What is wrong with our routine?

[WithRosesAroundTheDoor]

I can only think that that is the problem as my 6m old just can't seem to link sleep cycles for naps.
Nights are ok, falls asleep in her cot with me stroking her face within a few minutes. (7:30-8pm) Wakes at 2am ish for a bottle and then 6am and lays in bed with me for a breastfeed (now the only one of the day). Wakes for the day at 7:30-8.

8am- formula
10:30-nap- wakes up after 40 mins on the dot.
11:30- formula
1:30pm- nap- wakes up after 40 minutes again
3:00pm- formula
4:30-nap-40 minutes
6:00pm- formula
7:30- formula top up and bed
Recently begun to introduce solids while awake.

I have tried keeping her awake long enough for her to be ready for another feed before a nap as I thought that maybe hunger was waking her but that didn't make a differenc to her sleep and she still woke after one cycle.
Then I read some advice from @FATEdestiny about teaching babies to link cycles through movement so tried rocking the pram as the cycle should be ending. I also experimented with getting her to sleep in the swing or car which are constantly moving but she still woke at exactly 40 minutes.
So, I must be doing something wrong but I cat put my finger on it. She is still tired on waking but won't go back off.
Please could someone tell me what I am doing wrong? I feel like I spend my whole life getting this baby to sleep!

Meant to say, I have also shortened awake times and having a 4th nap but that didn't seem to help and night time sleep was worse.

Hello! I think with DS all the naps were a little earlier - so around 10am, 12pm, 3pm... not sure if this makes a big difference but perhaps worth trying? In case she gets too wired to sleep longer?

Your baby seems to have a good routine and sleep pattern, I don’t see the problem. She can link cycles together as she does at night. If I were you I would just try to appreciate how good the nighttime pattern is and not worry so much.

You’re not doing anything wrong. Some children only ever nap for one sleep cycle until much older. Both mine were the same until they dropped to a single nap around 12 months then would do 2 hours. They still slept 12 hours at night without waking from about 7 months.

Not one of my three napped like that
What is the matter with her routine ?

The night time pattern of sleep is really good for a six month old

Where's the food?

If I understand correctly, at 6mths and no solids she will be very hungry.

She should be on two meals a day in addition to her milk.

She has a routine, that’s all she needs at this stage to eventually understand that sleep follows.

However, three naps is a lot at 6mo, I think. One in the morning, one in the afternoon. Maybe try keeping her up longer in the morning, then play, lunch, milk and nap. Wake up, snack, play, milk, nap. Wake up, play, dinner, milk, bath, bed.

@Ceedeells

Where's the food?

If I understand correctly, at 6mths and no solids she will be very hungry.

She should be on two meals a day in addition to her milk.

If she is only just 6 months then she will only just have started weaning and won’t be on two meals a day yet. OP says she has started to introduce solid food, but it will take a little while to work up to two meals a day.

Yes @Ceedeells and @MyCatIsADentist we introduced solids about 3 weeks ago. Mainly baby led but with the occasional spoon fed puree or porridge thrown in. She has 1-2 meals a day, dependent on what we are having and what Is going on.

Thank you all for your help, maybe I do just need to chill out a bit. It's just that, as @ARoseDowntown says, three naps seems like a lot. Older DD was doing one shorter morning nap and one longer afternoon nap by this stage.
Dd2 always seems to be still tired when she wakes which is what made me think that naps needed extending.

This is the same pattern as my ds... It's fine

She will get there in time re lengthening naps herself, for now it looks a great routine.

My DD had 30 minute naps on the dot from 4-8 months, it is only now she's started to have anywhere from 1-3 hours, I think some babies are just like that!

I would reduce awake times to a maximum 2h, in the region of 1.5h-2h.

I also think 6am is baby's natural wake up time (at the moment) and the dozing/light sleep from 6am-8am isn't great for setting a routine, if this is what you're after.

As for nap lengthening, how are you getting baby yo sleep initially? Use the same method at the first signs of baby moving from deep to light sleep. By the time baby wakes up, it's too late to resettle. As for movement to resettle, if baby is asleep in something that moves the idea would be that movement settles when unsettled, but then slows and stops as soon as baby is calm/asleep. Then use the action of restarting movement to resettle when in a light sleep (rather than it being continual throughout)

Sorry, I should have been clear. She has a breast feed goes back off into a proper sleep quickly. Sometimes she would sleep longer than 8am if I let her.

Thank you again all. I will experiment as you suggest @FATEdestiny but will stop getting myself into a flap and just go with it of necessary.

If you don’t need to be anywhere then I wouldn’t wake a sleeping six month old baby at 8am.

We need to be up to get dd1 to nursery.

@WithRosesAroundTheDoor

We need to be up to get dd1 to nursery.

Ah well fair enough

Your DD is sleeping 12h at night with 2h of naps. That’s a total of 14h sleep in 24 hours which is bang in the middle of the normal range for a 6 month old:(www.instagram.com/p/CG4UWqsAqht/?igshid=11th7t5yktq5x).

I’d personally say if she is happy and developing well and not getting obviously grumpy and tired I wouldn’t touch anything for fear of wrecking your amazing nights! When you drop to two naps they may lengthen, but equally it may only be when she drops to 1. Good luck x

Sorry that link hasn’t worked. Its a chart on Lyndsey Hookway’s Instagram page, showing the average amount of sleep for babies depending on age. Data from the national sleep foundation. For a 6-9mo the average is 12-15 hours x

Thank you all for all of your help. I really appreciate it.

I am not sure how but something magical has happened. Firstly, last night DD slept through. Of course, I was awake and waiting for her at 2am but not a peep until 7:30 and secondly, she has been napping in her swing for 50 minutes!
I am not counting my chickens yet but wow! The power of Mumsnet!

All I can say is that I'm jealous. An 8am sleep in? Sounds amazing. My 6 month old can't link sleep cycles either. But she wakes for the day at 4:30am. Every. Day. I'm just starting to implement a routine in hopes that it will fix things.

Good luck to you.