3 month old's naps and self settling

[flingaling77]

Hi All!
Some advice please. My 12 week old is generally good at night going from 8 to 2 or 3 and then until early morning. How long after wake up would you put a baby of this age down for their morning nap? A lot of articles say an hour. However he feeds for about 45 mins and I have a toddler too so i find it hard to manage it. Also is this when they are asleep or put in the cot? Also how many of your 3 months old would self settle? My Ds used to be able but he seems to have forgotten how to so I am rocking him after leaving him in the cot to try it first. He then only has a 45 min nap normally. 1 hour plus naps are rare. I know he is young but desperate for some daytime routine.
Many thanks

It was normally about an hour and a half and i'd put her down for a nap. She would sleep for about 90mins.

However my LO is a very efficient feeder and only took 10mins to breastfeed, she now drinks a 7oz bottle of formula in about 3minutes...i've timed it!!

I think babies sleep cycles are about 45mins and they have to learn to go back to sleep. Whrn he wakes up after 45 mins give him a couple of minutes to see if he goes back to sleep. You need to give him time to see if he is still tired. If he is happy and just cooing i'd leave him, helps them to get used to their cot. Once he starts making more shouty noises i'd probbaly go get so he doesn't get upset.

My 7 month old wakes up after 45mins, grumbles a bit and goes back to sleep for another hour usually.

Thanks a lot for your post. So you just put down awake in the cot? I've tried anything from 1 hr 10 to 1 hr 45 and he just kicks about in the cot at the moment. He has settled a few times from awake as took about 15 minutes.

Babies have sleep associations. If you rock him to sleep, then he wakes up ij his cot alone he will cry as he associates sleep with you. Putting him down awake means that when he wakes up he isn't upset as his cot means sleep if that makes sense?

Ehen you pit him down awake is he crying constantly or just kicking and chatting to himself.

In the early days of doing naps like this try and look for the tired cues, there is a small window where my LO would acceot going for a nap much easier. Also, sometimes, i have a cuddle with her downstairs to get her all calm anf help her realise she is tired, then move her up to her cot, still awake for her nap.

I generally use two hours after awake with my 15 week old unless I spot tired signs before then. Dummy, lights off and white noise and she usually sleeps for an hour. Then same again for lunchtime and afternoon naps.

I always give him 20 minutes or so of kicking around first without rocking him. Then when he starts crying I try to pay but that seems to annoy him so end up rocking him after about 2 hour wake time. Not all babies can self soothe. I watched him this morning and he didn't show any tired signs until I held him in the dark in his room. I don't want to rock him but can't let get overtired.

Mines also 12 weeks and can only do about 90mins awake time in the morning. Any later than that and it's a nightmare to get her to nap. We were successfully doing the cot but older dd back to school now so it's got to be on the school run!
Mine also usually does 8-2ish at night but I think we're in for the 4 month sleep regression soon :-(

Thanks mammoo. Just to check you just put them down awake and they settle themselves? Wish my ds could do it regularly although he is good at night.

I'd say about 50% of the time I do, 50% she feeds to sleep or I pat her. Always with white noise.

Thanks a lot. Have started white noise. Think it is probably due to wonder week starting tomorrow. He is quite affected by them. Have the app and he always shows most of the signs even about feeding. Just had to rock him despite trying patting. He just tried to get out of swaddle at the moment when I put him down instead of sleeping. He can do it I think. Will try patting more. It seemed to work a bit but he woke himself up.

Drowsy but awake is nonsense. Cuddle for sleeps especially at this age. Watch for tired signs such as eye rubbing and yawning rather than trusting awake time.