I need some help please.
My 9 month old use to take hour -half naps, but know he is only taking 1/2hr naps twice a day.
I know that he is tired, but he just cry's and throws a fit till you get him. Any ideas in getting him to take longer naps?
"Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child' by Dr. Mark Weissbluth addresses issues like this. It is my best reference manual on sleep.
I don't know what his schedule is, but, typically, a 9 mo should have 7-9-1-7 schedule or thereabouts. Try pushing his nap time out in 15 minute increments over a period of 3-4 days. He should have a wake window of up to 2.5 hours from morning wake to first nap and then about 3 hours from waking from 1st nap until his 2nd nap. These are approximate times only. He is getting older and more engaged/active; this means he probably needs a bit more wake time.
GL
Your baby may be about to hit a physical milestone. Is he or she crawling, pulling up, maybe even trying to take first steps.
My sons sleep was very disrupted when he started crawling at eight months. He did not want to sleep because he wanted to be moving and exploring. After about two weeks when he had really mastered crawling he started sleeping better again and went back to his normal nap schedule.
I know it is hard especially when you know they are tired and need more sleep but it is also normal.
One other thought, it could be teething which can also disrupt sleep, although I am assuming he is sleeping at night and just not as well during the day so it is probably unlikely.
I hope it gets better soon,
N.
Sounds like life with daddy is pretty exciting and he doesn't want to miss a minute of it. Do you lie down with him or hold him and read stories from books he can hold and turn pages , do you sing or listen to tapes or lullabyes together? He needs to relax and feel that drifting off to sleep are part of the joys of the day.
As to awakening early, he may be just one of those babies who doesn't need a lot of sleep. But if he wakes up tired and cranky, maybe if you napped together on the bed he will graduate to when he is a big boy ( If you fall asleep be sure it is safe for him to wake up before you do) maybe he will wake up more slowly and relax for a while secure that you are still there. Does he need to graduate to just one nap after his lunch? It does seem early but some babies do that.
Have fun with him and if you find you can't get the things done you used to do when he was asleep, try doing them with him to "help" He will love that.
Enjoy!! Blessings on your family! N.
D.
My daughter did the same thing at 11 months old. I moved her schedule a little. I gave her 1 more hour before putting her down. As they get older they love to learn, experiment and explore a little more :0)
Good Luck.
T.
Mine did the same thing at 9 months. I'm sure it will pass as mine has. My 10 month old is now back to two 2 hour naps. Make sure he's not hungry. Sometimes I picked him up and gave him a small bottle and he'd stop crying. I think he was going through a growth spurt and teething. For the teething, I used Highland's teething tablets for the the not so painful times and baby orajel, the nightime one is stronger and infant Tylenol for when it's ultra painful and the teeth are about the crown/push through. Hang in there.
My twins both went through this, but then back to a regular schedule. I think it was teething. I hear they can drop the morning nap early, though unusual. I used the stroller to get more napping in. Most times it worked, others it did not. Then they were tired at night and went to bed early. That made for some early mornings, or a few times they slept in. But as I said, they got back on schedule. Which is 11 hours at night, two 1 1/2 hour naps give or take a 1/2 hour either way.
Learned this on the hard way...
Put up black-out curtains over whatever blinds you have so the room is DARK at naptime. Also try adding some type of white noise to block out traffic - etc. have a mini "bedtime" routine.
