Can you share your nap routine?

[Jayne266]

Am trying to get some inspiration.

DS 7 months

5.30am awake
8.30 nap roughly 30mins
1ish nap roughly 1.5hr
4.30 nap roughly 30 min
7pm bed

DS (now 10mo) has had a similar nap routine since about 5mo with slight fluctuations... On average he tends to do the following:
6am-wake up
9am-nap 30-45 mins
1.30pm-nap 45-60 mins
6pm-bed
Bedtime is the only thing that is set in stone-all other timings vary slightly.

Argh see I had DS bedtime at 6pm but he wakes up at 4.30am so I got some advice from MN and they said to try and bring his bedtime later. (only on day 2 and still all over the place)

But yes teacher I agree bedtime is the only thing set in stone everything else is what DS does on the day.

I read somewhere on MN that early naps lead to early waking... So apparently you should try and keep them up till 9am (something to do with using it as an extension of night sleeping) I find though with DS that we either have a 5.45/6am start after he's slept through or he wakes in the night for a feed and wakes up at 7am... However I'm reluctant to move bedtime later as when I go back to work he'll have to be up at 6am 3 days per week and I like having an evening. Sleep is a bloody nightmare, isn't it?!

Oh yeah it is! Is it normal to be more tired now than when he was newborn?

So if he wakes at 5.30 again keep his nap until 9am? Is that right?

Yes that's it. No matter what time DS wakes up he doesn't go for his nap till after numtums (mean mummy!)

My baba is younger (15 weeks) but her naps/sleeps are as follows:-

8am - wake
9.30am - 11.30am (nap)
2pm - 3.30pm (nap)
6.30 - 20min snooze
9pm - Bed

Yes its right about the morning nap. However, it might be too much to push him that extra half hour all in one go at his age. Lots of people do this thinking it'll fix the early wake right away, only to end up with an overtired lo. A gentler way to do it would be to push the nap 5-10mins later every 3-5 days. It takes longer this way but your ds will be less likely to get overtired. Another thing to remember is that it may take a couple of weeks for him to adjust & for the EW to go.

Hth.x

My twins do better on one nap so

6.30 wake
11.00 nap
1pm wake
6pm bed

They are 9 months and took a lot of faffing about to find what worked for them both