Short day time naps

[dcb]

My DD (16 weeks and breast fed) is doing well at night - bed 7.30ish, dream feed 10.30 then goes til 4 and then (on a good morning) 7. She has v. short naps during the day - usually 8ish 11ish 2ish and 4ish - sometimes snooze at 5.30. I only put her in her cot for the 1st nap of the day as this is the only time she will tolerate it. Is this sort of pattern ok or should I try to get her to go longer with fewer naps? And if so any tips? Thanks

Hi dcb

My DD was the same, still is on the odd day, she is bf and naps when she is tired and only seems to last 2hours at most. However the past few weeks I started leaving her in her cot for longer periods cos her naps were only 20 mins or so and now she is napping longer and is happy to go into her cot for a longer sleep, 10am for 45-60mins then 3 for 2 hours. She is working out her own routine just with a bit of a nudge from me and it seems to be working, she has the odd day with a nap inbetween and in the car can mess it up a bit. As for going into her cot, she has a Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium, it plays different music and I always put the same tune on for sleep time and it has really helped her settle in her cot. HTH

Thanks - I wondered about getting a mobile for her cot but wondered if it would signify "play time" rather than "sleepy time"

Try to persevere with putting her in her cot, so that she associates it with sleeping during the day as well as night. My DD only really settled into proper daytime naps at 16 weeks, and only after I stoppped putting her in her pram, car seat etc.
What also worked for me was a little naptime wind-down routine.
At 4 months, DD started sleeping 2 x 2 hours naps, plus a catnap at about 4:45 to no later than 5:15. Bed at 6:30.
Sure things will improve if you keep at it. Good Luck.

I personally don't believe in mobiles over a cot. It's a sleepy, quiet place and you want them to chill out, not be stimulated all over again.
Rather put one over her changing mat.

Jambot-Just wondered, when you put your dc in cot in the day, do you use black out curtains? What is your wind down routine?

I do draw DD's curtains during the day, but don't pull her blackout blinds down. So it's dimpsy, but not pitch black.
My daughter was like clockwork as to when she grew tired, but if yours isn't, look for tired signs like batting of the ears, rubbing eyes, unsettled behaviour. As soon as I would see those, I would pick her up, and slowly head for her bedroom, singing her 'special sleepy song', (anything you like - just keep with it every time), then tell her it's time for a sleep, put her down, give her her blankie and leave the room. She had a special blankie from about 4 months, that I used to lie under her cheek so that she could get used to the feel of it. Now at 19 months, I just have to come into the room with her blankie at nap time and she heads straight for her room.
Think two things are key in getting them into good daytime napping: - consistency and not letting them get overtired.

thanks jambot - that's really helpful as well. i will start today and will leave the mobile i think

Good Luck dcb. Good day naps make such a difference to the baby and to you. You can get so much more done and even get the odd nap in if you're lucky.