ALWAYS SEEMS TIRED!

[anon]

my dd is 5 months 2 weeks, her sleep routine is that she wakes about 6am has bottle then plays, has nap anywhere between 3/4 - 1 hr. wakes and has breakfast. Another nap at lunch time and then again around 3-4. Then bedtime at 6.30pm, goes down no problem at all, infact I can't keep her awake any longer than that. She normally wakes at some point during the night for a bottle, but goes back down within 15 mins. Sounds like an angel, yes she is thank god, but my worry is that throughout the day she may have only been up an hour and she seems tired, rubbing eyes, playing with ears etc... Not always crying but sometimes wingey.  Because I listen to her signs for when she's tired I seem to be putting her down for more than 3 naps a day.
Is she bored? tired? I just don't no. Can anyone shed any light on this for me?

[chell]

Hi, at 5 months she should be able to cope with staying up for 2-2.5 hours, before needing a nap. It's great that you are following her cues, sounds as though you are doing a great job! If she is only sleeping for 45 mins at each nap, you could try to work on amalgamating them, so that she goes through 2 sleep cycles instead of one, ie: sleeps for 1.5 hours twice a day, and maybe plus a cat nap until she is ready to drop this one. She probably is tired, as you have been watching for her cues, so if your current routine suits you, I wouldn't worry about it too much.

[Grace's Mom]

my lo is 7 months old and most days can barely stay awake 2-2.5 hours, never any more than that.  She has always seemed to need more sleep than other babies.  Your lo may be like that as well.  I am always tempted to try to keep her awake longer but then I risk having an over tired baby which then makes napping/night time sleep even worse.  I think you are doing the right thing. If you want, try keeping you lo up an extra 5-10 minutes at a time to get the A times to lengthen gradually so not to shock her. 

Melissa

[anon]

Thank you for your replies. It's just nice to know sometimes that you are doing the right thing.
She is an absolute angel and I love her to bits. Think I will definatly try to lengthen her naps. I have read a bit about going in after 35 mins and stroking her cheek to try and lull her into the next stage of the sleep cycle but to be honest, she is a very light sleeper and I am worried that I will wake her.
Nicki

[chell]

Hi, yes I can understand your concern. It is going to take a bit of practice to get it right. What you could try is to go in 5 mins before she is due to wake and when she begins to stir, place your hand on her and apply gentle pressure - she may go back off, if not you will have to go back to pat/shh. It may take a while for her to get the hang of re-entering the next cycle, but if you persist, it should work.

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