9 month routine and nap predictably

[Crumbs9]

Hi, I’m really struggling with the unpredictability of my baby’s napping! First of all I’m torn between wanting a routine but also being flexible. We go to baby groups/ meet friends and family so although I time things to fit around him, inevitably it doesn’t work out. I also find I get completely overwhelmed when he doesn’t nap, in my head I tear myself apart wondering what detriment I’m doing although rationally I know if I’m giving him the chance to nap that’s all I can do really. Here is a rough guide to our day:

6/7am wake and milk
8am breakfast
9/9.30 nap (literally anything between 30 to 90 mins)
11ish milk
12 lunch

1.30/2 nap (this nap is especially hard and often it’s a real fight and he ends up sleeping in my arms after a load of rocking. Nap any where between 30-60 mins)
3/4ish milk
5pm dinner
6.30 milk, bath, story
7pm bed

We are often out most days, so if I see a friend I might suggest meeting at 11, but if he’s only napped for 30 mins then he gets cranky and we have to call it short. Worse in the afternoon, he used to sleep well in the pushchair but suddenly that’s stopped, if he drifts off in my arms he wakes when I put him in the cot. I’m just finding it really stressful at this stage to plan my days. I literally think about his sleep all the time!

He does sleep in his cot at night.

please help with any suggestions on how o can get him to sleep for longer naps (ideally at least an hour each) and how to get him to nap in his cot or be more predictable with naps. Because we are often busy I find it really hard to let him miss a nap, so when I’ve tried to put him in his cot and then shh/ pat him, he gets so upset and it takes so long I end up picking him up and trying rock him just so he at least sleeps. It doesn’t help I always second guess everything I do too.

please help!!

thanks

Also want to add that some people say to me he will sleep when he’s tired but he doesn’t he just gets overwrought. Also if I did that he’d end up wanting to snooze round 5 or 6 o clock which would not work for his bedtime. I also have found that if I’ve ever had to leave him with grandparents they never get him to sleep… always say oh he wasn’t tired but he is!! And then I have to come back and sort it.
mom beginning to tear my hair out here, otherwise he’s a brilliantly happy baby!!

Hiya,

I have a 10 month old and have spent far too much of his life obsessing about naps and sleep in general. It has taken a long time, but he now does around 1.5 hours in the morning and 1.5 in the afternoon. Its not the same every day, but I sort of know how to plan my day based on what time he has woken up and knoe when his naps will be.

I did become a bit of a hermit for a week or two to get there though. And I made all the sleeps consistent, so the nap routine is the same as bed time (get in the sleeping bag, dark room, cuddle, song, sleep). I really tried to follow sleep cues and track wake windows, but I still get it wrong sometimes and try and put him down when he's not tired enough!

If I had my time again I would be more relaxed about it though, because naps do rule our whole life now, but I do also like the certainty of our routine. He won't nap forever and then we can go everywhere and anywhere!

Don't worry - you're doing great x

Thank you, we have tried today.. it went well this morning and in the middle of trying it this afternoon x