What time does your 5mo go to bed at?

[ToonLass]

Just out of curiosity.

My DD is usually asleep for 7, but usually takes a nap at 5 for 30mins as she's so tired, and very grumpy between then and bed. Wondering if she maybe needs an earlier bedtime instead of a nap at 5?

She doesn't sleep great, up maybe 3-5 times between 7 and 6. Maybe an earlier bedtime would help?

[SlinkyB]

Both of my babies went/still go 7-7 (or thereabouts...they're now 14mo and 4yrs).

Mine tended to have three naps a day at that age; morning/after lunch/evening. I always noticed that the more they slept, the more they slept iyswim.

[ToonLass]

DD currently has 4 naps, usually two in the morning, one just after lunch and then late afternoon. As I said she sometimes likes one early evening too. That's the one I'm wondering to skip and just put to bed earlier? She was asleep by 6.30 last night, up at 6.20 this morning (although really it was 5.20!). Same again tonight so we'll see how we get on

[SlinkyB]

Depends what time you would like her to wake up I guess. I've always thought aiming for 12hrs sleep is as much as I could ask for from them. I'd not want to put them to bed before 6.30 as know the latest they'd sleep in would be 6.30am. But it's all trial and error!

[mrsmugoo]

Personally I would let her take the nap and then make bedtime a bit later. I don't understand the obsession with 7pm bedtimes?

[SlinkyB]

It's when CBeebies finishes MrsM

Honestly though, after much trial and error that's what's always worked best for my children and our family in general.

[ToonLass]

It doesn't seem to matter what time she goes to bed, 6/6.30 is when she is up and bright eyed and bushy tailed! Just means more night feeds when she's down early

[FATEdestiny]

Do you wake her after 30 mins nap at 5pm, or does she wake up after that long?

I think she might want a slightly longer nap then.

My DD (just 6 months) usually has a 30-45 minute nap somewhere around 5.30-6.30pm. Then bedtime is anywhere between 7pm-8pm, depending on when her late afternoon nap falls and how long it is for.

[FATEdestiny]

I'd also try tweaking her other daytime naps so that she is less tired in the evening.

For example maybe she wants a later or longer afternoon nap.

It was around 5 months old that my DD changed to two big naps per day. She now has 2 hours at 9.30am and 2 hours at 1pm. Then a shorter nap later afternoon.

[ToonLass]

I would love her to sleep longer it 30 minutes seems to be the longest I can get her napping (she'll occasionally go back over and have a further half hour, but not that often)

I think she may be going through a growth spurt just now as she is just so tired all the time, she seems to need a nap about an hour after waking up from one. Oh and she's a wee grump when she's tired!

[SlinkyB]

I used to find The Baby Whisperer's 'EASY' guide helpful (Eat. Activity. Sleep. You).

For example baby wakes, feeds, activity can be play/nappy change/bath, then put down for nap. The human sleep cycle is roughly 40mins, so it sounds like your DD is waking after one then could probably do with re-settling? (My ds has a dummy, and if he wakes after 30/40 mins often I just need to locate his lost dummy/stroke his hair and leave again. He can sleep from 90 mins - 2hrs+ in the day now).

[ToonLass]

I follow that pattern roughly, make sure I don't feed to sleep during the day.
DD won't take a dummy, but she DOES suck my pinky to settle during the day /at night when she's not needing fed. Sometimes this will send her into the next sleep cycle, but more often than not I don't get there in time!!

[ThinkIveBeenHacked]

My 5mo has a 4pm nap and wakes at 5, but we then battle to get him through to bedtime. Usually he is in bed for 6pm. We then lift him for feed at 10.30, he sleeps til 5.30, we do the 5.30 feed as if its still night time and he goes back to sleep til 8am. Naps in the daytime tend to be 10-11, 1-2 then 4-5.

[moggle]

I can't work out my 20wk old. If she has a nap that goes beyond about 5 she's crazily awake at bedtime and lies there for up to an hour in bed happily shrieking and talking and pulling her dummy out every time you put it in. Usually takes until 8 or 8.30 for her to finally drop off. If I don't let her nap after 4 she'll be asleep by 7.30 but so grumpy the bedtime routine gets tricky. I can't find a middle ground :-)

[ToonLass]

Glad I'm not along moggle!!