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Changing nap routines?

flying.pierflying.pier member
in Babies: 3 - 6 Months

Hi all! My LO has his own schedule, and it is almost to the minute every time. He wakes up around 8am and stays awake for 2 hours, then naps for 30 minutes. The whole day it is up for 2 hours and nap for 30 minutes. He goes to bed around 8pm and if we are lucky will sleep through the night or only gets up once for a bottle around 4am. I was wondering if there is a way to coax him into taking fewer naps that are longer? Is it ok to try to keep him up a little longer everytime? I would love some suggestions if anyone knows how to do this without freaking him out! :)

Sorry, forgot to mention the main reason I wrote this; was half asleep... :) So, when AJ wakes up from his 30 minute naps he is crying and seems tired for a while after. The few times he has stayed awake for 3-4 hours and ended up taking an hour nap or more hw wakes up sooo happy and wide eyed. Was wondering if this meant I should try keeping him up a little longer hoping for longer naps?

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Re: Changing nap routines?

  • kathrnnkathrnn

    Keeping your LO up will not make him sleep longer. Is there a reason you want him to take longer naps? Does he seem tired even though he's just woke up? Is he cranky afterwards?

    If this is just because you're wanting him to nap longer so you can get more done, then I would suggest investing in a wrap or a playmat. If your son is anything like my daughter, she's finally at the age where she's content to roll around on her playmat for a bit, while I get some things done. Or the wrap is handy because you can keep him close, have both hands free, and usually the motion rocks babies to sleep.

    Or, if you really want to try and alter his napping schedule, I would suggest picking up a few books and trying out their methods. I personally prefer Dr. Sears.

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  • TokenFemaleTokenFemale

    Do you think he could be waking because he's hungry?  If you feed him every waking period more shorter naps mean more feedings.  Have you tried feeding before he goes down for a nap, maybe a full belly will help him sleep more.

    I don't want to recommend Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth as a way to structure your child's sleep, I think the author is a bit heartless, but he says that the time you put the baby to sleep is very important and a 6.30pm bedtime is ideal for quality sleep at night.  He says that good naps follow from good sleep at night.  I'm moving my LOs bedtime to 6.30 and I am seeing some longer naps, my LO used to take 4-5 40 min naps and lately he is taking 3 naps, 1.5 hours, 40 mins and 1.5 hours.  It is too soon to see if it'll stick, but I'm pretty encouraged so far.

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  • flying.pierflying.pier member

    He does wake up crying/screaming and seems still tired for a while afterwards, but he wont go back to sleep if I try. I havent noticed a difference when I feed him right before the nap. The few times he has stayed up for 3-4 hours (when we're out of the house) and took a longer nap he wakes up so happy and wide eyed. I had asked his Pedi about it and all she said was that it sounded like he needed longer naps, but didnt tell me how to achieve this, haha!  

    Sorry, I just realized I forgot to mention that in the original post...

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  • SweetieD21SweetieD21 member
    Have you tried letting him cry for a bit when he wakes up after sleeping for a half hr?  My LO always wakes up crying at the 30-45 min mark.  I let him cry and he almost always goes back to sleep, but sometimes I have to let him cry for 15-20 min.  It's never taken him longer than that to go back to sleep.  My LO also used to have an 8pm bedtime but we've moved it back to about 730.  We start the bath/bed routine at 7, and he's usually asleep by 730.  Most nights he sleeps through the night, until about 630-730 am.  Have you read Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child?  This book really helped me understand the sleep a child needs and how to get them on a good routine.  
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  • flying.pierflying.pier member

    imageSweetieD21:
    Have you tried letting him cry for a bit when he wakes up after sleeping for a half hr?  My LO always wakes up crying at the 30-45 min mark.  I let him cry and he almost always goes back to sleep, but sometimes I have to let him cry for 15-20 min.  It's never taken him longer than that to go back to sleep.  My LO also used to have an 8pm bedtime but we've moved it back to about 730.  We start the bath/bed routine at 7, and he's usually asleep by 730.  Most nights he sleeps through the night, until about 630-730 am.  Have you read Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child?  This book really helped me understand the sleep a child needs and how to get them on a good routine.  

    Sorry it took so long to get back on here, been hectic lately! I may have to try the letting him cry for a few minutes to see if he goes back to sleep. He used to go to bed at 7pm actually, but lately I can not get him to fall asleep before 8. Even tonight he had bath, bottle and book by 7, but he was wide awake and playing in his crib until 8. It will be a little hard for me to let him cry it out, I am a softy and usually dont last more than 5 minutes! Haha!

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