Naps (again) *sigh*

[MummaSue]

Ok, so I am totally confused about naps.

I took E to be weighed the other day and mentioned to the nurse that she wasn't a great napper and that she has around 20-40 minute naps 3/4/5 times per day. The nurse told me that babies are generally terrible nappers before 6 months. Ugh. Yet another variation on sleep from yet another nurse - although I have to say, she was the best one I have seen yet.

When is too late in the day to nap?
For example, today - missy has had 2 x 30 minute naps, a 2 hour nap (very rare for her to do that) and is napping again (it is 5.50pm). Is this too late for a nap? Should I have just taken her through to bed? Or is that too early for bedtime? Ugh.

I am sooooo confused. We had a really good thing going where she was going to bed at 7pm and was staying asleep. The past week, she has been wide awake until 8pm - which is fine with us because it means DH gets to see his girl!

I'm sooooo confused about the whole sleep thing!!

Ugh (again).

Not sure where I'm going with all of that, just wanted a vent I guess!

Sue xxxx

[ss_storm]

sleep is so hard, even now somedays we struggle with it!
DD was always a catnapper. She would rarely sleep longer than an hour, except for now that she has only one sleep a day (and she will generally sleep for 1 1/2 - 2 hours,although sometimes only an hour).

How long does she usually stay awake for? I'd try and get her last sleep of the day to try and coincide with the length of time she will want to be awake before bedtime (I hope that makes sense...it's been a long day! Lol). Maybe try and stretch her sleeps out a little so it works out a bit better.

We went through a stage where DD would treat bedtime like another nap and be awake at around 10 when I went to bed...that was sooo annoying, getting into bed and I'd be thinking about was sleep then "waaaahhh..." They eventually figure it out! Lol

[onthefly]

Hang on. so you're ok with her bed time....? Is there really a problem?
THere's no right or wrong. You may find that by experimenting with nap times helps with bed time, you may find it screws things up completely.

[~Trish~]

Hang on. so you're ok with her bed time....? Is there really a problem?
THere's no right or wrong. You may find that by experimenting with nap times helps with bed time, you may find it screws things up completely.

:yeahthat:

Don't put too much pressure on yourself, there really is no right or wrong, just go with the flow and do what works for you . She will change it all on you in another month or so anyway .

DD was having 3-4 naps at the same age. I think she used to have her last nap at 5pm for about half an hour or so, then was ready for bed again at around 7pm. If you're happy with your DD going to bed at 8pm then go for it!

[MummaSue]

Thanks girls, I just think that we've got a wee routine going and she goes and surprises me - all the time!!

Hehe, I'd keep her up till 11pm if that is what she wanted - she's so much fun right now!!

Thanks again
Sue xx

[Arimeh]

I agree with the others I also believe that the "right" way of doing things - is the way your baby wants it, not how someone is telling you to do it

All mine have fallen into a natural (ie theirs!) nap time routine. I think at that age Eden was still having 3-4 naps a day, last one probably around 4.30. She was a 20 minute napper too, and it DOES get better.

She has 2-3 naps per day now - usually 2 - and they are about 1.5 hours each (she's 8 months)

[Miss E]

She sounds a lot like my DS, he rarely slept anymore than 30 mins. It's starting to improve now that he's 1, but it's probably only 50% of the time that I get more than 30 mins and the longest he will ever sleep is 1.5 hours. By the sounds of things you're doing great, I think like the other ladies have said, the best thing you can do is just go with the flow. On days where she has a longer nap chances are she will go to bed later or earlier if she has one less that day. I try to be flexible with bedtime, for us we aim for between 6 and 7 depending on when he got up from his nap (mind you tonight it was nearly 8pm because he had a late nap). Personally I think it is far better to put them to bed that little bit later and make sure they get enough sleep during the day, than to stretch them out and let them get overtired, especially when they're really little. HTH

[MummaSue]

All of what everyone has said is really helpful. And from what I am reading at the moment (Dr Sears) it's important to have the bedtime ritual in place and not worry too much about specific times.

Hehe, i just think I have her sussed and she changes things!

Thanks again
Sue xxx