Seeking Advice on Napping and Sleeping Schedule!!!!!!!!!!

Updated on August 10, 2010
M.S. asks from Baldwin Park, CA
8 answers

Hi mamas, my question is this what is a good time for an 8 month old child to take her naps and go to sleep? My husband comes home from work around 11pm, sometime she's still awake and i want to put her to sleep. Heres her schedule!!!
She wakes up around 8 or 9 am
she eats 6-8 oz every 3 hours(when wide awake)
then around 11 or 12 pm she takes her nap, after eating and when daddy's gone
wakes up at around 1 - 2 pm eats.(gerber) then she plays
at around 5 or 6:30 pm takes her 2nd nap and usually wakes up an hour later.(eats gerber)
please if you can help me with a steady schedule or can let me know how you do it, it will mean so much!! Thank you lots!!!

BTW: SHE IS DINKING FORMULA

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K.H.

answers from Washington DC on

Do you want her to go to bed earlier? Is this why you want to change the routine? I think that her being awake still at 11pm is too late , she is so little and needs her sleep , but the problem you have is that her 2nd nap is too late BUT she still needs a 2nd nap , so here is what I would do , wake her up earlier in the morning (yes she is going to be tired still because of going to bed so late) , I would wake her around 7.30 , that way she will be tired and wanting a nap around 9.30/10 , then her second nap will happen around 1pm for 2-3 hrs , then she will be sleepy come 7pm and ready for bed around 7/7.30pm. Her eating schedule seems fine , you would just need to move the times to fit her new sleep pattern.

Hope this helps

Just wanted to add that if you take the time to read her post correctly , she says pretty clearly that her daughter takes 6-8oz every 3 hrs , and she also states she has 2 naps!

3 moms found this helpful

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S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

So... WHEN is she nursing or having her Formula????

For the 1st year of life, breastmilk or Formula is a baby's PRIMARY source of nutrition and intake... NOT solids and not other liquids.
I would, feed her these things, on-demand... if you are not already. MANY babies, need to feed less than every 3 hours... or they are hungry... and a growth-spurt is approaching at 9 months old.... thus the reason for 'on-demand' feeding.

She seems to take 2 naps? And naps for 2 hours except for the late nap?
Are you feeding her, ie: her bottle/nursing before sleep and naps? If not, then do that.

Usually, babies sleep earlier at night, and wake earlier.... but each family differs.
It is you that decides the 'timing' of her naps and bedtime..... her schedule is later... because she wakes up later in the morning so the timing of everything gets pushed back.

If she/you are making her stay up, per Daddy's schedule and when he is home.. then well, that is why everything is so late.... per her naps/bedtime.

Instead, go by her cues... you either go according to Daddy's schedule, or hers.

all the best,
Susan

1 mom found this helpful
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M.P.

answers from Los Angeles on

Here is my opinion: you are giving her a second nap at the time you should be putting her to bed. I highly recommend reading the book called "healthy sleep habits, happy child". I used to put my daughter to bed at 6:30 at age 8 months. It sounds crazy early but it makes sense. If you start doing that her wake up time will change and be much walker in the morning (like 6am) but then you can get an earlier morning nap around 9 and an afternoon nap around 1. Definitely check out the book--it was a lifesaver for me. Good luck!!

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M.C.

answers from Honolulu on

Gee, that sounds pretty steady. Would you rather have her wake at 5am and shift the whole thing earlier by 3-4 hours? If so, try putting her to bed earlier by 15 minutes a day. Just start the nighttime routine earlier and you might need to let her fuss. My first daughter was like this up until she went to preschool. Her schedule was early wake up, MONSTER nap (like 3-4 hours of sleeping) and stay up till 10-11pm. When she went to preschool, her nap shortened and she went to be earlier. When she gave up her nap she would fall asleep at 6:30 and sleep all night! It worked OK, because my husband worked late, so he would have the evening to spend with her.

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J.F.

answers from Los Angeles on

She should be sleeping around 11 or 12 hours at night. You'll have to get her down for the second nap earlier so she can be in bed b/w 8 or 9pm. I know it's tough that your husband comes home late and he won't get to spend time with her, but they can have there special time in the mornings. Maybe even a little brake for you?

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M.B.

answers from Los Angeles on

Hi there!
6:30 pm is kind of late for a baby to take a nap. My daughter always went to bed no later then 8:00 pm when she was that age. (even now at 3 years old she goes to sleep around 8:30-9:00pm)
If I remember correctly, she took her first nap around 10:30am (waking up in the morning around 7:00am) and then another nap around 3:00. Then her body was ready for a full nights sleep at 8:00pm. You might want to try to wake her up a little earlier and start putting her down for a nap no later then 11:00. If she wakes up earlier then 8:00 am, then she might even take that first nap around 10:30am.
It's tough knowing what your baby needs as far as sleep goes. I guess it doesn't matter too much, as long as they get that 12 hours of sleep a day.
My point, is that 11:00 pm is really way to late for a baby to go to sleep.
If you make any time changes, it will take some time for her to adjust, so be pacient and consistant.
Good luck!

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T.G.

answers from Boston on

Every child and family is different. As long as your baby is getting the food and sleep that she needs, I don't think that you need to change your schedule. I think that sticking to A schedule is important, but not necessarily the same schedule that another family keeps. If it is important to your husband to spend time with the baby when he gets home late at night, then I feel it is fine for your family to adapt to that.

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A.A.

answers from San Diego on

My daughter is 11 1/2 months but at 8 months her schedule was pretty much the same as this

wake at 6, nurse (sometimes sleeps until 7)
breakfast at 8
nap at 8:30 sleeps until 10 or 10:30
wake and nurse
lunch at noon
nurse before nap 1:30-4
dinner at 5
nurse then bed by 7.

I'm nursing so she probably eats more often than your baby. I think babies need to be in bed by 7 or 8, 11 seems pretty late. You're having her nap when when my baby goes to bed for the evening. Unless you want her to be awake when your husband gets home I'd start cutting back by 30 minutes each night or every couple nights until you're down to at least 8pm if not 7.

It took me a while to get on a good schedule with my daughter but what we have going on right now is working wonderfully.
Good luck

PS. One thing I learned is that babies can stay up about 3 hours at a time. They start to get cranky and tired and you don't want to miss that window to put them down for their nap.

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