45 minute naps - limited to crib???

[mjmmom]

I have a 12 week lo who goes to sleep very well for naps and nighttime on her own.  She has the 45 minute nap problem.  My question is that when I am out (I have a 7 year old son that goes to school and is active in many sports so have to go out with him), she can take 2+ hour naps and never wakes at the 45 minute mark.  Is that common for 45 minute nappers - that it is just a crib phenomena or is there something with her that I could change seeing as she can and does nap longer in her carseat when out (this is regardless of the time of the nap (1st through 3rd can all be long in the carseat and all are short at home in the crib).  Some days I admit I look forward to going out to get some good sleep out of her so she is less fussy by nighttime. 

Also just this week she has found the use of her hands and noticed the television etc. and now does not seem tired at 1 hour as prior but more like 1.5 hours as she can amuse herself so much more, but I wonder if that is too quick to extend her A time as it is all the suden, I can't tell really as her naps were only short before so can't guage it against any change!!!

Thanks for the advice.....wishing for some long naps!!!!

[Mom to M&M]

Do you swaddle your LO? We stopped at 5-6 weeks because DD hated it but this did lead to short naps for a while. We had the same issue - short naps in crib, long naps in car seat/stroller (even motionless) - and realized that it's because the car seat keeps them all snug and cozy and stops their little bodies from jolting. DD grew out of it and will now only catnap in car or stroller and take long naps in crib! At 12 weeks you can try extending her A times to maybe 1.25 hours and see how that goes - 1.5 may be too much for her still...

[mjmmom]

No she is not swaddled, she has not ever tolerated it......although maybe we should have persisted I guess.......so at what age did you find that your lo outgrew it and began to do better in the crib than carseat/stroller?  We have a big family trip upcoming (she will be 16 weeks) and I hope she maybe a little better by then. 

[Mom to M&M]

Things got a lot better around 4 months I think - then it became a matter of figuring out the right A times for her, adjusting her wind down routine, etc. Do you use white noise? Darken her room?

[mjmmom]

The room is quite dark(room darkening blinds - but nightlights so I can see in the night to feed her).......I have never used white noise but there is a overhead fan that has run all summer due to the heat.  Maybe I should try white noise, what do most people find effective, why is is effective?  What do you mean by adjusting the wind down routine?  Did you just continue to have some long naps out until it got better to keep her well rested (I also don't have to be moving once she is asleep in her seat.

Thanks for answering all my questions.

[Mom to M&M]

We use a white noise  machine - partially because DD likes it and also because it drowns out background noise. We found that around 5-6 months we needed to change our wind-down routine to help DD transition from play time to sleep time -  so we started bringing her in her dimmed room about 15 minutes before nap time and changing her diaper and reading a story and having a drink of water and having cuddles and lullabies - before putting her in her crib drowsy but awake. DD  no longer needs all that but it did help for a while. We found using a sleep sack (again we no longer use) helped too. For a long time I'd have one nap a day be in her stroller or car seat, weather permitting. I wish I still could for flexibility reasons, but DD is way too alert now for that!

[mjmmom]

Thanks for the help.  I feel better about having the nap out then as it seems it didn't deter your dd's long term sleep/naps.  It just makes so much difference to nighttime and later day fussiness if she is not so overtired (because with short naps, there is nothing I can do to get her back to sleep usually).  I also enjoy going out, getting some fresh air and some exercise so that is good as well.  As long as in the end she learns to sleep well with all the other times we try in her bed, then that is great.  Would you suggest starting to use the sleep sack now - I find it hot still at night but I do have 2 that were given to me for presents.  I thought that the main help (with swaddling etc.) was with arms not flailing which wouldn't be helped with a sleep sack but I am willing to try anything to help her sleep and feel better!!

[Mom to M&M]

I think it's OK to have one nap a day at most out as long as she's sleeping independently at other times. But you do want to continue working on getting longer naps in the crib too. I'd try to focus on A times and her wind down routine and you can certainly try the sleep sack if you have a lightweight one and she wont' be too hot. Yes, the main benefit of the swaddle is that it stops the jolts, but we found a sleep sack also helped because it kept DD cozy and a little snug in the legs and gave her some weight on her as well which she liked.

[mjmmom]

Thanks,

So for her age (12 weeks) is 1.25h about a normal A time?  This morning that is what she had total by the time she was in her bed.  I tried a slightly longer wind down earlier as normally the wind down has been very short when I see a few tired cues in a row.  So hopefully those longer naps will come to her eventually!!!

She also went 1 hour longer last night (7h) then her best time prior (6h) so hopefully some resettling skills are emerging!

[Mom to M&M]

Great with last night! Good job Mommy and LO!

Yes, I think 1.25 hours is about normal - maybe moving toward 1.5 hours in a couple weeks. Let us know how it goes!