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Do routine and good naps help a baby sleep?

8 replies

tholeon · 08/08/2012 20:23

dd is seven months and wakes for a feed (breast) every two to three hours. Recently she has been waking to start the day any time from 3.30 to 5 am. Have a three year old too so am pretty shattered and getting grumpy sometimes, lacking in required patience so need to sort the sleep! Do we need to get into the whole nap at home at regular times thing? Does it really help with nighttime sleep? Never did with older dc but easier with just one!

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Hattie11 · 08/08/2012 20:25

I think so, but more importantly it helped my sanity knowing when i could expect some rest.

Like you my dd1 didn't have routine, but then my next 3 did as i found i needed to know where i was at. Nothing strict, but i used the babywhisperers routine as a guide.

DawnOfTheDee · 08/08/2012 20:26

My DD is ff but I've heard (and observed!) that good sleep during the day = good sleep at night. I wouldn't bother too much at doing naps at strict times but a good rule of thumb is baby can be awake for around 2 hours before needing a nap. Works for us!

Also i consider any time before 6am night-time so will always put dd back to sleep in her cot if she wakes before then.

tholeon · 08/08/2012 20:41

Ok thanks, am a bit stuck trying to balance dd's need for naps with entertaining ds. I know everyone does it but it isn't easy. She doesn't self settle and generally ends up in bed with me for half the night, and isn't keen on napping in her cot..

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silverangel · 09/08/2012 15:20

You'll get different opinions on this but yes, I think so. Imagine you went for a nap at 8pm for 90 mins, would you be able to go to bed at 11? I wouldn't, would be way too awake. When my DTs were that age, they still had three naps a day but were always awake by 5pm, even if they had only had 10 mins, otherwise they wouldn't go down at 7.

5madthings · 09/08/2012 15:33

ok i am not so sure about the whole routine side of things, i have 5 and 2 of them needed more of a routine and dedicated nap times, the other 3 were cat nappers and slept here and there etc.

but ime SLEEP does BREED SLEEP, so yes the better they nap in the day the better they sleep at night.

but be careful not to end up confining yourself to the house, try and make sure she will sleep in thepushchair etc, my dd is a pita for this, she only naps properly when at home in bed, its great when i am at home, i put her down and have a guaranteed 2hrs! but when we are out and about she WILL NOT NAP, does fall asleep in the pushchair sometimes but only cat naps and i end up with a tired, grumpy toddler who then doesnt sleep well that night.

i have read that those black out covers for pushchairs can be good for encouraging naps when out?

oh and mine have all been co-sleepers as well, so yes it is a pita trying to get them to settle when you have other oens, i found a moby wrap good for this and also LOTS of walking so they woudl sleep in the pushchair, apart from no 5, who wont do that!

silverangel · 09/08/2012 16:26

You'll get different opinions on this but yes, I think so. Imagine you went for a nap at 8pm for 90 mins, would you be able to go to bed at 11? I wouldn't, would be way too awake. When my DTs were that age, they still had three naps a day but were always awake by 5pm, even if they had only had 10 mins, otherwise they wouldn't go down at 7.

Kiwiinkits · 09/08/2012 19:47

Yes, in my experience good routines help night time sleep

Kiwiinkits · 09/08/2012 19:49

Easier to start routines at four weeks than seven months though! You may have a challenge on your hands

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