Should I be trying to stretch 6mo's awake time out a bit, inbetween naps??

[BotBotticelli]

DS1 is 6mo this week how did that happen??

He is a serial catnapper, and is currently having 4 naps each day, lasting 30-40 mins each. He stays awake for 2 hours inbetween each nap and then I put him down in his cot at the first sign of tiredness and he self settles (I know, I am lucky with this!). He finds it a bit more difficult to nap in the pram when we're out but will eventually go off with some determined rocking/endless pacing.

My SIL reckons a 6mo should be able to stay awake longer than 2 hours during the day, and that I should start stretching him out. For example, his routine so far today has been:

0630 wake up
0700 bottle
0745 breakfast (baby porridge and home-pureed peaches)
0830 40 minute nap
Then playtime, including a trip down the local shop in the baby bjorn which he loves
1100 bottle
1120 - have just given up trying to 'stretch' him out till lunchtime, and have put him down for another nap, as he was really grizzly, rubbing eyes etc etc.

SIL reckons if I could keep him up until noon, giving him some lunch at 1140 ish, he would then miraculously go down for a 2 hour nap at 12noon . I am skeptical at best: my hunch is that I would draaaag the morning out till noon, struggle to shovel some food into an overtired baby, put him down at noon....and then he would wake up after 40 mins anyway!!

wwyd?? Should I follow his lead, or is now the time to try to introduce a more sensible nap routine which coincides with his meals (we started weaning 3 weeks ago and he is now having a small amount of food 3x per day).

Am I being lazy, not wanting to put up with a grizzly devil-baby, when it's just so much easier to put him into bed when he is tired??

Thanks!

ps - he pretty much sleeps through the night from 7.30pm - 6.30pm, without a feed (although we have to usually go and rub his tummy and shh pat him back off to sleep once or twice in the night), so I don't think his naps are currently causing any problems per say....it's just hard to make plans or get much done (ie going to morning baby groups) when he needs 2 naps in the morning, and 2 in the afternoon!

Aw, congratulations!

Personally he's still small, and if you're OK with this routine (and it sounds amazing, wish my DS had been that sleepy!), and your DS is ok....leave it be!

You are certainly not lazy - trust your instincts. It will all change again soon anyway (and again, and again) when he starts to crawl/walk/talk!

HTH xx

2 hours for a 6 month old is about right, but every baby is different and you know your own baby better than anyone else.
Imo you're doing the right thing by following his cues. The fact that he self settles is probably a sign that you're getting the timings right.
Some people do think that cat naps happen because the nap has been timed wrong but it's very common for babies to take short naps at this age. I'm told that this usually improves anytime from around 6 months onwards, so you're nearly there! My dd is 7 months, and has started taking (fairly) consistently long naps.
Also, awake times can vary throughout the day - the shortest one being first thing. Have you heard of the 2-3-4 routine? Many people swear by it, although I think that's when baby is a few months older. Perhaps someone else has any views?

I agree. Stick to what your doing. If he sleeps all night then let him nap like he is. My LO is 6 months this week and if I push it he's awful. I put him down at 11 after being awake from first nap at 9 and he cried and cried and cried. He normally self settles also and eventually gave in at 12 but I think he has a cold again so slightly grumpy and off his solids. Keep doing what your doing as its sounds pretty good to me. My LO has about 4 hours a day and 10/11 hours at night x

MY DD is 7 months and has exactly the same routine as your little one!

She's only up 2 hrs max. I put her down, and she straight away self settles and goes to sleep.

She also sleeps through the night same as yours.

shrugs I say, it's working!? I'm not bothered, I know what you mean about hard to get things done, but I reackon she will naturally change over the next few months, so just go with the flow :)

(although would just say, I've had x2 HV now tell me that 6/7 months is too young for x3 meals a day. Mine is on 2. Maybe cut down one and that will free up a little time? :) )

And.... Don't worry about fitting meals in with naps. My LO often misses his last bottle as he refuses to nap late afternoon and then way overtired by bed time and is too tired for a feed. It's not worth stretching the awake times. I've often bottle fed, put down for a nap and fed solids an hour later when he's awake. Fit meals in around his naps as I think naps are far more important IMO x

Yes, I'd second what Carly says about meals. We were all over the place for ages (lunch at 11am, tea at 3pm!).

It all settles down once they are eating solids properly from a year or so onwards.

xx

I agree with that too. "Food for fun until they're one!"

DD would've struggled with longer than 2 hour cycles at that age and if he's sleeping at night my advice would be don't mess with it!

I am a firm believer that babies find their natural sleep patterns when left to do so, and that it won't be long before your little one is taking longer naps. Remember he knows best what he needs, and it sounds as if he has a fun and active life and is busy learning about the world around him! Add to that he is also experiencing new tastes and textures so it is only natural that these activities are interspersed with restorative naps. He will build up to longer awake periods and longer naps without you having to do anything. Amazing that he can self-settle so well, many mums struggle with this so consider yourself very lucky to have this already established.