Naps

[northrose]

Hi,

DD, 5.5 months, has been on a 4-hour routine for 3 or 4 weeks, with a few glitches, but generally it's been fine. She cluster feeds in the evening and doesn't have a dreamfeed, as she sleeps a regular 9 hours at night (9pm - 6:30am).

She is teething and I think will soon be ready for solids, as she is b/f more often these last few days. I have been following E.A.S.Y since pretty much the beginning, and now I am trying to lengthen her naps.

She naps three times a day, usually one long (1.5hrs) and two short (45mins each), and I am trying to lengthen those times to 1.5 to 2 hours, while maintaining the catnap in the evening.

I have tried to put her in her crib for all her naps, but she doesn't always go to sleep (she can go to sleep on her own fine if she is tired enough), or stay asleep. I don't want to overtire her, though. One good way to have her sleep for a long nap is to take a looong walk with the stroller (2hrs), but that is not always feasible, and I am wondering how to lengthen her daytime sleep in her crib.

She is a quiet, calm baby (Angel/Textbook, with a dash of Sensitive), and is so much lovelier when she is well-rested.

So how do I lengthen her 2 daytime naps?

Rose

[*Natasha*]

Could you post your routine? The long nap she takes is that in the cot or in the stroller?

[northrose]

Hi Natasha,

Our routine goes something like this:

6:30 Wake and spend quiet time with DH
7-7:30 E (b/f)
7:30-9:30 A
9:30 (approx) S
10:30-11:30 A
11:30 E
12-1:30 A
1:30-2:30 S
2:30-3:30 A
3:30 E
4-5:30 A
5:30 catnap
6ish A & E (b/f on demand, as no dreamfeed)
7 bath and windown
7:45 E
8 S

This is an ideal day, sometimes naps are longer or shorter, but the afternoon nap is the one I'm really trying to lengthen.
I have resorted to taking her on a long walk in the afternoon so that she sleeps in the stroller, as in her cot she sleeps for shorter times, it seems.

Rose