I have no routine ( I couldn't stick to one!) but how many naps should my 7mo DD take a day?

[fairysnuff]

I was reading a book last night that said she should take a half an hour to 1hr in the morn and 1.5-2hrs in the afternoon.
I am lucky if she takes 2 cat naps of half an hour a day!
But she goes down at 9ish wakes up once for a feed (should she still be doing that?) and then gets up anywhere between 6.30 and 9 (sometimes she gets up at 6.30, takes another feed and sleeps on until 9 in my bed, other times she wakes at 7.30 and stays awake after her feed)

The night feeding (about 1-2hrs after being put down) is new and I think cos she has moved into her own room now about a week ago and needs to learn to settle herself without a boob! (I think I need to implement controlled crying??) But until that point she was waking me at 3ish in the morn to get a feed and into my bed so a mid sleep feed isn't new really just the time has changed.

We are always on the go during the day so putting her into her cot for a nap is not really an option (I have tried, on occasion, but she just shouts to get out again!), how else do I get her to snooze for longer during the day?
I don't think I could handle being in the house all day every day.

Sorry for long OP, thought I had better give all info I could think on!!

[nallydoolally]

mine has 2 naps. short one between 10-11am, then one between 2-3pm. she goes to bed at 6pm-ish and sleeps until 6am-ish, no feeds, occasionally wants her dummy and has a grizzle for it, but doesn't tend to wake up.

[nallydoolally]

chuck the book out. they are all different. my 3 dc were totally different as babies.

[bozza]

Mine both had two naps at that age - first nap was usually longer one in our case and more likely to be in the cot. Afternoon one more likely to be while we were out and about.

[NineUnlikelyTales]

Put the book down....step away from the book...

Who cares what the book says? You were happy with your arrangements and busy social life before you read the book, and presumably your DD is happy and thriving. And I would think I'd died and gone to heaven if my DS, who is the same age, slept like that at night! Incidentally he does nap like your textbook baby, but I'd rather have the nighttime sleep, if it was a choice.

If you are desperate for longer daytime naps, try a sling so you can stay out on the go (that's what we do). But it might affect her night sleep if she sleeps more in the day.

[hana]

I have a baby same age - she has 3 good naps a day - morning, after lunch and late afternoon. Times might vary a bit though, I'm not too strict with it

[GooseyLoosey]

ds had 2, one about 10ish for about 45 mins and a longer one about 2 ish for around 1 1/2 hours and bed at 7. dd would never have more than an afternoon one partly cos I decided I could not stay in the house either or I would go nuts and she didn't seem any worse for it

I think you can tell if your baby is overtired and getting grumpy and if your LO seems OK and is getting enough sleep, I would not worry too much about it. Don't get hung up on what routines in books say (I did with ds) - all babies are different and some will never do what the book says as they are not hard wired that way. Go with your instincts - do you think your LO is getting enough sleep?

[serenity]

Is your current routine working for you? Do you think she needs to sleep more, or are you just worried that she's not doing what the book says? If it's just the book, then bin it.

For what it's worth mine were having that sort of nap at that age (they also dropped daytime naps at 18mths) All children are individuals, some need to slepp more than others. I also think waking once at 11/12 ish and then sleeping through til the morning is pretty great.

I can't comment on the cc, as I don't like it (personal opinion, no judgement on anyone who does!) but don't feel you have to do anything just because it seems as if it's the 'correct' thing to do (if that makes any sense?)Do what works for you and your DD

[fairysnuff]

Honest h'injun! I don't normally read any books cept last night I was trying controlled crying and thought I would just check to see if I wasn't being a real meany, and I stumbled onto the napping section which I normally totally ignore (methinks she does protest to much)

It made me think that if she got better, longer, snoozes in the day, she might sleep better at night? maybe?

Heh! I know you, you came onto the Sept 06 thread for a bit. It is a bit quiet at mo. Everyone must be happy with their babas.

[DimpledThighs]

book is crap for your style of parenting - it soubnds like you don't want to fit into a routine so reading a book that goes aganist your insitincts is just going to make you feel bad. I never did the whole routine thing and my children are fine!

I used this book and it fitted with my approach very well.

Don't feel bad - the book is wrong not you.

[fairysnuff]

ooh, whilst I was taking ages to post lots more added, I meant nally when I said I knew a person, ooh dear I am rambling!

Must read you posts now

[katyjo]

Hi fairysnuff,

I tried so hard to get ds to have 2 naps, one short and one long just like the book says, it didn't work. He was happy having 3 short naps, he then started to sleep longer during his morning nap and cut one out. Now at 13 months he sleeps for about 1.5-2 hours a day and for about 11 hours at night, I don't worry too much when and where he sleeps he lets me know when he is tired.
As far as cc is concerned do what you think is right, ds sleep pattern went a bit wonky at 7 months but I think this was mainly due to his teeth.
Please don't stay in your house all day you'll be bored stupid an your dd probably won't sleep any better.
xx

[fairysnuff]

Ahh big sigh of relief!
I don't know why I got myself worried at all!

I am happy with our routine (such as it is) and don't really see any need to change cept that she is waking for this feed at 11ish.
But I guess, in the bigger picture, that is not something to worry about.

With the CC, I am not sure about it either. Last night we put her down at 9ish, by 10.30 she was awake a screaming. We went through it all, thinking is it the nappy, her teeth, hungry? Eventually I decided it was just a nonsense so tried to shoosh her to sleep before giving up and letting her shout it out for 3 mins ( it was hard!) she fell alseep when I shooshed her again but woke at 12.30. this time I gave in and gave her a feed. And she slept through to 6.30, for her dummy, and then up at 7.30 for the day.
Now I wonder if I shoulda just given her the feed in the first place and she, and I, would have been able to get a decent nights sleep??

[DimpledThighs]

I think you sound like a nice mum (because you sound a bit like me! )

[tibsy]

hi!
my dd (7 1/2 months) has 2 or 3 naps a day at 30 mins each. VERY rarely will she sleep longer than that.
oh and she'll wake 1/2 times for a feed in the night too.
the times of her naps and bedtime vary, not drastically, but i just figure that she knows when she's tired. i'm just trying the 'gradual retreat' method to help her to fall asleep on her own although atm, i'm still at the stage where i sit with her with minimal contact....she's getting there
i couldnt handle being in the house all day, i know someone who ALWAYS put their bubba for naps in their cot in a darkened room and she wouldnt sleep anywhere else. must be restrictive to social life

[iwouldgoouttonight]

My DS was very similar to your DD at 7 months, just a couple of half hour naps during the day. We didn't want a set routine either and found it worked really well because we could go out when we wanted without having to work it around nap times and DS will sleep in his pushchair or at other people's houses, etc. He's now 8 months and has weirdly suddenly started to have a short nap and then a long nap like your book says! I wouldn't worry too much about strict routines, especially during the day, because they change all the time anyway as your baby develops.

[fairysnuff]

ah Thank you dimpled!
How old is/are ur LO/s?

[DimpledThighs]

haha - they are 7yrs and 4yrs now! but I remember those days well!

[fairysnuff]

Yeah! lots of relaxed mummies like me!
I couldn't follow a strict routine if I tried!! Not that I ever will.
I a VV Proud to tell people, Oh I don't have a routine.
Or, if I do, a bit, it is only the one that DD has created all on her own! Clever thing!

[bozza]

IME somewhere between 6 months and 12 months lots and lots of children fall into a routine of their own making with generally two naps. Then it all goes pear shaped as they drop a nap, but are irritable early evening etc. Then they fall into another routine of just one nap.

I think of myself as having a routine with my 2yo DD, but some days she has a two hour nap, some days much less (often in the car on these days) and some days nothing at all. So who am I kidding? She can't go too many days without a nap though or she becomes dreadful to live with.

[fairysnuff]

After starting this thread, she has taken hour long naps today and yesterday!
They make liars out of us all!!!

She was also up three times last night!!
First time DH tried to settle her but eventually I laid her on the single bed in her room and she fell asleep??
Second was for the dummy, then she settled well.
Third was for a feed, at 3.30 in the morn!

More day snoozes does not make for a better nights sleep methinks!

Should I feed her more solids in the day, to get her through the night?
She is still on five milks a day (inc the midnight one)

You all seemed such nice peopole, I thought I would ask

[katyjo]

I reckon you try anything that might work.

Ds went a bit wonky at around 7 months, he then got 6 teeth in about 2 weeks. He settled down then and seemed to go heywire again a few months later.

Keep trying different things, it won't last forever. If all fails it is probably her teeth!

Xxx