The 45 minute nap monster

[Mummyk1982]

Hi all

Just wondered if any of you had any wonderful techniques for jumping on the 45 minute nap monster before he wakes baby?
My DD has established a regular nap routine over the last week which is great for 10 weeks old, but inevitably she wakes after 40-45 mins and clearly needs to sleep longer but I just don't seem to be able to get her back to sleep despite trying all the soothing things we usually do before a nap.

Any advice greatly appreciated :-)

The thing that works for my baby (15 weeks) is going for long walks in the pram. If I get him in right mood it can be 2 hours! Oh and sometimes he have a nap in his bouncy chair that can last an hour. I've never got him to nap in cot for longer than 40 mins. Good luck!

Is your LO settled otherwise?

I was quite desperate, so I used to either take her in a pushchair/car seat or take the easier option, and offer the breast (laying down) as soon as she stirred, hoping she would fall back to sleep, which she did sometimes (desperate times require desperate measures, she was very very unsettled though generally hence why I was desperate!)

I read somewhere about "wake to sleep" where you rouse them a little bit 30 mins in to the nap (a little blanket rearranging or gentle poke I guess) and then they settle back to sleep (ha!)and move into a new sleep cycle for presumably a further 45 mins. My LO has just started regular morning snoozes and is a victim of the 45 minute nap monster so I might give it a go at some stage if she needs longer, but it does sound a bit too good to be true doesn't it?!

I've heard of that "Wake to sleep" method too but was always far too scared to try it in case DS woke up permanently!!

At about that age DS started doing 30-40 min catnaps and I just learned to live with it. It meant he had about 4 naps a day though which was exhausting because it alway took me so long to get him down for naps.

He's one now and naps for longer 1 - 2 hours at home (2 - 3 hours at nursery - don't know how they do it!!)

To be honest I tried everything with my dd who only napped for 45 mins three or four times a day. In the end I gave up at ablut 7 or 8 months she extended them without any assistance to 2 lots.of 1.5 naps. She remains a good napper and now does 1.5 to 2 hours a day at 19 months. I know its frustrating but I think.largely you just have to wait and they learn to do it themselves.

DD suffered from this monster. She only learnt how to nap properly at nursery after 10 months.

Sling (with you walking) or rocking Fisher Price cradle thingy (eats floor space but really helped with naps) are what worked for me.

Not sure what age your DD is, but for us it just happened, and passed... I used to concentrate on the lunchtime nap, and after 45 mins she'd wake, and I'd spend about the same length of time getting her back to sleep for another 45 mins. The other naps I'd just leave. I worried about it at the time, but eventually she just got better at sleeping. We had a 20 minute nap phase as well, didn't last forever. Now at 9mo she manages and hour in the morning & 90mins/2hrs after lunch - think it was around 6months that it got better.

I would just accept it! Spent ages with DC1 trying to extend 45 minute naps.

DC2 just has 4-5x45 minute naps a day and is perfectly happy.

DC1 started napping longer at about 7 months btw, just a maturity/developmental thing I think.