how long does it take your LO to fall asleep?

taraleanne · March 2014

We put our DS down for naps and at bedtime awake (but usually drowsy and ready for sleep) and he falls asleep independently. I lay him down, he rolls over and looks like he's going to sleep but when I check the monitor a minute later he's sitting up and playing for up to 25 minutes. Once it was 45!

He recently learned how to put himself in a sitting position, so that's what he's doing mostly. It used to take him about 5-10 mins to fall asleep but now it's longer. I'm assuming, and hoping it's a phase and he will go back to falling asleep quicker soon. He's yawning and rubbing his eyes while he plays so you can tell he is ready. He doesn't cry so I don't go in but I still feel really weird about him playing by himself for so long.

Just wondering how long your LO takes to fall asleep independently? I read that up to 30m can be normal but I'd like to hear if that really is what anyone else is experiencing!?

jllmb79 · March 2014

I didn't start putting either of my girls down awake till 10 months but at 10 months( and still taking 2 naps) it took 0-30min. At 13 months DD#2 is at 1 nap and goes right to sleep. She is exhausted and still adjusting to 1 nap.

sounds normal..but after 30 minutes I ended the nap it they were still awake

aibrean · March 2014

10 minutes...sometimes 5 if she's super tired. She's generally been down to one nap a day so it's easier to get her to go to bed. Even when traveling she's super good with being put down and staying asleep.

taraleanne · March 2014

aibrean said:

10 minutes...sometimes 5 if she's super tired. She's generally been down to one nap a day so it's easier to get her to go to bed. Even when traveling she's super good with being put down and staying asleep.

Thanks @aibrean .. he's still taking 35-45m to fall asleep!! I think I'm following his cues- he's rubbing his eyes and sometimes yawning too. Eye rubbing and fussy are usually the first cues. I hate that we are wasting up to 1.5hours a day (still on 2 naps) letting him play in his crib. Wake time is precious!!

How did you know your DD was ready for 1 nap? I have read a few places that they usually go down to 1 nap after a year old and usually closer to 15m! Every baby is different though

Is she STTN too? Would love to hear your thoughts on how you figured she only needed one nap. I am wondering if this is the case. It just seems too early too me. When he finally does fall asleep he sleeps for 1-1.5 or 2 hours, twice a day. When the naps are short he's to bed early, like 6pm early! I am scared to cut down to 1 nap and then result in a super super early bedtime.

lana22 · April 2014

you're worrying too much, relax. my almost 1 yo has taken that long to fall asleep. when i know he's tired and ready for a nap and not crying, he stays in until he sleeps. and he always does.

as for going to one, my 2.5 yo started fighting his afternoon nap around 13.5 months. he was still tired, and would fall asleep in the car if we went out after, but would fall right asleep for first nap and sing his way through second nap. i slowly moved his first nap later (which was really tough, cause he was still tired after 2 hours of wake time), and had an earlier bedtime in the beginning.

i feel so jaded cause i loled at your precious awake time. i enjoy the extra time that it sometimes takes my kids to fall asleep for naps to do things for myself or prep for afternoon/dinner!

aibrean · April 2014

taraleanne, she just didn't want to sleep. No fussiness or signs of tiredness. One day last week she went without a nap all day. Sometimes she has two naps. It depends on her activity level.

She does STTN. She is a really good sleeper and since we started CIO at around 8 months, she really wants to sleep in her own bed.

Even if she goes to bed early, she wakes up at her normal time. Otherwise I wake her up in the morning.

LilMonkeyBug · April 2014

My son is 10mos and takes two naps per day. One is 30min and the other 1-1.5hrs so consider yourselves lucky!! Lol

lovemyminions · April 2014

Usually only a couple of minutes or five minutes of fussing

taraleanne · April 2014

@aibrean - thanks

@lana22 - thanks, I am totally worrying too much. It's just that we've been so house bound cause I usually have an idea give or take 30m when he will nap so I'm home by that time. Or he takes forever to fall asleep in the morning that we miss our late morning obligation cause he's still sleeping and I hesitate to wake him when he's only been napping 30mins. But that's what happens when he takes an hour to fall asleep! Then we rush rush to meet the next estimated nap time and he takes forever to fall asleep. Yesterday he spent 16hours in his crib either sleeping or winding down for a nap! I felt like that was crazy considering he only slept about 14hours of that. He's trying to stand up, so I'm hoping this is just a bit of a phase. Today he fell asleep after about 10m in the morning. DH and I talked…I need to just roll with the punches I guess! Sometimes easier said than done but I'll try to watch his signs and not put him down too early. Or like you said, enjoy the time to myself! (maybe take a nap too

GRJC · April 2014

If your baby is happy in the crib I'd say let them go. My DS just figured out how to stand in the crib and if he's not super tired will get up and cry. Before he would go down right away.

As soon as he started standing I've decided to go right in, lay him back down. I check the monitor until he didn't get up anymore. The most I've had to do it was four times and then he got it. For the was week he's done it less and less with some naps going back to sleep as he used to.

diana.filipi · April 2014

My youngest DS is 10m. He falls out for naps in moments. Sometimes at bedtime he takes 5+ min to go to sleep but usually it's instantaneous. Since he is my 3rd, and the other two are so young also, the activity in my house is rather constant. He only takes one nap unless the day is odd or he is ill. Generally my 2 year old and my 10m old both go down around noon-ish and that's the only nap and it's about 1-2 hours. After dinner and bath, bed is a welcome reprieve for him. Sometimes he will fuss about for a few min, maybe as much as 10 min, usually he's pretty out.

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