12 week old and short naps

[jowen239]

Hi,

I just have two questions. My boy is 12 weeks old, he was born 3.5 weeks early. He takes very short naps is that just a developmental stage or should he take longer naps. He normally has one longer nap for about an hour or so.

my other question is when he wakes up from his short naps, should I try to put him down again or do I take him out of the crib?

Thank you guys and you rock

[TB9]

It could be developmental, but it could also be a routine issue, or something else completely 

How short are the short naps?

What is his routine like?

[jowen239]

Most of his naps are around 20-30 mins, sometimes he sleeps longer!

We get up at 0600 to bf him, he stays up for about an hour and sleeps for 40 mins (he actually slept longer today, at 0900 he eats again, we have activity time til about 1000 and I put him down for his nap again40 mins later he is awake and falls asleep 40 mins later again. 1200 eating again, stays up til 1300/1330 down for a nap, which lasts for 30 mins, he wakes up and I get him since he just keeps waking up (he will take another nap before the next feeding in his swing), 1500 eats again. Between 1500 and 1830/1900 (which is his bedtime) he will have another nap for about 30-40 mins and I feed him also at 1700.
I dream feed him at 2200 and he wakes up between 0200 and 0300 for another feeding, I put him down again and often he will start stirring between 0430 and 0500 (in which he passes often a lot of gas) but he keeps falling asleep if I give him his pacifier but most of the time only for about 30 mins again and  we do that until 0600.

I hope that all makes sense

[lauradj]

This sounds pretty typical to me.  Many babies go through a period between about 8-15 wks where they nap for only about 45 minutes (one sleep cycle).  With my DS I would try two times to get him back to sleep but after that I let him get up.  I knew that once he was awake, that was it.  It's very frustrating at the time but it passes. 
I would recommend you try to stretch his A time to an hour and 15 minutes, that might help him sleep longer.  I'm not sure how to include the link but on the forum, but A time for a 12 wk old is recommended an hour and twenty to 30 minutes.  My DS couldn't do that, so I did an 1.45.  His night time sleep looks good so I think you're just fine. 

Cheers,
Laura

[TB9]

Does he fall asleep independently yet?  Does he use a paci?

[jowen239]

Thank you for your answers!

He falls asleep with a pacifier most of the time, but I always put him awake in his bed and he falls asleep!

[TB9]

You probably could increase his A time slowly, starting with his first A to see if you get a better nap.  Just hold the A time increase for a few days to make sure he doesnt get ot

 My dd2 also had 30min naps when she was using a paci because it would fall out and she would want to be up instead of falking back asleep after I out it back in...even though she went in the crib awake, she needed the paci back in to get past the 30min mark, but didnt want the paci back in when she saw me   Naps got longer when I weaned the paci and she could get through the 30min mark on her own.