15 minute naps - help!

[Sylvana]

Hi there, I'm new here and I think I have a problem I haven't seen discussed. I see people asking about extending 45 minute naps but to me 45 minutes sounds great! My son is 17 weeks old now and I've started putting him to sleep without nursing most of the time. He doesn't seem to have a problem going to sleep if I catch him in time (Textbook baby) but since I started the nap training he only seems to sleep 15 to 20 minutes and then wakes up and cries. I've tried re-soothing him and that works only sometimes but the times it's worked he only sleeps for another 15 minutes and wakes again.
He sleeps good at night time from around 7:30 pm to 5:30 or 6 am without waking.
Does anyone have any advice on the 15 minute naps? There are days where he will sleep longer (40-50 minutes is a long nap for him) but it's getting really rare. He sleeps for up to 2 hours in his swing though !!

Thanks

[marylou]

Hi,

I am in just the same boat!  My little guy is also 17 weeks old and pretty much sleeps from 800 until 600am. 

Napping is another whole story though!!!!

On average he would nap for 20-30 minutes.  TODAY is the only day we have had good naps.

He also goes to sleep with little effort...but can't stay asleep during the day.  At about the 30 minute mark...he wakes up crying, screams and can't get back to sleep.  I have tried waiting in his room, keeping my hands on him the whole time(my poor back!!!)..and seeing if he will settle himself.

Nothing has worked until today.  I realized that the only thing different between night and day is the amount of light in his room.

I put up dark curtains and made his room almost as dark as night time.

This really seemed to help.  Also,..a lot of ladies here swaddle their little ones...I have NOT been swaddling at all since the beginning...but today decided to lightly swaddle him from the armpits down...just to keep his little legs from flailing...he sucks on his hands...so I left them outside.

This seemed to help too.

Maybe you could try this...our babies seem similar in their sleeping habits....ie great at night....short short naps during the day...so hopefully it will help you.

Just FYI...

Today for the first time, Jacob's naps were:

2 1/2 hours (I woke HIM up from this one)
1 hr and 35 min
45 min(cat nap---I did not extend his last nap as I was worried about his night sleeping).

I CANNOT COMPLAIN!!  Today I felt like a normal person!!!!

Good luck!!

[hana1978]

I could have written this post..!
My DS naps between 15-30mins at a time and wakes up tierd and grumpy but will refuse to go back to sleep no matter what i do.  He can get himself to sleep now so its not a prop thing, i dont know what it is or what to do about it.  He sleeps not so good at night tho and wakes every 3-4 hours still - not sure if its for food or not but i feed him anyway (hes 5months) - anyway no advice there is there, just wanted to say you are definately not on your own.  When i see posts about extending 45min naps im so jealous - if only !!!!!  :lol: