Should I be more consistent with naps for my five-month-old?

[StephB55]

My baby is almost 5 months and sleep has hit the crazy phase. She finds bedtime really difficult and has started struggling at nap time, screams the moment we go into her room and basically screams until she's asleep. She's on 4 30-40 minute naps naps and I very much follow her cues for wake windows and nap timings, sometimes its 1.5hrs and sometimes it's up to 2.5hrs (although that was even more screaming so perhaps too long). Im flexible with naps too and she does 1 or 2 on the go every day. Bedtime is a total guess, whenever she starts to look tired we try to keep her calm and do nappy change, pj's and a cuddle before bed (bottle comes earlier before the total breakdown) but essentially screaming until asleep. I wake her at 7am every day and she still only wakes 1 time at night for a feed but expecting that to go abit funny too!
My question is, should I try to be more consistent with wake windows now and nap times to get some consistency to help with bedtime or is it too early still? Last night she did a 3hr wake window and screamed for the last hour which was exhausting, on a 5 nap day she used to go down 1.5hrs after her last nap easily. Is this just a case of let it figure itself out?!

I was never consistent with my DCs. They fell asleep when they were tired and woke up when they’d slept enough. I don’t think you need a schedule.

She will in the morning but come afternoon she's a dragon if I dont help her get to sleep and I guess that's what I'm struggling with it feels quite inconsistent and I'm guessing when she's tired enough to sleep. Would rather not have the screaming into naps forever!

Honestly. She's a baby forget the schedule windows stuff. Look at the baby. She will sleep when she wants etc. it's bloody hard I know I'm on number and he's a bloody gremlin. The heat won't help either. Just feed baby, cuddle baby bath baby etc. make sure your given lots of snacks and water

I don’t think there’s any harm in giving a routine a try. If it doesn’t suit your baby, at least you’ll know you’ve tried. I’ve found that if babies stay awake too long or have their naps disrupted, it tends to throw off the rest of the day and they become harder to settle. Every baby is different, but having some structure could definitely help.

Given she only wakes once at night I wouldn’t change anything. And enjoy that night sleep.

I was quite regimented with mine but that's because I liked it that way. I needed a schedule or I'd go insane. My DS needed a lot of help with the afternoon nap too, that's quite normal.

Chuck everything you have about schedules out of the window including waking in a morning.
I have struggled for 6 month with my babys sleep, i always let him sleep on his cue, wake on his cue, started a bedtime routine at 6.30 - bath, baby massage, bottle, cuddle, nursery rhyme, sleep. He was falling asleep for 7.30 but i still struggled with 3 - 4 wakes in the night.
Now? Hes 7 month old (crazy what happens in 2 weeks😂😂) hes having a bath any time between 6.30 - 7.30, same routine, baby massage, bottle, cuddle, nursery rhyme, but wont sleep until 9.30 - 10pm!! And only wakes once or twice for a bottle and will sleep until 8. If he gets tired i just let him sleep whatever time if his wake window is 2 hours, thats ok. He will sleep when hes ready, if he struggles and its a fight for him to sleep when i KNOW hes tired. I will take him out on a walk in the pram, he will fall asleep and wake up in a better mood, then follow the day again, if he has a 4 hour wake window, then he sleeps without a fight thats fine.
Its too early to be setting a routine for naps, let them find their own routine, and you follow that. Easier work for everyone then... bare in mind im a FTM. I just follow his cues and we're both happy.
Today with it being 30+ heat hes decided he wanted to fall asleep sat on my lap, thats ok. We're currently at 7pm, he hasnt had a bath, but he has fallen asleep. Thats ok! I'll wake him soon otherwise he definitely wont sleep tonight🤣🤣🤣
Thats the only time i wake him, when it becomes a danger stage, but other than that he will nap between 30 mins and 1 hour each time. Its a breather when hes asleep.
Trust your instinct, if you feel like she may need a bit more sleep in the morning, let her sleep, your nap times will fall in line when you know HER sleep schedule, i say that because theres no rules with babys, they sleep when theyre tired, wake when they arent. Good luck!

If you think she’s tired in the day but not prepared to go to sleep, try a walk with her in the pushchair or a drive in the car.
I often used to put both kids in the car and drive around until they fell asleep and then pull over for a quick 40 winks for myself.