45 Minute Intruder

[peggy_morrison]

I need some advice - my LO (11 weeks old) has trouble with his naps. This has been going on for a while now. He sleeps fine at night (last feeding at 10pm, sleeps till 6am). After the 6am feeding, depending on how tired he is, he either goes right back down or stays up for a while and then goes back down. He will wake up on his own around 930am. That's the only predictable nap he takes. After that, nap time turns into 45 min naps. I can set my watch from the time I put him down to when he wakes up crying is usually about 45-50 min. I have read some stuff online and also read Babywise but I am not sure what the problem is. He is not hungry. When I get him out of his crib, he usually falls right back to sleep in my arms or the swing, so I know he is still tired but somehow can't fall asleep on his own. He falls asleep on his own when I first put him down for his nap as well as at night but just can't stay asleep for longer than 45 min. That goes for all naps starting at 930am until I put him down for the night at 10pm.
Anybody else experience this and can shed some light? Thanks.

[BabyBearsMom]

Instead of picking him up, have you tried just stroking his hair and making soothing sounds and seeing if he goes back to sleep. Also, are you swaddling him when he naps? He may be startling in his sleep and waking himself up. Do you have a black out shade to keep his room dark while he sleeps? Have you read The Happiest Baby on the Block? They have great advice for getting kids to be asleep and stay asleep. That being said, not all kids are big nappers. Some just prefer night-time sleep. I would have been thrilled if my 11 week old was taking multiple 45 minute naps. She has never been a napper and never will, so I have learned to deal with her just sleeping at night.

[peggy_morrison]

Thanks for your kind words. He does get swaddled. He pretty much has the same routine at night than he does during nap time. He sleeps in his room which has the curtains drawn and he has no problem falls asleep. I usually wait until I go in once he wakes up to see if he is truly awake. I'll go in once he wails and I know real tears are running down his face :( I have the book sitting on my bookshelf, will have to start reading it :)

[Beth24]

Honestly i think that is normal for this age. My baby's daytime sleep didn't really become regular until about the 4 to 5 month mark long after his night time sleep...just hang in there. I remember being able to us the 35 minute mark as an alarm clock...my LO would wake up from every single nap at that time. I had some luck rocking him back to sleep at that time...just like you, my baby would fall asleep on his own for the nap but could not get himself back to sleep if he woke up in the middle of a nap. In any event, considered this a phase, the day time sleep will come soon.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

at the same age (around 2mos) my son wasn't sleeping more than 20 mins during the day in his crib. nighttime was ok , but naps were always pretty short, with him waking up crying. however i noticed he could sleep for 2+ hrs when out in his carseat. so i suspected he had some reflux and/or congestion issues, and got a Nap Nanny (it's like a baby recliner) for him to nap in during the day. for us, it was a godsend. the first time he napped in it he slept for like 3 hours straight. then after that his naps were always 1.5-3hrs. it was crazy how much of a difference it made for us.