Nap Irregularity

I made myself crazy thinking I needed to put my baby (now 6.5 mos) on a schedule. He just wouldn't do it! I was spending so much time stressing about this, I was forgetting to enjoy the baby...

Everything changed radically at around 4 months when we decided to just not worry about it and let him sleep whenever his body told him he needed to. At the first sign of a yawn/eye rub I would switch gears, make the room a bit quiet and boring, start swaying, etc. and he would fall asleep. Some naps lasted two hours, some lasted 15 minutes. Didn't matter. Once we started doing this, he started to sleep for longer stretches at night. And once we began solids at 6 months, he started to sleep through the night most nights, though he still wakes up sometimes to breastfeed.

One thing that helped alot -- we bought the book "The 90 minute sleep solution" which helped us see that it isn't the length or timing of the nap that matters, rather the length of time they are awake between naps. I highly recommend this book.

I think we forget that our bodies and circadian rhythms exist for a reason -- yoru baby is growing in fits and spurts and one day she may need something different than the day before. If you can, let go of Weissbluth and all the others on this issue and see where it leads you.

When my son was that age, I don't think he really had any regularity to his napping either. He seemed to take 3 naps and then went down to 2 naps around 7 months. What worked for me was to put him down around the same time no matter what time he got up. We'd put him down for nap 1 around 9:30 and he'd sleep about 1 1/2 hours and then down again at 2pm for another 1 1/2. For the most part, i sort of let my son lead the way until he got older. He's 2 1/2 now and a great sleeper.

Without reading any responses I want to tell you that "babies DO NOT CRAVE a schedule". Some babies might like a schedule, some might crave one, but others might absolutely HATE them. Babies are not robots, but little individuals and NONE of them are alike..NONE!!!! Any so called expert that claims ALL babies need whatever is wrong wrong wrong. Loosen up or both you and baby will be nervous wrecks. Why do you want longer naps? You need to relax and enjoy every minute of what in my opinion is just the BEST age ever. They laugh and adore you and giggle at everything you do, BUT they cant go anywhere. LOL If you put them in a crib, you can be sure they will be there when you get back, unlike the 15 month old that learns to climb out when your back is turned. Let your wonderful daughter go to sleep when she is tired.

Hi E.,

It's a whole new world, hmm? ;)
You'll all be a lot happier if you do as you suggest: lighten up.
Breathe deeply, relax and enjoy the experience. It is over before you know it.
Let your baby lead you in everything you do for her. She will eat when hungry and sleep when tired. Just be there for her with love and you will all be fine.

Good luck!
"Grams"
from the Pocono Mts. of PA

I let my daughter let me know when she was ready for a nap. I would watch her for signs like rubbing her eyes, yawning etc. It also depends on what time she wakes up in the morning. If she wakes up at 7 then nap would be at 10 but if she woke up at 8 then nap would be at 11. She has a schedule it's just not at the exact same time everyday but it is according to what time she wakes up in the morning. Does that make sense? I am still BF my 16mo and I didn't think giving her solids made any kind of difference. When they start to eat solid foods they just need more time to digest which is why they sometimes sleep better but it probably won't make a difference in her schedule.

We used the Baby Whisperer method for naps, feeding and playtime and one of the things she stresses in her book is that the routine is the important thing, not the schedule. Her routine basically follows this pattern: Eat Activity Sleep - The amount of time each part takes depends upon the age and weight of the baby. It is not the schedule the baby needs, but the routine. We used this with our son from day one and it definitely worked - the problem you seem to be having is that you are trying to keep a baby on a time schedule which is different from a routine and is what is making you frustrated. I highly recommend checking the book out: http://www.amazon.com/Whisperer-Solves-Problems-Teaching-... . If you would like more detail on what we did feel free to contact me. Good luck.