At what age does the short nap end? Is there light at the end of this tunnel?

[posy]

I've been struggling with the short nap for about a month now. It is very draining. Thankfully, luckily, I am usually able to extend the short nap using sh/pat and a pacifier. I've read on the site numerous times that it's a developmental stage. Just curious for those mommies who have gone through it - when did the short nap go away for you?

By way of background, my DD will be 5 months old in 10 days (though she was born 2 weeks early), and is currently on a 3h35m EASY. We are slowly working our way up to 4h...it is taking a long time. Her A time is presently about 1h50m. She sleeps swaddled at naps but has recently been unswaddled at night time.

[Mashi]

My gut reaction is that she is taking short naps because her A time is very low.  Most LOs are onto a 4 hour easy with 2h awake time at 4 months, although yes there are some who take longer. However less than 2 hours at 5 months is REALLY low on the awake time and I am sure she can handle more than that!   Especially when you say that it has been going on for a month now, I reckon that when these short naps started she was ready to increase her A time at 4 months.

Starting with your first A time tomorrow, push her to 2 hours awake.  You need to extend awake times quite gently, you do not want to go too quickly or she will get overtired (OT) quite fast.  If she is showing tired signs before 2 hours I would say that it is habit, and even boredom often makes LOs start with their tired signs!   You can make her wind down longer or have some extra time doing calm actiivties until she gets used to the longer A times - but I do think that once she is on more age appropriate A times she will nap much longer for you!

[Tweakster]

For us it was a combo of development and routine.  Hardcore short naps were from around 12 weeks to 20 weeks - major days spent in his room for all naps and shush/pat.  And then by 6 months it was all routine related or related to teething.  Short naps for us now are almost always overtired (OT).

Naps really only got 'predictable' I would say at 7.5 months...he's just over 8 months now lol.  But that was after I moved to set nap times for a while so I could get rid of the CN.

So there certainly is hope and it does get better :-)  Hang in there, and Mashi has some great advice for you there.

[posy]

Thanks ladies!

That is really interesting about tired signs before 2 hours being habit or boredom. Her tired signs aren't very clear anyway (I watch so closely for them, but still can't always catch them). I will try it.

One thing I did not mention - despite her initial wake-ups from naps being at the 30 to 40 minute mark, I can usually get her back down to sleep for another hour. Mashi, in your view, would that still seem to suggest a short A time?