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Sleep

Join our Sleep forum for tips on creating a sleep routine for your baby or toddler. Need more advice on your childs development? Sign up to our Ages and Stages newsletter here.

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Original poster

Day time sleep

47 replies

SydneyB · 10/04/2007 14:59

DD is 4 months, is beginning to sleep really well at night - i.e 7 to 7 with 1 or 2 wakeups but still can't stay awake from more than an hour tops during the day. She'll only nap for 40 mins which means it feels like I spend the whole day putting her down for naps - sometimes 5 a day. I'd thought that by this point she'd be able to extend her awake time longer but the most she can ever stay awake without getting grizzly and cranky is 1.5 hours and this is on a GOOD day. A lot of time its only 45 mins! Does anyone else have similar babies?

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sunnyjim · 10/04/2007 15:02

DS could stay awake for 2 hours by this point. I'd say she isn't getting long enough naptimes to allow her to stay up for longer.

I'd set yourself a definiate long nap time, say after lunch. Then if she wakes up during that time go ina nd help her get back to sleep, if she stays awake for a bit dont' worry - just keep it very quiet and 'sleepy time' like. Gradually help her extend her naps so that she can get a good 2hr kip halfway through the day and then should be able to stay awake for a bit longer afterwards.

at 4 months DS had 3 naps; 9-10ish, 12-2.20ish; 4-4.30/5ish.

MissGolightly · 10/04/2007 15:03

At that age I think mine could manage about 2 hours between naps, but of course all babies are different.

Just a thought, is it possible that she is bored rather than properly tired? At about that age DS started to get really cranky if he was in the same environment for too long. A walk in the buggy or a trip to the library or the park worked wonders.

Original poster

SydneyB · 10/04/2007 15:19

Yes, I'd thought that perhaps the key was longer naps but I've not been sure how to extend them beyond the 40 mins and I worry that she's waking up because she's hungry. She always latches on when she wakes up too and is a snacker, feeding every 2 hours. Also, I don't understand how she can be tired in the morning an hour after she wakes up after 12 hours in bed!

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cruisemum1 · 10/04/2007 16:36

sounds like loads of 4monthers. my ds at that age could only manage 1.5 hrs awake. he also had short 30 min naps . seemed to spendthe entire day getting him to go back to sleep. it did change (naps sometimes still too short but generally better) and he can do 2 - 3 hrs awake dependig on duration of the nap. they are definitely linked. " Repeat after me....It is just a phase, it is just a phase" hth

cruisemum1 · 10/04/2007 16:37

also thank your lucky stars that she loves her sleep when the naps do change youcould end up wth 2 blissful 2 hour naps!

Original poster

SydneyB · 10/04/2007 17:29

Thanks Cruisemum. Had a friend 'round the other day with her 4monther and during the time she was here with her DD, my DD took 2 naps whilst hers played happily for the whole time without a yawn or a grizzle or a nap. Go figure! Still, crazy to play that comparing game. My worry is that she isn't as happy as she could be during the day if she could just take a longer nap now and again but perhaps, as you say, the 'its just a phase' mantra is the way to go!

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cruisemum1 · 10/04/2007 17:38

been there, done that. it really is 'just a phase'. know wot you mean tho bout them being happier if only they would nap longer, frustrating but hard to fix . good luck!

Original poster

SydneyB · 11/04/2007 09:11

Managed to keep her awake for 1 and 3/4 hrs this am after first wake up by making all the play etc really low key and not too stimulating. So, then I put her down and thought she'd nap for longer as she'd been awake for longer. Uh no, still 40 mins!

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dcb · 11/04/2007 14:23

don't worry about it - also repeat "all babies are very different"!

dd sounds like mine was at that age. she could manage an hour and 15 mins to an hour and a half most of the time and had 4-5 short naps per day. she's now 9 mths and sleeps well - an hour at 9 ish and 1.5 hrs at 1 ish. it will happen - i never believed it at the time. i tried going into her room just before she was due to wake and then try and shush her back to sleep - sometimes it worked for another 30-40 mins (although could take 15 mins of shushing...). also tried long walks in the pram at nap times to encourage her to sleep for longer. not sure if any of it helped or whether she just did it herself. it gives you something to do though in the meantime. at least you're getting regular albeit short breaks if that's any consolation. a friend of mine has a 4mth old who sleeps for 10-15 mins infrequently during the day and she is about to go loopy (sorry - that prob doesn't help much i know but just to point out how different they all are - the little monkeys)

Original poster

SydneyB · 11/04/2007 19:49

dcb, thanks for reassurance! have been doing own mini survey myself amongst friends esp. people who are on strict routine and it seems that the ones that sleep for longer at lunchtime are either taken out in their prams to extend nap or are being left to scream. don't have the stomach for leaving to scream. i think the thing is that you think there are all these babies out there doing things perfectly but its not really true is it??

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dcb · 11/04/2007 20:19

remember - everyone lies (but not on mumsnet)........

dcb · 11/04/2007 20:22

meant to say - i always put her down when she started showing signs of tiredness - keeping her up just made her mad. and even though she wasn't doing things as the "books" say she should've been i just went with her and she (we) were a lot happier for it. it's really easy to get caught up with what your lo "should" be doing - i still do it even now. but "they are all so different" and as cruisemum says - repeat frequently!

cruisemum1 · 11/04/2007 20:51

just a footnote. i have a dd too. she slept through from 11 weeks (bf just like ds), she napped beautifully in her cot for 1.5 - 2hrs every morning and then wherever we were - cot/buggy/car in the afternoon for 1 - 1.5hrs. DS? ha!!! just started (almost) sleeping through at 7mths after a bit of mild cc, naps are erratic even now and he won't go near his cot in the day. "They are all different"

Original poster

SydneyB · 11/04/2007 21:18

dcb, you're so right and i try and do this too. friends have said, why not try and stretch her awake time out a bit but have learnt that she just goes mental, is very hard to settle and then wakes after 10 mins as by the time she has settled its time for her next feed and the rest of the day is a disaster. they are all SO different, you are both right. DD is quite happy to go down in her cot for naps but resists the pram until her eyes are popping out on stalks. keep thinking about it all and coming to the conclusion that the best thing is to be led by her. Also, have to start stopping bf in a few weeks as am back to work so i guess it will all change when she's on bottles anyway!!

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yomellamoHelly · 11/04/2007 21:47

Ds2 is 15 1/2 weeks and fairly similar. Some days are better than others, but I do often end up walking the floor with him to extend the time between naps or to keep him going 'til the bathtime / bedtime routine starts. I find it easier to cope with when we're at home because the quality of his sleep is much better so he fares better in between. The flip side is that no matter how long he sleeps during the day he still sleeps well at night. If your dd does too I'd just go with the flow and see how things progress and try not to worry too much.
My ds1 didn't sleep during the day until he was 8 1/2 months and I'd much rather this situation than repeat what I used to experience.

Original poster

SydneyB · 12/04/2007 16:09

Yomella, I too find it much easier to cope with at home as can get her to take proper naps which she's pretty good at in her cot. Is MUCH harder if you try something daring like going out to lunch!! Don't want to be housebound but have decided to avoid such things until she's a bit bigger as I just end up walking round the restaurant trying to get her to sleep, then having her on me and unable to eat any food anyway. Whilst everyone's else's baby just sits happily in their laps quietly observing their surroundings! Agree though that is much better to have DD like this if you have days at home on your own as at least you get regular little breaks!

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dcb · 12/04/2007 19:15

Sydney - that sounds like us when dd was that age. i did stop going out over lunchtime for a while - everyone elses baby seemed to be fast asleep whilst i was pacing up and down with dd. didn't last long though and was out and about again when she was a bit older. it helps if you can pair up with another mum who has a baby like yours for moral support!

Original poster

SydneyB · 12/04/2007 20:21

Yes is much easier just to accept that you can't do some things for a little while rather than put yourself through it. Have rashly signed up for Splashbabies though... watch this space.

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Elsy · 13/04/2007 19:01

Sydney, my DD (4 months) is very similar. She stays up for a little longer between naps - about 1.5 hours - but will only have 40 minute naps at the most and often wakes after half an hour. Know exactly what you mean about 'keeping them going' until bedtime. I kind of portion out the time with things to keep her occupied - 10 minutes in bouncer, 10 minutes kicking, 5 minutes with toy, etc. - until she melts down and resort to early bath/bed. DD will also only nap in her own cot. I go out for lunch with NCT pals and enviously look on as their babies sleep peacefully in their prams, while I rock DD, desperately trying to get her to sleep in my arms so I can eat something over her head! It is too depressing to be housebound so I force myself to go out for lunch although I normally have to leave after an hour and a half as DD getting too grizzly. Have tried to extend lunchtime nap in vain. Sometimes works to walk her in the pram for 2 hours, but that's very tiring and only works if I don't stop walking. She'll wake the second I go into a shop or try and do something interesting so I've given up and am just going with the flow.

cruisemum1 · 13/04/2007 19:54

elsy - hello again! you have given me some perspective!! ds will only nap in his buggy . i put him in it indoors or if we are out and he'll happily nap there. Funny thing is, i long for him to nap in his cot.... i guess the grass is always greener!

Original poster

SydneyB · 14/04/2007 13:18

Elsy, does your DD sleep well at night? Mine does and this is one massive consolation. Ok and also today, things have suddenly changed. Often I post on MN and the minute I do, things change. 'Its only a phase', 'Things will change', is so true. Today my DH took DD after her morning feed and I went back to bed only to wake 2 hours later to them both STILL playing. Rushed down in panic thinking that she must be in a total state but she was, errmm, fine. And since then this am, she's done it again and quite happily stayed awake for 2 hours. Now, I have to work out how to entertain her. Perhaps I'll venture to lunch this week...

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MegBusset · 17/04/2007 12:51

7.5wk DS has just decided he will only nap for 30 minutes at a time (you can set your watch by it, he wakes up screaming after exactly 30 mins). Previously you could get a good 2hr nap out of him by taking him out in the pram, but now that doesn't seem to work either. This lunchtime I spent an hour getting him to sleep for a half-hour nap. Sigh...

Original poster

SydneyB · 17/04/2007 15:17

Yup, DD's naps seem to be getting shorter and are only 30 mins too. Hardly time to have a cup of tea. Not really sure what to do about it and am just going with the 'it will pass' mantra for now. Yesterday we were out with the pram for a couple of hours so she just HAD to go with it. Woke after 30 mins in pram, cried EVERY time I stopped and then after another 30 mins, fell asleep for another 30 mins. Wonder if I do this at same time every day she'll learn to do a longer lunchtime nap. Bet she won't...

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katierocket · 17/04/2007 15:21

ooooo, not had chance to read this thread (will come back tonight to read properly) but Sydney you could be writing about my DS (12 weeks). he used to sleep for 2 hours in pram but now only ever sleeps for (at the most) 40 mins, often less - it's really annoying and means most of the day he is tired and cranky. THe only way he will stay asleep for longer is if I hold him (which I do sometimes) but is hardly practical.

katierocket · 17/04/2007 15:22

oh and I really agree with this

"Don't want to be housebound but have decided to avoid such things until she's a bit bigger as I just end up walking round the restaurant trying to get her to sleep"#

my ds will melt down really easily (not just crying but full on screaming) so I've really been out very little since he's been born.

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