is long enough to establish a nap schedule and I think it'll be totally different when she goes back to dc anyhow. But I am generally in favor of long weekends, so maybe you should take the day off anyhow!

PS a lot of it gets worked out as they get older. DS was the same way napping in the baby room. He naps much more reliably in the toddler room. But even with crap sleep, as he got older, he was able to stay awake longer at night and not be such a cranky pants. And he sleeps well and more predictably on the weekends. I think he makes up for lost sleep on Saturdays, because he'll take 2 long naps and sleep later in the morning, too. It's hard when they're so little and they don't sleep well, but it does get better.

Erika&Brian · May 2009

5 months is too early for any consistency in most babies. I didn't see real consistency in napping until around 7-8 months. As far as her staying up later at night, i was in the same boat wanting that, but that is often the root of a crappy napper. Babies that sleep well at night nap better during the day. My DC is 12 months and now naps from 10-11:30 and 2-3 like clock work and sleeps 11 hours at night (7 pm bed time).

leanne&mike · May 2009

We just went to DS 6 month check up and I asked the doctor about his napping. He still isn't a great napper either and it has started to make me concerned. He said you really can't "force" a nap schedule on a baby. The best thing to do is recognize her tired signals and make sure to put her down when she exhibits them. As long as the daycare is doing this, too, you are really doing all that you can. He said that some babies take longer to establish a good nap routine and some babies really just don't need to nap as long. Cat naps through the day are still just fine for a 5-6 month old.

Good luck!

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