When did you start to manipulate nap times?

[Katekoom]

Dd is 5 weeks and not a great napper. She'll have one long nap in a day (2.5hrs) and a few shorter ones. Recently her naps have been getting later and later so she's only doing a 2 hour stretch when she goes to bed before feeding and going back down for 3 or so. She used to do 3 hours the first time she went down.

I know shes only young still but when is a good time to start putting some structure into her naps?

Longer naps don't come in until much later - 4 to 6 months ish. The one long lunchtime nap from about 12 months.

At 5 weeks your DD is still in the newborn phase of if not feeding, then sleeping so should be either already asleep or trying to get to sleep most of the time.

That will start to reduce after 6 weeks, but I still wouldn't expect more than 90 minutes between sleeps.

Shorter regular naps through the day are more usual, say between 20 minutes to 90 minutes in every 2 hours.

Good sleep promotes better sleep and unfortunately poor sleep promotes worse sleep. It sounds like your DD is not getting sleep regularly enough through the day. Babies at this age cannot 'save up' their tiredness to have a bigger sleep, then need naps.

In terms of structure (I'm a massive fan of structure), you can still do this while being baby lead with the EASY method. Be lead by the baby in terms of how long a cycle lasts, but throughout the day follow:

Eat (have a feed)
Activity (have a short time awake)
Sleep (have a sleep)
You (this stands for you having some time to yourself - also makes the acronym EASY)

My DD is 4 months and followed the EASY method in 90 minute cycles from birth. The length of the cycle has increased in time (lead by my daughter, not forced by me) and she now follows in 2 1/2 hour cycles. But it makes the day structured and predictable. Also ensures regular naps and feeds.

Second everything previous poster said.

Try to think more in terms of awake time rather than specific nap times.

Look for tired signs after 60-90 minutes awake time and at the first eye rub/yawn you need to be trying to settle them for a nap.

At that she they will probably sleep 4 or 5 times a day, if not more.

I never manipulated nap times with my DS1, was just a blessing to be able to actually get him to nap! He fell into his own routine of a long nap in the am then one or two shorter ones. My rule is if they are sleeping let them sleep... it wasn't to start with as i was manically trying to get him into a routine but once i just let him follow his own sleep pattern it just worked out.

I think probably about 4-6 months was when both of mine fell into a more regular pattern, and then I continued putting them down at set times.

I found the 90 minute sleep solution book really great. It's all about naps.