6 month baby and napping

[Craigy2323]

Hi

We have just recently managed to finally get our baby to sleep in his cot during the day but I was wondering how many naps a day he should be having.

At the moment he is having three 45 minute naps a day but still very very tired between 4-6 to the point of huge amounts of crying.

I worry that if I add in another nap at around 4 he won't sleep through the night?

Any suggestions please!

Three naps seems right for that age, I would be tempted to leave it at that. I always find the last awake period the most difficult, even in my 10 month old--they're just a bit worn out from the day.

Ideally you'd want the middle nap to be longer (say 1.5 hrs) so naps are around 9-10am, 1-2.30pm and 4.30-5pm ish. with a 7-7.30pm bedtime. There are mythical babies that do this (mine rarely napped for longer than 40 mins at a time at that age and like yours, was v tired late afternoon. I used to do a pram walk or something quiet/non-stimulating to try to keep her calm).

At 6 months mine were having 3 naps a day. Wake at 7am, first nap from 9am-10am, second nap 12-2:30. Third nap 4-4:30. Bedtime was 6:15. They were very sleepy babies.

Today my 6 month old did:

6.30 wake
8.30 nap until 10
12.30 nap until 1.15
3.45 nap until 4.30
6.30 asleep for the night

Yours sounds quite similar. Even if mine does have a 4th nap and not go to bed until 8 she will still be up at 6.30!

Mine is 5 months and has 3 naps - 45 minutes around 9, 1.5 hours after lunch and 45 minutes about 3/3.30. I often have to resettle or feed back to sleep halfway through the lunchtime nap though.

Thankuou for your replies, would you suggest that I try and re settle him after 45 mins at lunchtime?

There is something called the Wake To Sleep method. as a sleep cycle is about 45mins, this method says to rouse them (wothout waking) after 35/40 mins and they will settle back into another 45mins cycle. I used to put dd down in her buggy for her "big" nap and go in after 35/40 mins and push the buggy back and forth til she started to stir then id leave. she would then do another 45mins. After about a month, she did 1.5hrs. Its a pita but will mean his last nap is later.

At 6 months my DS was having 4 x 30 minute naps during the day. After being awake for 2 hours ish each time. So he woke up at 0630 and then napped:

0800 - 0830

1100 - 1130

1330 - 1400

1630 - 1700

Bed at 1900.

It's not in any baby routine book but we followed his cues and thats what he wanted!

Around the 8mo mark he magically changed one day and started having a much longer nap in the afternoon and was able to stay awake longer in the morning. So he would wake up at 0630 and have a nap from 0900 - 0945 and then 1230 - 1430.

I did nothing to make this happen, it just did. Think it was developmental. And probably linked to him being fully weaned on 3 meals a day.