6 month old taking 3-5 30 minute naps- How to work on this?

[SoSayWeAll]

Hello,

I hope I am not asking a repeat question. I did look at the FAQs. 

My DS will be 6 months on Sunday. He is breastfed and I pump at work.  He is at daycare 4 days a week for about 9 hours a day. Daycare is getting the same results I am with naps.

He sleeps well at night and goes to bed anywhere from 630-730. I do rock to sleep but he doesn't take a pacifier. He typically only wakes up once to nurse, and on work days I have to wake him around 615 to get ready.

He won't take a nap longer than 30 minutes, though(with one exception that I will explain)  and I don't know what to try next. I rock him for the nap, and he wakes up in 30 minutes almost like clockwork. I let him roll around in his crib for awhile(up to 15 min) but he never goes back to sleep.

We don't have a set schedule by times, but he usually can only be awake about 1.5 hours(sometimes 2) without getting cranky. We do follow an eat play sleep routine. 

Most people I ask about this just tell me I'm lucky he sleeps well at night. I would like to work on getting him more rest though, and I am not sure what I should do first. Work on putting him down drowsy but awake first or try to lengthen naps?

[Frankiefrankiefrankie]

Hello..... I had exactly the same issue..... Have you tried walking around the house with your bubs for 10 mins before you put him down... As soon as you see his sleepy cues or in my case I had to look at the clock, I would pick her up and walk around the house...I would talk, sing and do things around the house. This has now become a mini routine, so she knows a nap is on her way.... Also it makes her drowsy... I would then pop her into her crib, give her a sock to play with ( yes, I know Weird.. But it comforts her) and then 10 mins of so later she is asleep.... It took time but it works... Great suggestion from a lively lady on this site...
Missy moo is still a cat napped but at least she puts herself to sleep and then I will tackle extending her naps..... Is your buns awake time correct?!

[SoSayWeAll]

I have not tried walking him around before a nap and certainly will now. He really does only stay awake 1.5-2 hours before he shows sleepy signs.

[newkidontheblock]

Great advice from Frankie! Would you like to post your routine for us to take a look?  I think your baby is trying to tell you that she needs more A time before her naps. 1.5-2 hours is very low. Most 6 month olds are doing around 3. Seems to me that she is undertired - that is, she is not tired enough to do a long nap, and 30 mins is enough to refresh her. Increasing her A will help to extend the naps.

[SoSayWeAll]

We don't have a set routine, but here was today(a daycare day)

Wake 610
Nurse 615
I pump and then get us ready to go and drop him off at 740
810 4oz bottle
835-905 nap
945 4oz bottle
1055-1125 nap
1145 4 oz bottle
100-140 nap
200 4 oz bottle
Failed nap attempts
400 4 oz bottle
DH picks him up and brings him home and he sleeps  500 until we wake him at 615. I nurse, play, feed rice cereal and put him to bed at 730

I don't know the specifics of what kind of playing he is doing.

This is a pretty typical daycare day. When he is home with me we do eat play sleep with 90-120 min of wake time(which I am finding out is too short).

[newkidontheblock]

Looking at your routine, you definitely need to stretch out your A times. As I previously mentioned, at 6 months, most babies are doing closer to 3 hours (sometimes more - my DD was doing 3.20 A) with 2 naps of 1.5 to 2 hours each (they drop the catnap around this time)

I also wanted to mention that your day is rather long. It is best to stick to a 12 to 12.5 hour day, whereas he is doing 13.5. Is it possible to put him to bed earlier since I am assuming that WU time has to stay at 6? If you cannot shorten your day, then you will have to keep the catnap, otherwise he will be way too tired by bed time.

Average A times- BOOKMARK ME!!
All about the 3-2 transition- 5/6 months
Typical Amounts of Day and Night Sleep

Hope that helps.

[SoSayWeAll]

630 is the earliest I would be able to put him to bed...and it makes me sad when I do that because I hardly get any time with him after work.

[newkidontheblock]

6.30 would be perfect but it is your decision, hun. You can start by stretching out your A times. That should help to lengthen the naps