Nap Schedule

Hi K.! I had a similar problem and so I read the Baby Whisperer and Baby Wise. I pretty much took what I needed from both and implemented it with my little guy. He is 6 weeks old and is now on a pretty good schedule. He wakes at 7am (because I set that initially, just woke him up) ten he eats, plays (and after a total of 45-60 minutes- when he appears to be fussy) I put him down for a nap. He stays in his crib between 2 1/2 and 3 hours. then the cycle starts again. So, basically he is up and being fed at 7am, 10am, 1pm, 4pm, 7pm (these are done in his room, it's bright, we play after, etc.) but after the 7pm feed, he is fed and then immediately put back down to sleep. He sleeps between 3 & 4 hours... so 10/10:30pm; 1:30am, 4:30am he feeds (no play time just changing him - then back to bed) and then back up at 7am. it's not perfect... it can vary by 30 minutes but he caught on VERy quickly. I put him in his crib awake, if he fussed... i let him (a little, NOT more than 5 minutes so technically I cheated) gave him his pacifier or picked him up and burped him and then back down. Within 2 days he understood... "oh this is my time to sleep" and then he woke up happy. Hopefully this helps a little. I'm sure you'll get lots of advise. Follow your gut too, God gave us maternal instincts for a reason (at least that's how I make it through the day!!)

good luck!

1 mom found this helpful

K.,

A great book is Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child. It really helped me with my son who is now 1.

http://www.amazon.com/Healthy-Sleep-Habits-Happy-Child/dp...

Good Luck

1 mom found this helpful

Don't stress about making a schedule, sounds like he's made his own and he's pretty happy with it : ) It's perfectly normal for his hours to vary. You might notice that the more active he is while he's awake, the longer his nap will be. Babies sleep as much as they need to. Any changes you make to his routine should be gradual so that his tiny little body can adjust. With babies that young, it's always hard to schedule the rest of the day because they are so unpredictable. Even if you were on a tight schedule, he would mess it up... babies do what they need to when they need to. As he gets older you will be able to predict his behavior a little better, don't worry... it's all normal : )

That sounds normal. Every baby is different. If you learn to roll with the flow and as your baby gets older you can do naps on the go so when you arrive a a location your baby is napped up and ready for a few hours of activity.

Napping on the go is what many moms do with older kids. Schedules are only good for babies when you are flexible and don't force the flexible. One thing that is constant with kids is change.

I was only going to mention the Healthy Sleep Habits book and since you are already using that...it will only get easier. That book was my life saver and now I have 2 great little sleepers! They are 5 and 3 and we've never had any major sleep issues. Keep in mind that no matter what anyone tells you, a schedule is goooood! You need it so you have some time and your baby needs it so he knows what's happening. I guess it's just kept me sane over the years.:) Good luck to you and I think you'll look back years from now and be so glad you found that book! Have fun w/that baby!

Just want to second (or third) those who suggested Baby Whisperer, Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child, and Babywise. Your baby waking at 7 and being fed is perfect, then he should be awake no longer than 1 hr and 1/2. then he should have a morning nap (8:30 or 9) for at least an hour and 1/2. he should eat every 3 hrs (or is it every 4 hrs now that he's 4 months?) and then he'll take a nap after he's been awake an hr and 1/2. he'll do this all day until the last "catnap" of the day around 5 or 5:30 (a 30 minute nap) and then down for the night after last feeding around 7 pm. A dream feed is described in baby whisperer around 10:30 or 11 pm. these books are so great in helping you make sense of it all. and yes, the napping takes over your entire schedule. you either adhere to the baby's nap needs or pay for it later in the day! i'm in the same boat. Good luck! Blessings, Stephanie

First, don't feel guilty your child is not on a nap schedule. I have an 8 month old and she wasn't on a nap schedule until about 6 or 7 months. Even on a schedule her naps are not always consistent. Some days she doesn't feel well because of teething or didn't get a good night sleep and will take longer naps. I can tell when she is tired and needs to nap and when she doesn't need to sleep. Pay attention to what your child needs. At 4 months your child should sleep in his car seat and stay asleep when you make stops to do stuff.

Sounds normal. If he sleeps good at night I wouldn't worry so much about the naps, and if he has had a good nap, and you need to go somewhere, it isn't going to hurt to bundle him up and go, and if it wakes him up it won't hurt. He is pretty young yet and needing more sleep one day than the other isn't that uncommon. I had four kids, they are all different.

This is perfectly normal! I have raised 3 children of my own and help my daughter out with her 1 & 4 year old. Just relax and don't feel the need to schedule him yet. As you experience being a mom more you will realize that babies especially can and will direct their own schedule for naps. As they get older it's a little easier to find out what is going to work for both of you. My best advice is be flexible with your schedule and his! Enjoy your baby!!

This sounds just like my almost 5 month old! I'm on the go a lot with my older two kids- school, soccer, dance, etc, so baby just has to go with the flow. Of course she takes her best naps at home in her bed, but she often takes catnaps throughout the day in her carseat going to or fro. I remember desperately wanting a schedule with my first, so I could actually plan things. I worked hard to follow the advice I read in books, and a few weeks later, baby got a cold, or went through a growth spurt and needed to eat during the night again, or started teething, and then I would have to sleep-train all over again. While the books suggested are great, keep in mind that just when you get settled into a routine, everything may change. I don't even begin to try to implement a schedule until baby is 7-8 months old... just give it time. Good luck!

YES--completely normal. My 6 month old is still the same as you said above, although her naps are getting shorter--some of them lasting only 30 minutes. But sometimes 2 hours...just go with the flow. Don't feel guilty you aren't on a "schedule" yet---they are not supposed to be. This is why it's called "baby led parenting". Some people believe in forcing a baby on a schedule but it usually ends up with a less than content baby. Trust your instinct---he will let you know when it's time for a nap. When my baby starts rubbing her eyes or getting fussy---that's when it's time to turn down the lights, take away the stimulation, and nurse and rock. She almost always passes out, takes her nap, and is a much happier baby. I couldn't imagine trying to make her sleep if she wasn't ready.

Here's another way to think about it---you probably don't go to sleep at the exact same time every night. Sometimes you are more tired and go to bed early...some nights you find yourself staying up a little later. Before kids maybe you could sleep in on the weekend. Probably you didn't wake up at the exact same time every time. Same thing with babies.

Good luck! :)

K., follow your babies lead. He know how much sleep he needs and if you try to put him on a schedule now, it might mess up the how he sleeps at night. I have a 9 month old and he didn't have a regular sleep schedule until about 71/2 to 8 months. Usually when they are as young as yours is, they sleep pretty well in their car seat. So make plans and just let him take his nap in the car seat. It's when they are a little bit older that you have to plan around their naps or they won't take one.

What I always did was to not get the baby out of bed til 8 and keep him awake until 10 wake him up at 12 and put him down at 2 wake him up at 4 and put him down by 8. If he wakes up do not go into the room, even if he is crying (if he is hungry remember he will not starve, he just has no other way to communicate)...of course, if you suspect he is poopy or hurting, that is the exception. You can keep him on his feeding schedule, but during the sleep times, just do not grab his attention with your voice, eye contact, too much touch, etc... Then you can put him back down to finish his sleeptime. Be sure to stay consistent; don't let the schedule get off for more than a day or two each week at this young age.
It sounds easy enough, but I know it is not at first. Within 3 to 5 days he should have adjusted to the schedule.

At that age my daughter slept about every 2 hours. The lengths would vary but she could never stay awake more than 2 hours. She basically took 3 naps a day for about 2 hours each until she was almost a year old. The she switched to 2 naps and then switched to 1 nap at around 16 months old.

You're doing great. Allowing him to sleep when he needs to is the best course. This young, they really need more sleep than we could imagine. My little girl never took consistent naps. As someone else said, it all depended on what she had been doing while awake. When we had someone over, she took the longest naps! That additional stimulation of paying attention to another person was all she could handle. :)

Just remember, babies and children don't need schedules... we as parents "need" them. They make our lives easier, but your child (especially at this age) will do what he needs to. And one day, you'll suddenly realize that he sleeps less or has adopted a particular "pattern" of napping. He'll let you know when it's time. :)

Don't worry about what's normal for other babies. Obviously, this is what your baby needs. My first son was like clockwork from 8 weeks on, but number 2 has been a different story. He wasn't on a schedule until he was 5 months and he took naps somedays that lasted hours and some days he would only sleep 15-30 minutes at a time. Just be flexible with your days and don't try to make your baby follow your schedule. Try to put him down at the same time each day for both his morning and afternoon naps. When mine were this young they took 3 naps, but this is your child and he may like two longer naps. He will fall into a routine soon. Don't worry about it although I know it is hard not to for moms sometimes. Like you said, just be happy your getting some sleep at night. Many moms aren't with babies this young. Congratulations on your son!!

Ditto on the book Michelle H recommended. That book saved my sanity and my marriage!

Hi K.,
I have been recommending this bookto everyone. "On Becoming Baby Wise" by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam. In this book they will teach you how to schedule your childs naps andget him to sleep through the night. I have raised 3 children using his techniques and they work! All my girls have sleept through the night and naps were a breeze.
Have a blessed day,
K.
http://my.waiora.com/home.php?895341
www.humanoctane.com