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Too many/too long naps?

2 replies

Turtlegurl888 · 08/08/2023 08:29

DS just turned 5 months old. Historically crap napper. Would resist contact naps. 10-30 minutes max in the next to me cot, until the last two weeks. I've discovered he loves to sleep on me facing outwards with his head on my chest, like he's watching TV on me. He can easily do 90 minutes and sometimes even longer like this. A generic day looks like this:

6:30am - wake
7:45 - 8:45am - first nap
10 - 11:30am - second nap
1 - 2pm - third nap
3:30 - 5pm - fourth nap
Bedtime starts 6:45 and is asleep by 7:30 at the very latest, usually 7:15

It varies somewhat every day and if we're out and about he may skip third nap or have a short one in the pram or car.

Reason I'm asking, some days he's having 4.5 to 5 hours daytime sleep and I've noticed it affecting his nights. He's not a perfect sleeper but usually up twice a night for feeding and then grizzly on and off from 5am. The last few nights I've seen him every 90 minutes to 2 hours. How can I cut down daytime sleep? He really let's me know he's tired now and won't stop fussing until we sit down on the sofa, like he needs the sleep. Not sure what to do.

Tia x

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HippeePrincess · 08/08/2023 08:36

Sounds like he’s making up for missed night time sleep on the day and the first nap is an extension of nighttime sleep and isn’t really ready to wake at the first waking. Either re settle without getting him up, or extend the first wake window so he’s ready for a proper sleep (my baby similar age now has a 2.5 hour awake and then a 2-3 hour nap which means he then has much longer awake and a short pm nap. He’s sounds like he’s not napping or awake long enough so is cat napping all day.

Turtlegurl888 · 08/08/2023 08:45

HippeePrincess · 08/08/2023 08:36

Sounds like he’s making up for missed night time sleep on the day and the first nap is an extension of nighttime sleep and isn’t really ready to wake at the first waking. Either re settle without getting him up, or extend the first wake window so he’s ready for a proper sleep (my baby similar age now has a 2.5 hour awake and then a 2-3 hour nap which means he then has much longer awake and a short pm nap. He’s sounds like he’s not napping or awake long enough so is cat napping all day.

I would love for him to sleep longer in the mornings but really struggle to resettle him. We have blackout blinds but as soon as he sees the slightest crack of light he wants to get up. But yes I agree first wake window is short. I can probably extend all other wake windows but not the first, he gets very screamy tired after the first wake window :(
Might try and push bedtime later because that's when he's always most tolerant of a longer wake window. Maybe he'll sleep longer in the AM that way.

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