Set naps for a 5 month old - has anyone gone down this route?

[scruffymax]

Just an update.  Everything going really well with the set naps  Most days getting two good naps, but even when short napping is able to consistently sleep through until 7.  I'm having to wake him then but I think it has really helped set his body clock.  TBH it's just so nice to not be 'A time chasing'.

Might not work for everyone but definitely works for DS2.

Great!  In my whole 11 months of experience (LOL!) I have found the sleep to be the best and most consistent when DD was on 2 naps.  Not looking forward to the 2-1 transition... oh well, just another thing to get through!  I hope DS2 continues to sleep well and you get to enjoy some great family time over the break.

[*Kara*]

LOL!  Scruffy - we had the BEST sleep ever when the 2-1 hit hard

DD moved to one nap at 11 months 1 week (she was fighting like a mad woman at nap and BT for weeks)... She woke at 7am, napped 12-3pm and went to bed at 7pm.  It was amazing!  For about a month

[scruffymax]

Good to hear Kara!  Things have been so nice and consistent since DD has been on 2 naps.  We are getting the odd afternoon nap refusal every week or 2 so I know it's around the corner but I'm hanging on to 2 naps as long as I can!!  Plus DD only does 30 mins if she's in the car or pram, which is ok if there's another nap that day to catch up, but would mean you have to be home for the midday nap if they're only on one nap I guess.  Sorry to get off topic Lynners!

[*Kara*]

Sounds like it's looming Scruffy - but it will be much more intense with the refusals before you have to worry

[Erin M]

Late to the party, but great to hear. 

[lynners]

Thanks ladies.  Been getting quite a lot of 40 mins for first nap but we went to MIL's for a few days and only back for a few days.  Nights still good though  Actually quite looking forward to next week post-holiday for all family to get back to school/work/routine.  How sad am I!

[*Kara*]

those naps make me think the am nap needs a little push

[lynners]

You could well be right.  I've been thinking that myself but thought I'd wait a few days once we're back in to the home/school routine.  I'm really hoping we can make the existing times work as they work so well with the school run as following.  (In saying that he's literally just woken up at the 40 min mark for the first nap again.  Aaah I think I'm done for.  I think that's the fourth or fifth time in a row.) -

WU 7.00
School run 8.45 - 9.05
Nap 1 9.30 - 11.00
Nap 2 13.30 - 15.00
School run 15.10 - 15.30
BT 19.00

These were the nap times scruffy gave me for a 6-8 month old.  The relevant 9-11 month old ones were -

WU 7.00
School run 8.45 - 9.05
Nap 1 10-11:30
Nap 2 14:30-16.00
School run 15.10 - 15.30
BT 19.00

This would mean for the second nap he'd be sleeping in his buggy at home and may or may not stay asleep til 4 during the school run - although that will be an issue at some point.  I suppose I could always do the following -

WU 7.00
School run 8.45 - 9.05
Nap 1 9.45-11:15
Nap 2 14:00-15.30
School run 15.10 - 15.30
BT 19.00

Where he is more likely to at least get most of his second nap.  Two problems though -

I wouldn't be at all surprised that if we change his nap times like this,  he'll be fine again for a while and then start short napping again - would I be back to crazy A time chasing again? 

Also my MIL is going to start looking after him occasionally while I'm doing some freelance work.  She is definitely anti-BW and is from the 'just put him down when he looks tired' brigade  (yeh because it's that easy  )  If I am to give her exact times to put him down I would prefer that they were more 'round figures' on the hour or half hour.  I know that probably sounds stupid but she will make me feel silly if they sound a bit 'random' to her.  I soooo wish that wasn't an issue in my head.

What do you think? 

[lynners]

Hi there,

Could really do with some help asap as unexpectedly I need to do freelance work tomorrow so MIL is babysitting and I need to give her nap instructions 

Today by default we had a different day.

WU 7.00
Nap 1 - 10-10.40
Nap 2 - 1.30-3.30 (I woke him up at this point)
BT 7.00

So even at 10 am, he still short napped   

Can anyone please look at my previous post to give me advice as to what routine to follow.

Thanks so much.

[becj86]

10 and 1:30 makes a lot of sense age-wise and MIL-wise, I'd have thought... presume he had a good night after that day?

[lynners]

Thanks so much Bec  ,

Yes he had a good night last night.

I ended up having to make a decision to tell Grandma and went for the 9.45 - 11.15 nap 1 and 14.00 - 15.30 nap 2. (crazy I know giving her 'quarter of an hour figures'! LOL - actually she was fine with them.

This is what she got-

WU 7.00
Nap 1 9.45 - 10.45
Nap 2 1.45 - 3.15 (told her to go for the 2.00pm - 3.30pm if he got an hour and a half for nap 1, if not to go for the 1.45 pm)

...so not too bad considering I wasn't here!!!

Not sure if I should change to the 10, 2.30 naps ( 3hr AT).  Tempted to stick to what we did today for tomorrow at least as MIL is looking after LO again, then not again until about two weeks away...although thought the point with set naps was to not move the times too much.

Any advice?

[becj86]

although thought the point with set naps was to not move the times too much.

It is...

You got two good naps with MIL, be happy! I'd stick with it for the second day and then fine-tune the nap times to say 10 and 2:30 if that's where you want them for when MIL takes him again in 2 weeks.

[scruffymax]

I have been on a holiday from the internet.  Gee, I still think those A times are high for a 5 month old even though I was the one who wrote the routines out for you!  Is there any chance the 40 min naps are still "developmental" and not A time related?

[lynners]

Thanks Bec and hi Scruffy,

A break from the internet is probably not a bad thing.  Thinking it could be good myself!

I know what you mean about the A times, but he has always been high.  I really don't know how you could tell whether they were developmental or not though?

I've kept him on this at the moment and he's generally ok, although the first nap tends to be an hour rather than an hour and a half - better than 40 mins though - and yes the second nap is interrupted by the school run 

WU 7.00
School run 8.45 - 9.05
Nap 1 9.45-11:15
Nap 2 14:00-15.30
School run 15.10 - 15.30
BT 19.00

Any thoughts?

[scruffymax]

I really don't know how you could tell whether they were developmental or not though?

I'm not actually sure - I just know I battled on and off with 40min naps from 8wks to over 6 months (gee it felt like so much longer than 4 or 5 months!) and then she seemed to just grow out of it.  The majority of the bubs from my mothers groups were the same.  So what I mean is that maybe he would do short naps no matter what the A time.

TBH I would probably put LO down for the first nap earlier so that if it ends up being short you've still got time for a bigger afternoon nap before the school pickup.  You know your LO though and also whether he's likely to do a good nap in the pram etc (my LO only sleeps 35 mins in the pram so it seems so odd to me that other babies will do longer sleeps!)

I also think that with any set routine, if you give it a good crack of a couple of weeks and it's still not great, then it's not the right routine for your bub.  When they work, they work really well, but the one I tried on my bub when she was only around 5 months just did not work even with much persistence and it was horrible.  But this other one that I've been on (in a few different forms) for a number of months now has been brilliant.  You can only try and then decide whether to persevere or try something different based on the results you get.  Good luck!!!