Naps.

Lilwatz · January 2015

So, we do almost everything on demand for our LO. We eat when she cues and let her sleep whenever she falls asleep for however long she sleeps. Typically this is about an hour after eating and for anywhere from 20-40 minutes (I don't really know, it could be more, I have never timed them, but this is what she does in daycare where they do time them and it sounds right...). Anyways, a lot of people talk about morning and afternoon naps and things like that.

Are babies supposed to be combining cat naps at any particular time? LO is almost 13 weeks (almost 10 weeks adjusted). I, personally, don't care how she naps but was wondering if we are supposed to be encouraging fewer naps that are longer or if it happens on its own.

mockingjay1 · January 2015

No advice, but I will definitely be following this thread. DS hardly naps during the day anymore (I might get 1 30 min nap). The last week he has only been waking up once to feed between 230a-430a, so I don't know if that's why he sleeps so little during the day? He wants to play and interact and eat... that takes up 95% of my time during the day.

Lilwatz · January 2015

@dmo1371 One 30 minute nap...how do you get anything done?!?!

My LO also sleeps from about 9:30pm to 7am (when we wake her for daycare). She is a stellar sleeper.

jjandmeg · January 2015

My LO typically catnaps throughout the day similar to yours. The exception is today, in that he's taken two long naps. I am home today so he is not in daycare and of course, now I'm worried he's getting sick or he's preparing to be up all night lol.

I assume as he gets older he'll take more of a normal morning and afternoon nap. We do everything on demand right now.

Lilwatz · January 2015

Glad to hear on demand now is fine. I just never know when to switch things up!

MrsAdventure · January 2015

I personally think the answer to your question is that it's entirely up to you. Since we're not dealing with toddlers who might benefit from a more set schedule, I say do what you feel is right and consult your pediatrician if you're concerned about sleep habits.

FWIW, Pips does both. Short naps around midday, plus one good morning nap and one good long afternoon one.

joshua+rebecca11 · January 2015

We are on a eat/wake/sleep schedule, he eats about every two and a half hours, then we do tummy time, read books, sit in the Bumbo or swing, etc. for about 30 min. Then he takes a "nap", I use that term loosely because he doesn't always sleep but sometimes just lays there and looks at the fan, lol. Sometimes I rock or hold him to sleep, sometimes he falls asleep in the swing, last time he fell asleep during funny time.

so...he takes five to six naps a day.

Lilwatz · January 2015

According t day care she had 2 near two hour naps today--one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Maybe she is getting there on her own! Or it's a growth spurt. (A joke in our house is that anything atypical with her is labeled a growth spurt

) )

MrsAdventure · January 2015

Lilwatz said:

According t day care she had 2 near two hour naps today--one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Maybe she is getting there on her own! Or it's a growth spurt. (A joke in our house is that anything atypical with her is labeled a growth spurt ) )

I'm glad we're not the only ones that do this

Edit: I quoted but forgot my own comment... Man I need a nap, lol.

Lilwatz · January 2015

zengal said:

This is a great question! We do whatever LO wants too. We don't even wake up the same time every day!

We didn't either...until the return to work. I have to say, waking her up she is the CUTEST! She curls into a little ball and snuggles her head into my neck. I die every morning.

ccam · January 2015

We pretty much do the eat, play, sleep schedule with DD. She pretty much eats every 2 hours during the day. So each "cycle" she'll be up for about an hour - eat for about 20-30 mins and then awake for another half an hour and then she naps. The naps are in her bouncer, swing, my arms...wherever. I've been trying to transfer her to her PNP lately once she's asleep.

With DS, he really wasn't on a real, solid nap schedule until 5 or 6 months (I think!). He slept at 9am, noon and 3pm. I think it's kind of early for a real schedule now. I wish I wrote more down from DS so I know these things!!

Carebella · January 2015

I haven't been really tracking naps/daytime sleep. I've been more keeping an eye out that he isn't awake for too long because that results in LO being cranky and "hard" to soothe. We found a website that had average wake times based on age and I feel like we were in the 45-60 window average. And it does seem like if he is awake for more than that he can get cranky. But after reading this thread it sounds like folks are getting much longer awake times... so now I'm wondering if he should be up more.

Typically, I let him eat and if he stays awake I interact with him and if he goes to sleep I let him. But it's generally never very long until he is hungry again. He still cues on the hour most of the time unless he is in a carrier or car seat.

kayd8 · January 2015

@lilwatz & @mrsadventure My husband has finally said, "I don't think he's going to have this growth spurt you keep talking about!:

LO eats and is awake and happy for about 30-60 minutes after. As soon as he has a non burp or gas related fuss, I check the diaper, change if necessary and swaddle for a nap in my arms. They usually last until it's been about 2.5 hours since his bottle. If only we could master a transfer I'd actually have time to use my hands!

carafern · January 2015

kegcrc said:
@runnershan‌ the only way mine naps is on me, maybe in the swing, and in the moby wrap. No way would he nap if we put him down.

This. She'll take a long nap for up to an hour and a half if she's being worn it held. She will nap in the rnp but not for very long -- 30ish minutes... And that's a struggle.

sarah&francesca · January 2015

Hi all! I'm just a lurker who used to be part of October group but had my baby girl the 3rd of November! I always like looking at these type of posts just to see if any of my questions can get answered and what everyone else's babies are up to! This has been a question of mine for awhile.. I hear so much info that I am causing habits for my baby because she will only sleep if I nurse her or if I Swaddle her and walk around my house holding her.. That's the only way she will sleep!!! I've tried just putting her down when she's tired and she'll just stare at the ceiling wide eyed until she cries. Some days she doesn't take any naps other days she will take nice long hour/2 hour naps! I don't want to cause other babies to develop bad habits but walking around with her in my arms cradle position usually always gets her to sleep! I will walk for like 20 minutes sometimes more sometimes less than carefully put her down in her pnp. If some are you are desperate for your LO to sleep I would suggest doing that! It really works well for me. I think it's normal for babies this young to need help falling asleep. I would like to know how other parents can get their babies to fall asleep on their own I've yet to have that happened and have tried!!

BridgetThoams · January 2015

Everything is on demand! I don't try to get him on a schedule but Everytime I think he is falling into a routine and start relying on him to sleep at a certain time of day, he switches it up on me. I think at this point they are way to young to be on a schedule. They are growing so quickly and their bodies changing so rapidly they need different things day to day to accommodate

carafern · January 2015

I forgot to add that sleep and naps have been a worry of mine ever since my ped mentioned how important it is developmentally for LO to nap. I can't remember the exact number of hours, but it was more than my LO sleeps so I've made more of an effort to get her to nap and help her since then.

rinaealy · January 2015

My DS naps fairly well but will only nap in his boppy. I can't get him to lay in his bassinet for more than 30 min he rather sleep in bed with me :-w and I love it but want him to sleep in his bassinet

smboswell1 · January 2015

I haven't been tracking anything... Oh well!!

Carebella · January 2015

@smboswell1‌ I only track feedings with the exception of the first week where I tracked diapers. And I only track feedings at this point so I know how long I have to get things done in between! If your Beckham is healthy and happy I wouldn't stress about tracking anything :-)

mockingjay1 · January 2015

Lilwatz said:
@dmo1371 One 30 minute nap...how do you get anything done?!?!

My LO also sleeps from about 9:30pm to 7am (when we wake her for daycare). She is a stellar sleeper.

@Lilwatz‌ - I get nothing done!! I want him to sleep but he's wanted nothing to do with naps the last week. He doesn't usually even seem tired (he's wide awake and very interactive). Hoping this is a phase or something and he will go back to sleeping a bit more during the day. I seriously hardly have time to eat and go to the bathroom let alone anything else...

uncharted01 · January 2015

My LO fights naps tooth and nail. I know he's tired because he yawns and has sleepy eyes but I have to put in so much effort to get him to nap. I wish I could just leave him in my arms when he finally does pass out but I need to pump while he's napping so I have to put him down. I usually end up attempting to soothe him while hooked up to this freaking pump and it's just frustrating for both of us. I'm hoping he'll get better at naps...

sarah&francesca · January 2015

@zengal‌ Thank you! I'll definitely try that!

Lilwatz · January 2015

So when should she be having routine naps? I am not trying to rush anything, just curious when I should be watching for it or encouraging her to. Will it just happen on its own when it's time? I am cool with that. I just don't want to not help her if I should, if that makes sense.

hiketheworld · January 2015

I read that sleep begets sleep, so I've made a conscious effort to get more naps out of DS. After two to three hours of awake time I will swaddle him, turn out the lights and shush him. It's been really working. He would go many hours without any sleep (9!). The last few days I get one long nap and two or three shorter ones. As an added bonus he has been sleeping longer at night this week. It seems like the more he sleeps during the day the more he sleeps at night.

Lilwatz · January 2015

hiketheworld said:

I read that sleep begets sleep, so I've made a conscious effort to get more naps out of DS. After two to three hours of awake time I will swaddle him, turn out the lights and shush him. It's been really working. He would go many hours without any sleep (9!). The last few days I get one long nap and two or three shorter ones. As an added bonus he has been sleeping longer at night this week. It seems like the more he sleeps during the day the more he sleeps at night.

Our LO has been sleeping through the night since 8 weeks (please don't internet stone me!). I think it's because she sleeps so much too. We read that before she was born so never try to keep her awake ever.

Lilwatz · January 2015

flutterbuggie said:

I haven't read the whole thread yet but E usually naps after every feed for about 45-60 minutes or so. I have to purposefully put her down for these most of the time as she won't fall asleep by herself very often. I am told around 3-4 months they start being awake more and consolidating their naps to 3 a day on their own.

Ooo, so we are CLOSE. LO is 3 months on Sunday! But it's more like a little over 2 months adjusted, so who knows?!

kayd8 · January 2015

uncharted01 said:
My LO fights naps tooth and nail. I know he's tired because he yawns and has sleepy eyes but I have to put in so much effort to get him to nap. I wish I could just leave him in my arms when he finally does pass out but I need to pump while he's napping so I have to put him down. I usually end up attempting to soothe him while hooked up to this freaking pump and it's just frustrating for both of us. I'm hoping he'll get better at naps...

Pumping makes this harder for sure! For our MOTN and first morning feed I pump while he eats (propped in Bolognese) and during the day when it's just me I usually pump after he's fed, been burped, but isn't tired. He lounges in the boppy and we talk and read crinkle books. If I don't do it then, I'm usually stuck with a crying baby and have to delay that pump.

highbornhunter · January 2015

We do everything on demand, but I have noticed certain patterns, and that when something messes up our pattern, I have a cranky little guy on my hands. During the week I try to get up and around after his 8-9 AM wake up & eat. He's usually awake then til sometime between 10 and 11 AM and then takes a nap, usually about an hour. Then he wakes up and eats sometimes between 12-1, and tends to nap again sometime in the afternoon. He is very good at sleeping in his crib. I will let him fall asleep in my arms or at the breast but I try to transfer him to his crib rather than the bouncer because it's quieter in his room and it gives me the chance to get things done. (We have a cat so if he is sleeping in the bouncer on the floor I hate to leave the room)

staugustinewedding · January 2015

My LO naps on demand for now. She's 7wks..almost 8. She feeds and always falls asleep right after. Sometimes she sleeps for 30min and sometimes she sleeps for 2 hours. I just let her sleeps for as long as she needs to.

deevaswani · January 2015

staugustinewedding said:
My LO naps on demand for now. She's 7wks..almost 8. She feeds and always falls asleep right after. Sometimes she sleeps for 30min and sometimes she sleeps for 2 hours. I just let her sleeps for as long as she needs to.

THIS

sydacr · January 2015

People tell my SO and I constantly that we are among the lucky ones...our DD is 9.5 weeks old and has slept 5+ hours at night since we came home from the hospital. She is currently sleeping anywhere between 8 and 10 hours a night, every night. She is typically up between 7am-8am and will stay up for about two hours before needing a nap. Her naps vary but she will generally sleep at LEAST an hour and upwards to 3 or 4. Depending on whether her long nap is in the morning or afternoon, she will have one catnap where she'll sleep about 45 minutes to an hour and his all occurs on a 2hour "awake" schedule. She has always self soothed and has slept in her room since we brought her home. Occasionally when she first goes to sleep she will fight it but the dr says that's her way of talking to and soothing herself. We never let her get frantic but we do allow her to babble. We are firm believers in swaddling and that makes a huge difference. The dr also told us that babies sometimes wake up when they switch sleep cycles...their nap is not over and they WILL fall back asleep. My DD wakes up at least once a nap and will wiggle for a minute and fall back asleep for at least another hour. Mine can put herself back to sleep, if yours can't then maybe try rocking, paci, white noise-just keep lights dim, don't carry on conversation with the baby (causes stimulation) and just try soothing them back to sleep! Babies who are awake for too long become cranky and will fight sleep even harder. My DD has just now gotten to the 2 hr mark in between naps and if she goes longer than that she becomes overstimulated and has a hard time winding down-reading her cues is our biggest helper! Love reading everyone's advice and situations!

misterdonut · January 2015

So should baby be napping in silence and darkness? I've heard many things. We've left her in the living room in sunlight... Eeeeeek.

Lilwatz · January 2015

misterdonut said: So should baby be napping in silence and darkness? I've heard many things. We've left her in the living room in sunlight... Eeeeeek. ---------

I don't know about should but we don't. We only do quiet and dark for nighttime sleep. Naps we do bright and noisy.

Edited for quote box issues...

sydacr · January 2015

I'm sorry, I was unclear!!! For naps I don't think it matters unless your baby is easily startled. We let DD nap in the living room for a little over a month and then realized she was waking up a lot more and a lot easier so we moved her to her room and now she naps great! We go about our daily routine and vacuum, etc....I was referring to nighttime for lights dimming but the talking and whatnot still applies.

Sorry for the confusion

babyknutson · January 2015

Mine naps for about an hour in the morning and a hour and a half in the afternoon.

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