Timing of naps

[Qaytbey]

My daughter has been on EASY almost since day 1.  However, rather than following the eat, activity, sleep cycle she always naps a bit early, so her typical cycle is more like eat, activity, sleep, activity.  This is not a problem for me and she is just fine.  Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this and any general comments about whether it is a good/bad/neutral thing.  Incidentally, she sleeps like a log - 11hours every night since the end of month 1 

[andibig]

if shes sleeping OK then i can't see a problem.
well done for getting her sleeping through so quick!!!

[samijoe]

seems to me like there is absolutely nothing wrong.

you are reading her cues very well...

give yourself a pat on the back.   she's normal, lol.


sami

[Qaytbey]

if shes sleeping OK then i can't see a problem.
well done for getting her sleeping through so quick!!!

Thanks, but I can't claim the credit really, she is an angel/textbook baby!  All we did was give her the routine and BAM! she slept through all by herself!

She has no real routine for getting her to nap though, she tells us when she's tired and we put her down for a nap.  Works 99% of the time.  Do you have any routine to get yours to nap, or does she just go off when she is tired?

[Anthea01Charlie]

Well done you!!
My LO used to, and still does sometimes wake early from naps.  I just leave her in her cot to play until it is time to eat, or we do a leisurly nappy change and have some nice cuddles.  The extra activity before eating doesn't seem to make a difference to her mood / night time sleep. 
(I too have an Angel / Textbook baby)


With regards to a routine for getting her to nap, I would start introducing something small that your LO can relate with having a nap.  My LO used to fall asleep on her own, no matter where we were.  One day when she was about 4 weeks old she fell asleep on the floor in the middle of my mothers group!!  When she hit 4 months things changed.  She was way too interested in the world to go to sleep, and we hadn't established a good routine.  A bit of accidental parenting turned our Angel into a Spirited baby!!  Glad to say it didn't take long to get back on track. 

I wish I had seen the potential hazard looming (as you have) before it was too late.

Good luck and hope this has helped 

[Qaytbey]

With regards to a routine for getting her to nap, I would start introducing something small that your LO can relate with having a nap. 

Thanks for the hint, what was it that you used?  Presumably you use 'it' when she starts to get tired so that she associates it with going to sleep?  At 5 months she hasn't really showed any signs of difficulty re getting to sleep, but it sounds like a good idea to start with it, just in case.  Regardless, it won't do any harm, even if it does prove to be not needed.

[Qaytbey]

seems to me like there is absolutely nothing wrong.

you are reading her cues very well...

give yourself a pat on the back.   she's normal, lol.


sami

Thanks Sami! 

[danigrayce]

Thank God someone with a baby like mine... I was starting to think that something was going wrong with little Luka or the way how I was trying to establish EASY... he also follow the pattern: activity, eat, activity, sleep... but I still have one concern - does it matter if the activity after eating is shorter? what would you say guys???

[Qaytbey]

Thank God someone with a baby like mine... I was starting to think that something was going wrong with little Luka or the way how I was trying to establish EASY... he also follow the pattern: activity, eat, activity, sleep... but I still have one concern - does it matter if the activity after eating is shorter? what would you say guys???

Based on what I have experienced and what the other (waaaaay more experienced!) mums have said to me in this thread, I don't think it really matters.  Mine certainly seems to thrive on it and that's a good indicator that things are going well.  Stick with this site though, the mums are really great, supportive and helpful 

[Anthea01Charlie]

Thanks for the hint, what was it that you used? 

We just say "Ni Nite Mummy & Daddy, Ni Nite Charlie" as we pat her back and walk to her room.  Then we have a big cuddle next to the cot and I say things like "Time for a big sleep now, Ni Nite".  She then lays in her cot for 5 or ten mins talking to her teddy's and her paci, then falls asleep. 

Glad to hear you haven't run into any trouble so far with regards to getting to sleep.  Hopefully it never happens 

[Qaytbey]

Thanks for the hint, what was it that you used? 

We just say "Ni Nite Mummy & Daddy, Ni Nite Charlie" as we pat her back and walk to her room.  Then we have a big cuddle next to the cot and I say things like "Time for a big sleep now, Ni Nite".  She then lays in her cot for 5 or ten mins talking to her teddy's and her paci, then falls asleep. 

Is that for her nightime sleep only, or do you say that for her naps as well?

So far, no problems and on the odd occasion that she does miss a nap, she's so tired in the next cycle that she catches up then!

[danigrayce]

Big thanks! Yeah, I found the site a great tool! We'll treasure it!

[Anthea01Charlie]

We say this every time she goes to sleep.  At night before she goes to bed for the night, we have a bit of a longer routine that includes a bath, into her sleep suit then bottle and bed. 

I think that she knows the difference between daytime naps and night time sleep because of the bath & sleep suit ~ either that or she is extremely intelligent!!  LOL!!

Great to hear things are still going well.  Sounds like your LO has it all figured out

[Qaytbey]

We say this every time she goes to sleep.  At night before she goes to bed for the night, we have a bit of a longer routine that includes a bath, into her sleep suit then bottle and bed. 

Thanks, I'll try it.  Hopefully, this might just head off any problems before they develop, although so far there is not sign of it.

I think that she knows the difference between daytime naps and night time sleep because of the bath & sleep suit ~ either that or she is extremely intelligent!!  LOL!!

I think you're right!   The bedtime routine itself seems to make her sleepy and it is very familiar to her.  So much so that a couple of weeks ago when she was 5 months, she spent a couple of nights with her grandparents and she was, as my Mum said "as good as gold" 

Great to hear things are still going well.  Sounds like your LO has it all figured out

She certainly has and is doing very well with educating us 

[samijoe]

i did the same too ladies....from about 8weeks i think.

regular clothes for naps ...but same routine sorta.

bedtime routine included a bath and also going into a grobag.  no matter what happens or where she is for bedtime, the grobag tells her its time.

even now.

great job helping each other out!
sami