Napping routine

[vlooby]

Just wondering when, if at all, your babies have got into a routine of a set number of naps per day at roughly the same times? Sometimes it's really helpful to hear from mums who have experience!

If you form your routine structure around awake time cycles, there is no reason not to start from newborn.

The mistake is assuming that routine means by-the-clock naps. It can also mean cyclic structures to your day, like the EASY routine

E - eat
A - awake time (set length of time according to developmental stage)
S - Sleep
Y - you time

Wake and repeat over and over again. Follow this for long enough and you often see a by-the-click routine developing, led by the baby.

Mine developed by-the-clock routines when naps extended past 90m at about 5 months old. All I did in developing this was helped baby sleep longer by bouncing back to sleep (in bouncy chair) and by not letting baby get over tired by keeping awake times short. Naps then started being longer and more predictable.

DD is almost 9 months old and we're only just getting into a proper routine! She usually naps 2 or 3 times a day. Before I would just let her nap when she was tired - sometimes she'd nap for 20 mins, sometimes for an hour or longer. Completely different to the PP, but it worked for us.

@FannyTheFlamingo we're at 6.5 months and we do the same. No two days are the same she just sleeps when she needs to sleep (she never usually has more than two hours awake time) and everyone's happy. Not great if you're a fan of having structure but this way works for us.

@HT85 I tried with a routine and it was far too stressful! Had to time everything around it. Much easier playing it all by ear. DD is a champion napper as well and can just about go 3 hours awake now.

That's the thing, yesterday she napped in the morning for an hour and 45 mins, this morning she has napped for 30 mins. I can't FORCE her to sleep longer, so a routine would never work!

(she never usually has more than two hours awake time)

Noticing awake time and using that to inform what you know works best for your child, like This, is what i would call a routine. Or at least structure.

Often it's just that different people attach different meaning to the same word. Some assume "routine" means "naps at exactly 45m at 9am am and exactly 2h at 1.30pm" (or whatever). Others think "routine" mean "never usually has more than two hours awake time".

It's more a difference in the use of language. The two examples are very different (especially in little babies), but both mean routine to some people whereas others would vehemently protest against the idea that their child has a routine.

Needless battles pitching Mums against each other.

It's no different to the wildly different definitions attached to the phrase "sleeping through". Or "self-settling". Two phrases i really hate for how horrible and inadequate they make some parents feel, simply because one person's definition is wildly different to another person's.

vlooby - don't stress it. Just follow your baby's lead and structure will develop.

We didn't get into a long lasting routine until DD was approx 8.5-9 months, and then she went to two naps. They're not exactly at the same time every day, but you I can definitely plan my day round them (most days). She's now 12.5mo and still in the same routine. It's great!

@FATEdestiny - 🙄 Pretty sure I just said what works for us. She is often tired after being awake for 2 hours. That is all.

Two phrases i really hate for how horrible and inadequate they make some parents feel, simply because one person's definition is wildly different to another person's.

There was a fascinating thread on here a while back about what people meant by 'sleeping through'. There were some pretty broad and varied definitions!

I know BathshebaNessling, there's such a massive variation.

It just runs the risk of creating needless worry where there need be none. And tensions between other mums, just because of a failed appreciation of the different meanings.

Loads of baby sleep language evokes similar disparity of meaning and resulting mums just feeling worse. Routine is another one. I blame Gina Ford

Thanks all, it's really good to hear the variations. Am definitely just playing it by ear ATM, approaching 6 months, but am actively trying to discourage the ridiculously long late afternoon nap in favour of a lunchtime one.....

@vlooby ah yes the fall asleep at 4 until about 6 and then not want to sleep for hours and hours in the evening, I know it well!

DD had no rhythm to her daytime sleep until she learned to walk at 13 months, she then went almost instantly into 7-7 sleep (with anything up to 5 wake ups, but not up for the day till 7am) and a 45min to 2hr nap after lunch.

I agree with awake times forming your routine, so much more baby friendly than following the clock!

My 7mo seems to be going from 4 naps to 3 at the moment because his awake time is stretching to about 3 hours. Although he can only manage 2 hours before his first nap! The time and length of naps can vary day to day though!

@HT85 I'm glad im not the only one! S

Thanks for sharing your experiences everyone! Feel better about my ' just muddle through ' tactic!