Timing of Naps

[Anonymous]

Ben has always had a rough time with his afternoon nap, and the saga still continues. I am now wondering if I’m trying to put him down either too early or too late. He’s not a very good sleepy cue giver, so I never really know. His morning nap usually isn’t a problem at all. Here’s his usual routine.

Wakes up between 7-7:30

Goes down for nap around 10 and he will usually sleep for at least an hour, usually more. So, up around 11:30 or so

and then I “try” to put him down again around 2 or 2:30. But it is a rare day that this actually works.

He slept from 10:15 until 11:45 today, so I didn’t put him down until 2:30 this afternoon, and he is currently still awake and fussing in his room.

Should I have tried earlier or later? I just feel like I’ve tried it all already and nothing is really helping.

[Anonymous]

I don’t know if this is much help or not since Cooper is almost 5months younger than Ben, but our schedule does like this (we have 3 naps). Up b/t 6:30-7 most mornings. He is starting to stay up about 2.5hrs now so nap is usually between 9-10 depending. Then depending on how long his nap lasts we will go back down around 1pm and then again around 3:30 or 4. Today for example He was up at 6am, nap at 8:50am, up at 11:05, then we went to see DH at work and he fell asleep from 1:45-2:15 in his stroller and I just put him down for his 3rd nap at 3:40pm and he will probably sleep until 5 or so… I am working on doing things around his 2nd nap as I know we will be dropping that one soon. You may want to space his naps about 3.5-4hrs after he has been awake, or just watch his cues… that is what I do with Cooper, but he may also be trying to stop his afternoon nap… sounds early for that, but you all babies are different and that would be horrible for you to lose a nap this early and be down to 1/day… What time does he go to bed at night??

[Anonymous]

It’s so weird to me that I’m actually asking this because I never had a problem with Claire. She was a 10 and 2 napper until 18 months old and still goes down in the afternoon now.

So, if I should wait for 3.5 to 4 hours after he has been up then he wouldn’t be ready for the afternoon one until 3 or 3:30.. that seems awful late to me, given that he goes to bed at 7:30… but maybe not.. I guess it’s worth a shot.

[Anonymous]

Hey Naomi,

Owen hasn’t been a real great sleeper until now that we’ve gotten ears figured out and medicines under control.

I know this is really hard, but I keep Owen up as long as possible, if we go somewhere in the car late morning, he naps maybe 15-20 min to get him a little something and then down at 1 or 1:30. He usually sleeps about 2-3 or more hours after that. I think he’s exhausted by then, but he sleeps a lot better and I was really having probs with him before if I let him sleep in the morning.

I know it takes a lot to keep them awake that long!

[Anonymous]

Erica,

Thanks! I’d actually thought about that option too. It does seem like he sleeps better in the afternoon if his morning nap is shorter. Today he slept a full 1 1/2 in the a.m. and cried and fussed in his crib for almost two hours this afternoon and never went to sleep.

We have an ENT appt. on Monday too, so maybe that will help clear up some of the issues as well.

[Anonymous]

Hi Naomi,
I was also going to say that he might be ready to transition to one nap. I know my boys all did this at some point. Maybe try postponing that morning nap until 11:00 or 12:00? Good luck!

[Anonymous]

I’d at least try the one nap thing. I know he’s young for it, but two of my babies made the transition to one nap at 9 ish months. I used to let Myles take a tiny little cat nap in the morning, or let him snooze a little in the car while we ran errands or took the girls to the park, and that would tide him over until after lunch. I’d give him an early lunch (11:30) and then he’d crash from noon to 3:30!!! It was great.

[Anonymous]

Well, I’m trying it today. He woke up late this morning, about 7:45, so he wasn’t ready for a nap when I put him down. So, I got him up and we went to the pool. We’ll see how it goes.

He actually only got one nap while we were at the beach last week, but, while he went to sleep just fine, he would wake at 1 1/2 hrs. and be a grump! I think he was overtired.

So, Christine, I may have to move everything up, as you have suggested.

Thanks for your suggestions everyone.

[Anonymous]

So, it worked! He went down easily and slept for 2.5 hours! Only problem is that now he doesn’t want to go to sleep at night!!! He’s been in his crib talking and playing for about 40 minutes! I think I’ll just have to move the one nap up to earlier in the day, so that he has enough time to get sleepy again.

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