45 minute naps - can they really be enough?

[BettyButterknife]

DS2 is 6mo and from around 6-8 weeks has consistently woken from every nap after 45 minutes. I go in and settle him back for another hour or so as I've read that short naps arent enough.

However he's recently started sleeping through until 5-5.30am but is then chirpy as anything and ready to start the day.

I now wonder whether making him nap longer than his body clock demands is eating into night sleep.

Does anyone have any experience of short naps? Am thinking of experimenting for a week letting him just do short naps and seeing effect on night sleep but am a bit scared of the consequences!

45 mins is fine for a nap, as long as he has enough of them in a day, so at least three for a baby his age. Its so common for babies to only nap for one sleep cycle (40 mins). He'll probably learn to nap for longer as he gets a bit older, and will eventually just have the one longer nap a day.

Also, have you tried ignoring him in the morning at 5.30am, to see if he will eventually go back to sleep? Apparently most babies go through a phase of light sleep in the early hours and many will wake, but should go back to sleep.

My son has 45 minute naps, about 3 a day usually. He has just started sleeping from 10ish til 6ish, usually he just has a feed at 6ish and chirps away to himself for 15-20 minutes and then goes back to sleep for another hour. He's 21 weeks old.

I have never managed to get him to settle to a longer nap in the day, and I figure he's getting enough sleep at night, so I dont worry about it.

Sorry, I mean't 10pm-ish til 6am-ish! I dont make him sleep all day

My 6 month old will nap for a max of 45 misn too, and only twice a day most days. I try to get a third nap of her.......I also think it is very common.

3 x 45 mins naps here too for DS 6mo - he sleeps 7-7.30 with a dreamfeed and is a very happy baby so i have just learnt to accept that catnaps are his thing!

Just wanted to say that at 6 months our DD started having long morning naps (up to 1 hr 50mins!!) and started early waking soon after. We've started limiting morning naps to about 45mins and fingers crossed she has started waking at a more sensible time of day. Still working on extending her PM nap though so that she's not so grouchy at bedtime