Naps schedule?

[margarita]

HI, i was wondering if i should push to put my baby for a his naps at the same time every day.  Would that help with him sleeping through the night?  Or just as long as he is getting a few naps a day it's ok?

[Aarismom]

It really depends on your lo's age.

Below 4-5 months, it's a good idea to watch your lo's sleepy signs, not the clock. After 4-5 months (after day-sleep development is over), you can start watching the clock a little bit more, but still watch your lo's sleepy signs. Biorhythmically speaking, around 9 am and 1 pm are the best times for naps, but again, it depends on how long your lo can stay up.

There is research to support keeping a sleep schedule. Really, it depends on your lo. If your lo is really schedule dependant, then a schedule might work. But if he's not, then it might not.

It's a little complicated...basically though, as the months of the first year pass, your lo will very slowly be able to stay up longer and longer. Your lo needs 16-18 hours of sleep a day in the beginning. Over time, that number decreases, until by the end of the first year, 13.5+ hours is about how much your lo needs a day. There's a sticky about it at the top of this forum (I think). How often you put you lo down for a nap depends on how long he can stay up without getting overtired.

What will help him sleep through the night is doing what you can to make sure he gets the rest he needs both day and night. Some lo's need less, others more. I would read through the stickies in the sleep and naps forums for more information, and keep an eye out for posts by other moms who are having similiar issues with sleep that yours is.

Hope this helps!

*HUGS*
Sonya =P

[margarita]

Thanks for the help.  He is very unpredictable as to when he gets sleepy.  I will try and keep a diary to see if he has similar days.

[Lucysmom]

Stacy - This is from the sticky at the top of the forum about helping 3-6 month olds overcome 45 minute naps.  Hope this helps!

Problem:
My 13 week dd recently reverted to short naps. I was convinced there was something I was doing wrong and that if I could just find out what it was the short naps would be gone.
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Strategy/Result:
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Matthew's Mommy (Jane) shared some info with me that has reassured me and given me the strength to face another day of trying to extend my dd's naps.

From 0-3 months babies work on organizing their night sleep. From 3-6 they work on organizing their day sleep. What is happening is biological and is a normal blip. In the meantime, I am going to try to extend her naps with wake to sleep so that she gets used to the sensation of going from one sleep cycle to the next. I am keeping her awake time at 1.5 hours and will start moving her towards the 4 hour EASY when she is 3.5 months or so.

Jane also advised that I do a pre-wind down before all naps. So if the nap is supposed to start at 8:30, around 8:00 start walking around the house or the garden. The swaying motion of walking releases a calming hormone in the baby. Walk around until 8:15 and then start your wind down. In my wind down I rock her for a bit, turn on a lullabye, take off her clothes, change her diaper, swaddle her, and then "slow dance" with her. I may tweak the wind down/pre-nap routine but it worked well this morning.

Jane did say that it could take a while for things to get sorted out in regards to her day sleep. But I just feel so much better knowing that what is happening is not my fault and it is just biology. I also feel like I won't be as frustrated with her as it is just another part of her growing up.

[Aarismom]

Hey Stacy

Another thing to add, according to some other literature I read, many times babies who are short nappers in the beginning become long nappers after 6 or 7 months (after day sleep development is over and things settle into routine), especially in those infants who had colic. On the other hand, the opposite could happen to long nappers (although it doesn't often happen).

*HUGS*
Sonya =P