30 min naps for 12 wk old...did it change for you later?!

[threetwoonezero]

Aaah I am tearing my hair out to know what to do here, my DD is taking such short naps, and I dont know whether to plug her with a dummy to make her go longer which sometimes works but I dont want her dependent on the dummy, or to go with the 30 min naps but I've read that they are not really proper restorative naps...what to do? Anyone else got a napper on their hands, and did it get better for you and when, and any tips on how to make them go for longer?!

Never got better for me
Dd took 30 minute naps until she dropped all naps at 20 months

There's a book I read about babies dropping from one sleep pattern to another after thirty minutes. Some babies wake during this but you can stroke /pat them back off and they should have a good sleep.

Yep- got better around 4 months, now I have to wake him up from his naps in case he naps too long

My ds2 was like this. 4 x 30 minute naps a day. Drove me mad, as his older brother used to have two 1.5 her naps plus a 40 minute late afternoon nap until 6 months old. With ds2 I was lucky and the naps got longer around 6months when he dropped down to 2 naps a day. By 1.5 years he was having one amazing 2.5 to 3 hour nap every day, which lasted until he was a little over 3!! So there is hope!

@rubyroot genuine question what would you class as a too long nap and why do you need to wake them up? My 13 week old sleeps for three hours in the afternoon most days is that wrong if she needs it?

So it sounds like its simply a waiting game then! I dont think I have the energy to fight it, although it does seem that I can get her back to sleep for a bit over lunchone with a dummy, but I'm worried about creating dummy dependency there...@microwavey and @rubyroot, how did you handle it did you try and fight it or just go with it? how were you getting them to sleep? @yesterdayizdone1 I just hope I'm not in the same boat as you!

Mine did long naps 0-4 months, 4-8 mons 30 mins on the dot, 8 months till now 1-2hours

Also did you find they slept well at night? Mine actually does, so maybe I shuoldnt be wishing for perfection here!

@GlennRheeismyfavourite then how many naps in the day 4-8 months? How long were awake times between naps, my DD gets tired around the 1.5 hour mark at the minute which means a lot of naps during the day!

Yep!!! 30 mins to the second for up until 9/10 months. It was just about enough time to shower and get dressed or have something to eat if you were quick! Now she will go for about an hour in one of her naps and about 40 mins in the other. Also slept really well at night so while I was always jealous of my friends whose babies napped for 2 hours plus during the day, I wasn't that jealous!!

I just give my boy 3 hours in total as I don't want to affect his night time sleep- so I have started to wake him after 1 1/2 hours both naps- works for us.

different babies are different I guess.

He's 7 months- I wouldn't have woken him up at 13 weeks- no way!

threet- night time sleep not good here- I'd swap good naps for good night time sleep any day.

Initially I gave him dummy and laid down with him, but to be honest he hated dummy and I just held it in til he slept. Eventually as he got used to nap time- just left him in cot for two/three mins and he would cry very briefly and then go to sleep. The second one was harder- but we got there in the end.

However, the downside is- now my whole day is dependent on his naps as he sleeps better in his cot.

OP - your baby is absolutely tiny! I promise that babys routine will change many times including how long they nap for.

In my personal experience naps got better and longer once they were older - by the age of about 18 months mine were doing the lovely long lunchtime nap that I so dreamed of!

To be honest - I obsessed so much about naps - then one day they just grew up and stopped napping - it was a relief to be honest hahah

tricky one but I don't know about letting a baby have a 3 hour nap - it would depend on their nighttime sleep.

I'd probably let sleeping babies lie unless they were really sleeping badly at night.

She sleeps between 8-12 hours a night and has done since 7 weeks old. So doesn't affect her nighttime routine

Mine used to do this. After a while he learnt to join two sleep cycles together and then gradually became a very good napper and night time sleeper. Hang in there.

@mrs2468

If it ain't broke then don't fix it!

I also have a 30 minute napper !
30 minutes every hour and a half, it's great fun

Pass me the gin @GiveMeAllTheGin8 mine (17 weeks) has been exactly the same since the four month regression started. 30 min nap every 90 mins or she freaks out and howls like a banshee... I can occasionally shush pat her into an hour long nap, but only if I stay beside her for the whole nap. Give me strength!

@Purplepjs when did this happen?! Sounds positive. And @Helvetica01 sorry to hear that will she go down ok now? She's started to scream for naps...eurgh, if its not one thing its the other. Im trying so hard to be a good mum! How do you find it impacts their moods, having just 30 mins?

Yes, I have one child now 14 months and never knew about naps. I just assumed they had a little nap and that was about it, so I just went with whatever he did to begin with.
He did 20-45 mins regularly for the first 3-4 months I think.
Now, nice long regular naps.
I haven't had to really do anything to make this happen, I reiterate, I was and am clueless

@GiveMeAllTheGin8 can you do the sleep without screaming at the beginning?
@waterrat how old is your LO to be doing 3 hours in the day?

@springmachine thats interesting can you remember when it got longer? How old are they now? Probably nice to be clueless!

All...thank you!