Tell me about 5 month old napping?

[pleasethanks]

Just trying to work out what my near 5 month old DD SHOULD be napping. She seems to be needing a bit less daytime sleep now, but just not sure what seems the right amount. What sort of naps should a baby of that age be taking?

thanks

I can tell you what the 'experts would say but I long ago stopped listening to them as my DD needs more sleep than she 'should' be having. Baby Whisperer would say that 5 month old needs 2x 2hour naps and a catnap in the evening (who the hell can get their 5 month old to have 2 2 hour naps and who would wait in the house all day to allow this to happen?!!) and GF would say no more than 3 hours sleep between 7am and 7pm.

My just turned 5 month old DD naps for a total of about 4.5-5 hours per day but it's different every day depending on what groups I have to go to with DS/if we're going out/if she decides that she doesn't want to give me some peace and quiet.

I'd say just watch your DD and see when she shows you she's tired and then put her down for a nap. But then I'm no expert, my DD has just started refusing to go in her cot at night time and will only sleep on my bed....

As a rough guide

Wake at 7am ish
out to a playgroup or friends or shopping,

mini nap for however long they want between 9.00 and 10 then WAKE them up. ( in pushchair, out and about wherever you are )

1230-1pm put down for a 2 hour nap- ( usually at home for a good solid sleep and break for you)

4.00 osh pm ( 20 min nap if needed wherever you are - wake them up)

7pm Bed

One of mine slept much more than this at least 4 hours a da, and she slept at night for 12 hours solid too, but she is a particularly sleepy one!

But my others roughly did as above at 5 months.

Er, mine did 3 x 40 minute naps a day at 5 months. She would settle in her cot for the first two but the third was a pushchair job.

I drove myself mad obsessing about how much and when she should be sleeping. Never mind the fact that she was happy, healthy and developing just fine. Now she is nearly one and still not a great napper- I'd love her to take a 2 hour nap in the afternoon, but unscientific surveys tell me this is far from the norm, whatever the books say.

Part of me wishes I'd never opened a baby book. I never knew I was doing anything "wrong" before I did!

On the other hand I have picked up some good tips from the Baby Whisperer etc. But going down the road of "shoulds" can be a poisoned chalice!

Oh goodness! Boy manages quite nicely on 1 hour nap in the
Morning, 40 minutes around lunch and usually 20-30 minutes later on around 3.30 - 4.30. Sleep around 7ish til 7am with 1 or 2 wakings fir feeds. He's never slept more than an hour in the day since newborn.

My 5 month old hates daytime naps - sometimes it's as bad as an hour all day but max would be 2-2.5 hours (spread over 3/4 naps) he never does more than 40 mins in one go! Make up for this at night with 12-13 hours solid though, must be totally knackered....