no naptime schedule

[IWU2000]

Sorry this may be long; I don't know the abbreviations you use (or what they mean). I'm a first time mom, and I would really appreciate your feedback. My daughter has been a great night sleeper since she came home. She's 11 weeks and has been sleeping 10-11 hrs nightly in her crib for the last few weeks. Her daytime napping, however, is completely random. She eats every 3 (sometimes 2 1/2) hours unless she is taking a longer nap then it may be 4 hrs between 2 feedings. One day she will take two 3hr naps and the next day she may have 4 1hr naps. Her grandma watches her 2 days weekly and has a hard time getting her to sleep at all. What could be influencing this? Her wake time between naps is usually 1-1 1/2 hours (her grandma keeps her up closer to 2 hrs between naps) but if she gets good daytime sleep she usually is awake longer in the late afternoon/evening. I want to help my daughter get on a schedule because she seems fussier during the evenings when she doesn't get longer naps and it would also be easier to make plans during the day. What can I do to help her schedule her daytime sleep better? When she wakes up from her nap early, should I let her cry for awhile? Is there a specific book that may be good to read? What could I (or my mom-in-law) be doing that could be interfering with her scheduling herself during the daytime?What's a normal nap schedule for a 2 1/2 mth old who is sleeping 10-11 hrs at night?

[wendibird22]

Welcome!

In my experience babies don't get on more of a regular schedule (or pattern) until closer to 6mos of age. My 4mo still doesn't nap on any type of pattern. Some days she takes 20min cat naps all day long and sometimes I get a good solid morning and afternoon nap. Personally, I wouldn't try to force a schedule if she isn't ready because it could just end up frustrating you and her. I'm all for following baby's lead. If she's tired, she'll nap.

It does make it hard to plan your day sometimes, but I found even when my older daughter got into a rhythm as soon as I figured out her pattern she'd change it up on me and I still couldn't plan. I just got used to learning how to do things when she was awake and asleep like having toys for her to play with while I took a quick shower or using a car ride to the store as her nap time.

[PMJ]

I WOULD MOST DEFINITELY get the book "Healthy Sleep, Happy Child" by Dr. Weissbluth.

I'm also a first-time mom, my daughter is 6 months now and the book has been helpful. I do still struggle w/ her sleeping, napping though - but it is a work in progress.

Some recommendations: Keep an early bed time (7-7:30 pm) and try to keep a routine (consistent) each night.

Try to do the naps every 2 hrs from when she woke up last.

In my opinion, she still seems pretty young to establish a routine --- b/c things are so based upon her schedule and how she feels.

I really started honing in on the schedule at around 3.5 months old.

GOOD LUCK !

[wellyes]

Welcome :)
I think you are one very very lucky new mom to get a baby who sleeps that well during the night!

Daytime naps will become more regular around 5-6 months. What's happening now with your baby is really normal & nothing to worry to about. The only way I know to encourage babies under 5-6 months to nap at specific times is to "trick" them into it -- with a car trip, a walk, putting them in a carrier -- whatever works to help sooth them to sleep. But doing those things is mostly for your own convenience. Which is FINE, not bad at all, I'm just saying that it won't matter a whit in the long run in terms of encouraging a more regular pattern. Your baby is still in that "4th trimester" so irregularity is to be expected. The techniques you can use to make your days and nights more manageable will come in a few months.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

i agree that babies at this age don't usually have a regular nap schedule. my DS is about same age (3 mo) and he also sleeps 10-11 hrs at night, but his naps are RANDOM. one day he won't nap more than 10 mins at a time, the next he will nap 3 hrs in the morning..the next he will take two 1-hr naps, etc. initially i was a bit concerned, but after talking to most ppl they say that babies don't really have a nap schedule till about 5 or 6 months. as long as u put baby down for the night at around the same time, i think it's ok. as PP said, if they are tired, they will nap, and if you try to impose a schedule too early,it could frustrate the both of u. the only thing i am consistent is the time i put him to bed (9 or 10pm) and the routine (bath, stories, etc).

ETA: one thing that helped my son sleep longer/better for naps (when he did nap) was the Nap Nanny. helped soo much. i don't know if it was reflux or gas or what but it helped a ton. he still doesn't have a schedule, but at least sometimes he is able to nap for 3 hrs at a time and so he is able to get more rest and isn't fussy at night when he's overtired. it also helps with preventing spit up etc.

also, as PP said, i think you are EXTREMELY lucky to have a baby that sleeps that long at night at such a young age. my DS started sleeping 10 hrs a night consistently around 13 weeks, and i consider myself very lucky, as i think it is a bit unusual. for that reason it doesn't bother me that he nap/feeding schedule is off. i figure it will all work out when he gets a little older.

[Kymberley]

I WOULD MOST DEFINITELY get the book "Healthy Sleep, Happy Child" by Dr. Weissbluth.

I'm also a first-time mom, my daughter is 6 months now and the book has been helpful. I do still struggle w/ her sleeping, napping though - but it is a work in progress.

Some recommendations: Keep an early bed time (7-7:30 pm) and try to keep a routine (consistent) each night.

Try to do the naps every 2 hrs from when she woke up last.

In my opinion, she still seems pretty young to establish a routine --- b/c things are so based upon her schedule and how she feels.

I really started honing in on the schedule at around 3.5 months old.

GOOD LUCK !

:yeahthat: That book completely changed the way I deal with my son's sleep schedule. I wish I had read it sooner!

[Dr C]

I also like Weissbluth's book.
And I also second that it's completely normal to have an irregular nap schedule at 2.5 months. With my son (my first baby) I stressed about it and read every book I could get my hands on... nothing worked but around 7-8 months he just started taking decent naps on his own. With my daughter I don't even try, and she's 6 months... on her own she's just starting to have a somewhat predictable 3 nap/day pattern... if all conditions are met, which (usually) they are not.
So bottom line, don't stress at 11 weeks... just thank your lucky stars you're sleeping so well at night!

[IWU2000]

Thank you so much for all your feedback. My husband didn't think anyone would respond because my thread was so long :). I do feel blessed that my daughter is sleeping at night. It's good to know that her days are pretty normal for her age. Someone mentioned a nap nanny. What is that?

[♥ms.pacman♥]

http://www.napnanny.com/

it's basically an recliner for babies. :) my DS LOVES his. we use it also to read to him etc and my DH uses it sometimes to bottle feed. when he takes naps in it he usually naps for 3 hrs on average.

[SnuggleBuggles]

I remember waiting (impatiently :)) for "crib naps"- naps that happened the same time every day and lasted a few hours and were in the crib. Like others have said, that really didn't start to happen till 6m.

Check out different books but pick and choose what you take from them. There is no one book that is a sleep miracle worker. Take tips from lots of sources and do what works for your family and leave any guilt behind if you choose not to do some things. (like in my family early bedtimes don't work but one of the popular sleep books really makes you feel bad if your kids have late bedtimes. I have chosen to leave that advice behind. :))

GL and enjoy your little one!!!

Beth