12 week old - 3 or 4 naps a day?

[threetwoonezero]

My 12 week old doesnt seem to want to stay awake for longer than 1.5 hours, and is now napping really badly, I dont know if its because I'm stretching her to stay awake too long. What do other babies do at this age? How many naps, for how long and how long awake?? Thanks for any input!

I think at that age we were still pretty ad hoc, so I just let DS sleep whenever he wanted to. It might just be a phase that you need to ride out. Naps will probably adjust as time goes on anyway.

I think at that point he was mostly sleeping for about 40 minutes at a time.

It depends how long the naps are. If your getting naps of 90 minutes plus then 3 naps a day is fine.

If you're getting naps around 45 minutes in length then I wouldn't expect awake time between naps of longer than 90 minutes (and I'd start the settling process after 60-75 minutes awake time). Then how many naps per day depends on how long baby's day is.

If naps are very short, in the 30 minute range consistently, you need even less awake time between then. I'd be inclined to go for around 45-75 mins awake time between naps, until you start getting longer naps.

As many naps as they want really. My 6 month old has 4 naps a day still and usually about 2 ish hours awake time between. I think it would probably be 3 by now but he goes to bed the same time our 5 year old does after dinner and bath time (8-8:30pm), so he obviously needs the extra sleep. Whatever works really.

At 12 weeks just let him sleep/be awake when he wants. My DS2 4 months but I don't really even track his naps, I couldn't tell you what he sleeps.
In my experience stopping them from napping doesn't help them sleep at night any better
(DS1 we tried limiting day time sleep and it only made him grumpy and didn't help night time sleep)

They sleep more when having a growth spurt, if she wants to sleep let her.

As many naps as they want really. My 6 month old has 4 naps a day still and usually about 2 ish hours awake time between. I think it would probably be 3 by now but he goes to bed the same time our 5 year old does after dinner and bath time (8-8:30pm), so he obviously needs the extra sleep. Whatever works really.

Why are you stretching a 12 week olds awake times? Just let her sleep when she wants.

I should be monitoring dds naps? Shes 10 weeks.
I just let her sleep when she wants. She’s just woken up from a huge nap (about 4 hours) had a feed, bum change and back down for bed time.

this is really encouraging thank you! nice to hear 4 naps can still be normal even at 6 months too. I'm going to give it a go today...let go of control a little. I think my anxiety comes from wanting to control everything and now her sleep has become a real obsession! How do you all put your babies to sleep?

My 9 month old can only stay awake 2 hours in the morning, 4 hours max, he still has on average 3-4 naps per day if I was to count but I don't. I feed him to sleep if its possible (have a 3 year old too) or he falls asleep in the car or buggy if we're out, or sometimes I get him to sleep in the buggy in the house if he's not feeling the feeding to sleep thing.

Mine was exactly the same at that age. Even 1.5 hours was pushing it. He's always loved his day sleep - he's 2.5 now and still sleeps quite happily 2.5/3 hours for his afternoon nap.

Don't count naps at this age, maybe keep a mental note but don't sweat it.

Look at how long baby can stay awake - mine is roughly 45 mins - 1.5 hours depending on the time of day. His natural bap length is 45 mins if Undisturbed by things (sometimes gets wind/ reflux).

He's more alert in the evenings and stays awake for longer then, also when teeth are bothering him.

Some days he does double or treble naps; waking to feed and then goes back to sleep.

My first I think had a more regular pattern of awakeness but not so great at night, but this one can sleep for chunks of 5 hours at the start of the night so I'm not too bothered about the short day naps.

I feed to sleep, rock, sling, car or buggy, what ever seems to work at the time given what we are doing or what he wants.

Tbh sling and going out in the sun is most reliable as I have an active 5 yr old plus baby has reflux (and I have a very strong let down which can cause merry hell)

Recently I've thought he wants a nap so I feed him and he's perked up again, and lasted another half hour or so.

I'm loving all this go with the flow advice, there should be a book written on that instead of the militant stuff you hear from the books because they make it sound like the holy grail of parenting, and what you should aim for. But I suppose a book on going with the flow would only be a couple of pages long and so wouldnt sell. How do yours sleep at night, any problems as a result of not sleeping in their cots for daytime naps?

And I'm really nervous of this 4 month sleep regression, what were your experiences?

OP please check out books by Sarah Ockwell Smith - masses of good advice! Adult sleep patterns vary hugely - some nap, some don't, some are larks, some are owls - and babies are just the same. Please don't stress about forcing your baby in to a routine that someone, who has never met them, has decided is the right one for them.

And I'm really nervous of this 4 month sleep regression, what were your experiences?

Hideous I'm afraid to say, but there's nothing you can do to stop it, and it doesn't affect all babies to the same degree anyway.

Just repeat "this too shall pass". Because it will!

I'd never even heard of the 4 month sleep regression, my dds sleep improved at 4 months.

New Toddler Taming (Dr Christopher Green) is a good book, quite entertaining too.

Sarah Ockwell Smith is really good.

Studies have shown that mums who read lots of baby/sleep training type books are more prone to post natal depression.

The best advice I ever had was "divnt care if baby is sleepin' on your head, as long as they're sleepin'!"

If you're too real rigid about naps in cots you can end up being bound to the house.

@Ekphrasis my goodness this totally resonates with me when you say "
Studies have shown that mums who read lots of baby/sleep training type books are more prone to post natal depression. " I dont think I'm depressed but they have absolutely given me an edge I dont like!

Why are you stretching her to stay awake for longer? Follow her sleep pattern.

Mine were all fed to sleep.

I coslept with all mine at night, so they'd feed through the night, but neither of us would properly wake up.