Author Topic: Do I need to extend naps?  (Read 1168 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline twoblacklabs

  • New & Learning The Ropes
  • *
  • Showing Appreciation 0
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 42
  • Location:
Do I need to extend naps?
« on: September 27, 2005, 12:58:03 pm »
Jack is 3 months old.  He has always taken fairly short naps, and he typically wakes up smiling and in a good mood.  He is sleeping anywhere from 10 - 11 hours at night and a total of 4 - 5 hours during the day.  He has one long nap in the morning (anywhere from 1 - 2 hours) and then he takes 1/2 hour to 45 minute naps the rest of the day. 

A typical day:

E - between 6:30 and 7:00
A - Diaper Change
S - 7:30 - 9:00
Y
E - 9:30
A
S - 10:40 - 11:10
Y
E - 12:30
A
S - 1:40 - 2:10
Y
E - 3:30
A
S - 4:15 - 5:00
Y
E - 6:30/7:00
A
S - sleep for the night between 7:30 and 8:00

E - Dream Feed 10:45

E - 3 am Feed

It looks as though he's sleeping the "average/normal" amount of time for a 3 months old, and rarely wakes up cranky (as if he needs more sleep).  I get him to bed as soon as I notice that first yawn and he is usually sleeping within 10 - 20 minutes of getting him in his crib.

He is still getting up once a night to eat (3 am feed), and I'm fine with that at this point.  It is soooo much better than it was just a week ago thanks to some tips I picked up in Tracy's newest book.  Wake-to-sleep
saved my life!

There is so much talk about extending "short" naps... but it doesn't really seem like that is something we need to do in our particular case.  As I mentioned, he's always done this - it's not something new.

I'm just looking for reassurance that we are on the right track... any advice/comments are appreciated!

Offline Arwyn's mom

  • Resident BW Chatterbox!
  • *****
  • Showing Appreciation 15
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 583
  • Arwyn -- April 5th, 2005
  • Location: Burnaby, B.C. Canada
Do I need to extend naps?
« Reply #1 on: September 27, 2005, 15:23:57 pm »
Hi twoblacklabs,

I have the same dilemma... her naps are short but she goes 12 hours at night... right on schedule with the correct amount of sleep.

Anyhow, I found something in Tracy's new book BWSAYP page 201.
Quote (selected)
Some babies, around eight to sixteen weeks, might start taking twenty-to forty-minute power naps. If the baby seems even-tempered in his waking hours and sleeps well at night, short naps might be all that he needs. (Sorry, Mum, I know you were looking forward to longer naps!)

I just found this last night as I was trying to find out how the heck I could continue to try to extend Arwyn's naps because all I do is make her cry when she wakes up happy and I want to send her back to sleep!

HTH
Ankie
Burnaby, B.C. Canada




Offline Matthew's Mommy

  • BW Devotee
  • ****
  • Showing Appreciation 22
  • Gender: Female
  • Posts: 483
  • Location: Toronto, Canada
Do I need to extend naps?
« Reply #2 on: September 28, 2005, 00:44:04 am »
The best indicators are your child's behaviour, temperament and nights. If he's happy and content during the day, and his nights are great, then don't worry about it. As he grows and matures, his naps changes as well.
Jane
Whispering since 2001
Matthew July 27th, 2001
Brendan October 21st, 2004