Author Topic: Is 45 minutes naptime ever OK?  (Read 1494 times)

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Offline PRoppo

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Is 45 minutes naptime ever OK?
« on: September 12, 2005, 03:09:16 am »
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 I posted this in response to someone else's post--which was the wrong place to put it--so I am reposting it here (my 4 yo was trying to disconnect the computer at the time which was causing me to be distracted).
Just wanted to say that I have been working with my LO on her 45 minute naps. She wakes at about 35 minutes, stares into space and then at about 45 minutes or so starts to make squeaking, fussing noises (turns into a cry if not responded to0. When I go in to her, she is smiling, and seems ready to get up. This last week, I did shush/pat for 2 days during naptime to try to extend her naps, in an attempt to get her on more of a true 3 hr EASY schedule (she is 14 wks). I was able to extend her nap 2 times --up to 1 3/4 hours on one day! However, both nights that I did this during the day, she was up THREE times during the night! I can only assume that it was because she had too much sleep during the day. So, yesterday I went back to letting her sleep her 45 minutes for naps. Last night, (knock on wood) she was up only once at 4 am to feed, with a DF at 11 pm. So--my question for you all is...is it safe to assume that she needs only the 45 minutes of naptime during the day? I just am not sure how I will be able to transition her to a 4 hr EASY schedule (2 naps per day?) with these 45 minute snoozes that she takes! Anyone have any thoughts on this? Any help is much appreciated...

Offline lizzie27

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Is 45 minutes naptime ever OK?
« Reply #1 on: September 13, 2005, 08:28:43 am »
I don't know the answer to this but I have the same issues. My 16 week dd sleeps 12 hours at night but during the day she only takes naps of 20 to 30 minutes. She wakes up with a huge grin on her face and I can't do anything to get her back to sleep. I wouldl like her to nap for longer spells during the day but not if it affects her night sleep. I have tried keeping her awake for longer but this does not make any difference. Does anyone else have the same problem?

Lizzie - Mum to Evie

Offline Deb_in_oz

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Is 45 minutes naptime ever OK?
« Reply #2 on: September 13, 2005, 09:04:18 am »
well - what i will say is this - for me to judge whether the 45 min was ok for us it really depended on how olivia woke up. if she woke up happy there was no method that woudl get her back to sleep (not even food). if she woke happy at 45 min and was content in her cot cooing etc i left her for another 30-45 min of "rest time" as this really does count even though  not asleep (she is away from stimulation, in the dark, not doing much).  if she woke crying i took that as an indicator that she is still tired and would leave her for 15 min to see if she woudl resettle herself (going in if escalated diuring that tiime) and if not, then i woudl try for 20 min max. to get her to go back to sleep.  after that i just got her up and started next cycle of EASY.

we did not make it to 4 hr routine until 5 months and we are only now at almost 7 months in the transition to 2 naps (and that is a result of increased awake time, not increased nap time). so don't let that be a worry for you - your lo will get there in her own time.  you can do what you can to help her extend but sometimes the 45 min nap CAN be "their way".  olivia always wakes from her morning nap happy and raring to go - she is clearly rested and i no longer resettle after this nap, but she is older and i have adapted as she changed each month..

although between 3-5 months olivia took 1 long nap of 2hrs each day (never knew which nap it would be though) the rest were generally 45 min and i beat my head against the wall until i came up with the 45 extra minutes of "rest" plan. from 5 1/2-6 1/2 mo she settled in to a routine of 45 min am nap, 1 1/2 hr midday nap and a 45 min catnap (which actually often was 1 1/2 hr for her).

now she does a 45 min and a 1 1/2 and i am praying that 1 of them extends soon because she is struggling without the catnap but will only take it occassionally now.
Debra - a New Yorker living in Australia married to a Brit

dd1 - Textbook/Angel, born July 2003
dd2 - Spritied through & through, born Feb 2005

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Offline Aarismom

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Is 45 minutes naptime ever OK?
« Reply #3 on: September 13, 2005, 13:36:47 pm »
Mine's doing the same.

Sometimes she'll take a good morning nap of an hour and 15 to an hour and 30, sometimes she'll bomb the first nap and only do 30 min naps. Like Deb, I just see how she wakes. If she's happy and cheery, I might leave her in the crib for another 10-15 mins and see if she goes back to sleep. If she's all-out crying, I'll go help re-settle her and get her back to sleep. If all fails and there's no way she's going back to sleep, I'll get her up and keep her up until the next nap time, then pray for a good long nap.

The problem is, when she bombs her first nap, chances are good that she bombs her second too, which gets me pretty upset because she gets upset because she's tired, and she can't re-settle herself, nor can I re-settle her. I'm sure it's because by that time she's overtired.

From a nap standpoint though, anything under an hour isn't considered mentally/physically "restorative", but like regular cat naps, they might re-energize long enough to get to the next  nap.


Texbook/Angel LO
April 26, 2005

Offline Kim -Bailey's Mom

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45 minute nap encouragement
« Reply #4 on: September 13, 2005, 14:30:05 pm »
Thanks to everyone who has posted here.  I'm struggling the the 45 minute naps and it's nice to know that there is hope. I guess I just have to keep hoping that at lease one nap per day will extend.  Bailey is only 3 months, and just this week is able to settle without me patting for 25 - 45 minutes initially.  Things are looking up.
I'll try to be more observant about his mood when we wakes.  Most of the time I just trying pat/shss to extend, but it has only worked twice in about a week.   
Thanks again
Jocelyn - Angel Toddler

Bailey - Touchy Baby

Offline PRoppo

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Is 45 minutes naptime ever OK?
« Reply #5 on: September 14, 2005, 04:11:02 am »
Thanks for all of your replies!  Today for my little DD's first nap, I didn't go in when I first heard her like you all suggested.  I peeked in to check on her, and she had gone back to sleep!  I heard her a couple more times snorting and such, and did not go in, and she had a nap time total of 1 1/2 hrs!  Now, I know that she did not sleep the whole time, but still--as someone said--it is still time in her bed resting.  I never thought of it before, but that does count as "down" time, too.  Now, in the past when I have waited and not gone to her when I heard her wake up, her squeaks escalated and I could tell she wanted me to come in.  So, I will see if this happens again--just going back to sleep, that is.  Her other naps this pm were the same 45 minutes, but I was fearful of extending those anyway due to wanting to keep her asleep tonight.  Fortunately, though she fell asleep in the carseat taking my son to and fro to school and still let me take her out and put her in bed.  All in all, a good sleep day...I'll keep you posted...

Patti

Mom to Gianna and Maxwell