POLL-When Did your LO overcome the 30-45 min naps

[Lace]

Just curious what ages your LO overcame the short naps. ALso please include what techniques you used and if you think it was the hard work that finally paid off or developmental. I need to try and prepare for what I may be in for!!! Thanks for all your responses and any suggestions are also welcome!

[monsi]

Hi,
My LO is 6 months old and I would say has been almost consistently sleeping for 1 1/2 hrs for about 1 1/2 to 2 months (I can't actually remember when the 40 min naps stopped). We still have some occasions where she does wake and needs resettling (or refuses to go back to sleep) but more often than not she does the hour and a half (or 1 - 2 hrs).

I would go in when she woke and put the paci back in and walk out again and basically repeat what I used to do when I first put her to sleep. I got some advice to make them stay in their cots for 1 1/2 hrs from when you first put them down (not when they fall asleep) so they get used to the idea that 40 mins is not enough time. If you get them up after 40 mins they learn that is ok and I dont have to sleep any longer. Even if I couldn't get her back to sleep I would try to resettle for at least 1/2 hr to 40 mins unless she had a poo or became too distressed.

I think it is a combination of development and persistence. They need to learn to go back to sleep at that 45 min point so you have to be very clear what message you are sending.

Good luck and stick with it!

[Corkgal]

My LO started extending her naps just over 4 months, but only a few days after we removed her paci prop - which I think was more significant - she was addicted!

[* Paula *]

My DD is 11 weeks, and over the past two weeks has been overcoming the 45 min naps.  We used Pat / Shhh as well as extending her A time a bit.

She still does have the odd 45 min nap, but is generally very easy to settle, and if she does not re-settle, she usually will have a 2-3 hour nap for her next nap to make up for it.

[Lace]

Paula,
How long is your lo A time?? Would you mind posting your schedule as I think Our LO are the same age almost. My DD was born on 10-24. Thanks for all the responses..keep them coming I need some hope!!! I have been trying to extend for 5 weeks noe and usually I can but she still can't do it alone?

[jennm0474]

My DS overcame the dreaded 45 minutes naps around 4 months.  We had a good solid 3 weeks of stressful PU/PD and Pat/SHH to get him to sleep but it worked.
He occasionally wakes after 45 minutes now but most of the time he can settle himself and get back to sleep.
We started off with pat/shh in the crib.  I have a bad back now because of it!!!!  I would lean into the crib and shhh right next to his head (of course not in his ear) and pat his chest gently (this isn't textbook by any means but it worked for us)
If he escalated to a full blown cry - then we would use PU/PD - once I picked him up and he settled I put him right back into the crib and if he fussed I started to pat/shh again.

As time went on a stopped pat/shh'ing when he was fussing to see if he could resettle on his own and he did.  It was amazing.

I would say that 7 out of every 10 naps are now at least 1.5 hours.  There is the occasional 45 minute nap and then the PU/PD struggle to get him to go back - but those are few and far between.

[*Natasha*]

My DD1 was 3months when they started when her reflux was at its worst i used Shh/Patt to etend it worked fantastic. They came back again when she dropped the cat nap and we extended her awake time and used W2S.
DD2 started with the shot naps at 8weeks and i used Shh/Patt to extend naps and she is almost over them she still has the occasional one.

[pbmom]

Chantelle - your lo has the same b-day as me!  Paige never did the 45 min thing - I WAS LUCKY!  But Brooke was the queen of short naps early on and then in the last few weeks.  I extended A time and it did the trick (hopefully I didn't jinx it)!

[Aly Mac]

My lo started the short naps around 4months and took til around 10months to overcome it.  I just found that she was not good at longer A times in teh am (very touchy, and got OT if I missed the window).  She woke happy so I went with it in the end.  Then when she started to get mobile, she would go longer A time and the short naps went!

[benandmichelle]

Things started panning out for us around 5 months. By that I mean naps got longer but the duration was still not fixed and he started having 2x per day. One was longer than the other and he would (and still does!) often swap them round, as in morning might be longer than afternoon and visa versa.

[IndiaJenn]

My ds occasionally took 1 1/2 hour naps (from 6 months old) but 45 minutes was the norm until he transitioned into the fabled "blissfully long 3-hour nap", which in his case is only 90 minutes. He wakes up with lots of energy and rarely has meltdowns (especially compared to other toddlers we know) and sleeps fabulously (11-12 hours continuously most nights) so I don't think it's a bad thing (other than for me, personally) that his naps are short. I think some kids just don't need so much daytime sleep...

[* Paula *]

Chantelle my DD was born on the 23rd, our routine is pretty much like this:-

E- 7:00am
A - up to 8:30
S - up to 10

We follow a three hour routine.

We were having loads of short naps and over came the majority of them.  Natasha helped me out with loads of advice, and found the thing that helped us the most was if she woke, we would leave her to see if she re-settled - if she cried we would go in and pat / shhh.  Now most naps she sleeps through or if she does wake at the 45 min mark, she usually re-settles within a few mins.

Some days she even naps for 2.5 hours and we end up following a 4 hour routine  - We are having one of those days today.

[symone]

My DD2 started longer naps at around 4mths, used PU/PD and PAT/SHH, but PU/PD is difficult with a toddler around and hubby at work! Perservered though and even at nearly 12 months old is still having 2 long naps and 12 hrs at night. Trouble is have got used to doing my jobs during morning nap, so I am dreading going 2-1!

[Lace]

Thanks everyone. Right now I have a video monitor so I watch and as soon as she begings to stir or sometimes before if I am watching the clock I go in and put pressure on her arms and legs and pat her on the bottom (this is new but tends to help if she is moving around alot) she doesn't just jolt she begins to squirm. SO my question is..I have been doing this for weeks now because If I let off a little she wakes fully. Should I leave her on her own yet to try and resettle as Paula and Natasha had sucess with or keep at what I am doing?? I also have a 3yr old who is in mothers day out 2 times a week so being strict with her A time is not always feasible since I have to bring him and pick him up and it interferes with A times and "the window".

[mitten]

my lo started short napping at 3 months and she is now 10 months and even if I have tryed everything she is still short naping, she is crying more and more at nap time she just cried 45 minutes adn is now sleeping. I am exshauted.