Does Baby's Size Affect Naps?

[SamsMommy]

My son Samuel is just 3 or 4 days shy of 6 months old.  He is 22lbs. 4ozs. and 28'' long.  (He was 8lbs. 11ozs. when he was born)  Pediatrician says he is not obese or anything, just bigger than all his peers.   :shock:

Anyway, there is no fight to get him to take naps.    I put him down awake, pat his but for 3 or 4 minutes and he is asleep.  For several months, he slept for 2 hours for both morning and afternoon naps.  Now, he wakes up after, you guessed it, 40 to 45 minutes smiling and laughing.  However, I have learned that if I don't force him back to sleep I pay the price in a screaming baby in the evening.  The only way to get him back to sleep is hold him and either rock or lay him on my chest.  I did mention he is 22lbs right?  So I am desperate. 

Do you think becuase he is so big for his age that I need to be feeding him more?  Or less?  Or treat him as a 1 year old on the EASY plan?  Should his size dictate his EASY schedule or his age?

[Matka]

I have a giant baby too (4 months, 20 lbs.) and I was wondering the same thing recently.  I've tried giving him and extra ounce or two before naps, but he still woke up at 45 min.  Everyone I've talked to looks at me like I'm nuts when I say that my kid will only sleep for 45 min at a time.  You ladies are the only ones who have kids with the same issues!  I'm so tired and cranky that I'm begining to think that EASY is the reason our kids don't sleep longer than 45 min!  However, I can't imagine life with out some sort of schedule!

[SamsMommy]

Baby Sam was sitting around 18 lbs at 4 months too.  But then I bought a Jumperoo and he expends so much energy in it that his weight has slowed a little.  I say thank God becuase all the swings, and Baby Bjorn's and so on have a weight limit of 25 pounds!  I am trying to get as much use out them as possible becuase little Sam is taking his time learning to sit up and so on by himself.  I already had to buy a regular car seat.  I feel like no one makes things/toys for big babys!

Do you have problems at night too?  Do you still need to feed?  From what I can tell from reading, I should not being feeding him at night, but I seem to need to feed around 11 and 3 and then around 7.

[Meg's Mom]

Hi Samsmom,

Well done on teaching Samuel to go to sleep independently.

Can you post your schedule?  IME for older LOs the 45min monster is usually caused by short A times.  MY LO is a reformed 45min napper several times over and everytime extending A times along w/ using any combi of Tracy's extend techs have always helped.  Are you holding him for every nap now?

As for feeding him more?  What does you Ped say, have you asked him this question?  Are you on solids yet?  This would be ideal time i would think.

Should his size dictate his EASY schedule or his age?

I am not sure what you mean by this?

Hopefully we can help, i'll check back.