By the clock naps

[lkj6666]

Has anyone any experience with ‘by the clock naps’.
LO is almost 7 months and struggling to link sleep cycles for longer naps (has always done so-see my other post). Manages fine at night. Self settles for all sleeps.
I’ve sought help from a sleep consultant who has suggested a schedule with nap times to get baby sleeping at regular times and learn to lengthen naps. I’ve been told even if baby has a short nap to try to keep her up as close as possible until next scheduled nap time. And these naps times as per clock will continue until I see signs she is ready to drop 3rd nap around 8-9months.
I’m worried I’ll end up in an overtired cycle making naps even worse or start affecting night sleep.
I don’t have any experience of by the clock naps as my first was very different and I just followed her cues and she was quite consistent in her sleep patterns anyway. This one is all over the place and everyday is completely different to the next.

I saw your other post and honestly I don’t see the problem. Your baby self settles and sleeps through for 10 hours overnight - this is great! So what if they have several short naps instead of 2 long ones? I’d ditch the sleep consultant, stop worrying and chat to your health visitor or doctor about anxiety.

The problem is that I think she is still tired during the day after the short naps. Cranky and miserable. 10 hours at night plus 3 short naps x45mins just isn’t quite enough total sleep I think for her (judging by both her mood and also from what I’ve read). She averages less than 14 hours everyday. I think she needs at least one longer nap if not 2/3 longer naps per day.

Sorry that should say 2 out of 3 longer naps. (Third is a catnap).

I'm a big fan of a nap routine personally.

I do think it helps them sleep better.

But there is no point asking randoms on the internet when you have sleep consultant advising you. If you don't want to do what they say, why consult them?!

Gosh. My question was whether anyone else had any experience with them (as it’s not what I did with my first).

Nowhere in my post does it say I don’t want to do what the consultant advised!

Sorry to actually answer your question my first napped by the clock with the second nap always at the same time regardless of the (variable) length of the first. It worked perfectly for her and it’s not something we ever had to force. It doesn’t work at all for my second who often favours shorter naps all round so instead we go by wake windows. IMO it’s one thing if a baby needs to be taught to connect sleep cycles, it’s another thing altogether if they do it without fail every night but don’t do it for naps.

You sound like you’re driving yourself mad with stress about this having starting multiple threads whilst you’re also working with a sleep consultant, especially when it sounds like you’re actually doing ok sleep wise. But good to luck to you and I hope you get it sorted, I know it’s not nice to see them cranky.

I used to go by awake windows, so once baby had been awake for 2 hours for example I would put her down for a nap but I used to let her wake up on her own.

I understand, but loads of random peoples experience isn't going to help you.

Work with the sleep consultant (who hopefully comes with references/qualifications) to work out what is best for your child.

@LakeShoreD. Ok thanks for sharing your experiences.

I agree I am going going mad with stress as I don’t understand why she can do it all night but not for naps and why sometimes in the day but not always (obviously I’m not expecting 100% ALL the time).
I really don’t care about length of naps as long as she gets enough sleep in total and is happy during her awake time which she isnt at the moment. I suppose I’m just looking for ideas/experiences of anyone that might had similar challenges in the past.

@NuffSaidSam.
Yeah that’s what I plan to do.. continue to try the plan the sleep consultant has advised and see if it works.

I don’t really see any problem in asking for other people’s experiences or ideas that might have worked for others in the past. Isn’t that the whole point of most of the mumsnet baby sleep threads. We can all read about looking for baby cues/wake windows/sleep schedules on the internet without asking other people but it’s good to bounce ideas when you feel you’re getting stuck.
I get all babies are different and obviously what works for one baby won’t necessarily work for another but no harm in trying is there??
It’s what people would have done in the past… ask more experienced members of their family etc. It’s just I don’t have any so thought I’d ask on here…. just like all the other people asking about their baby sleep struggles.

Sure, obviously use Mumsnet however you like.

But with sleep (and many other aspects of parenting) the key is to stick with what you're doing and give it a fair shot before you change tact. If you're working with a sleep consultant, other people telling you different things that did/didn't work and giving their opinions on what the sleep trainer is advising can only confuse the matter. Most people who post for advice aren't currently working with an expert.

From about 6.5 months I stuck to by the clock naps (cat napper too), took a couple of weeks for my DD to adjust then she started linking sleep cycles for naps.

45 min naps are developmentally normal and the ability to link sleep cycles during the day is a developmental process. Mine started having longer naps at around 6-7 months, and actually only when I dropped the third nap did these lengthen and go from 38 minutes () to 1.5 hours per nap.

You'll find if you contact nap or snuggle in bed with LO for one of their naps they'll sleep longer, which I resorted to for one nap a day during the three nap stage so LO got enough sleep in. He could sleep for 3 hours on me, but only the 38 mins in the cot - slept through 11 hours at night!

Don't sweat it. It's normal. Naps will get longer. Dropping the third may help consolidate, it did for mine and he started refusing it anyway!

We do by the clock naps, do is now 10 months. I think the key is to wake them up the same time each morning (7am for us) no matter what. DD does a 9-10.30 nap then 12.30-2,30 pm

We do this. It works well and she naps longer than before (also it means I can plan my day more, which I like). Have to be up at the same time each morning though.

Thank you @Vicky1989x for sharing your experience. It is helpful to know and gives me a little hope. Obviously no guarantees it will work for my LO but at least I know it might be a way to get there and I’m not completely barking up the wrong tree.

And neither of my posts suggest I’m wanting to change current tact or haven’t given everything Ive tried so far enough chance to work.

Maybe I was naive in thinking this was a safe place to air my difficulties and gain ideas/thoughts/experiences/reassurance on what’s worked for others in the past. I didn’t see how my post was any different to everyone else’s who are also asking lots of random peoples opinions.

Thank you @SparklyGlasses @danorak @WashableVelvet for your helpful responses.
Gives me more hope that it’s possible at least.

Fwiw we did 9/12/4.30 then switched to 9.30/1.30

@WashableVelvet can I ask how long naps were at those times? And how long night sleep? So roughly how much sleep in a day. (I know they are all different but just to give me a rough idea)

The thing I don’t get is that I know naps lengthen (hopefully) when they get older or drop down to fewer naps. But if at present she does 3x 45mins naps on bad days that’s not enough day sleep at the moment. I can’t squeeze 4x45m naps in because it makes bedtime too late. When the naps lengthen eg 2 x1.5 hrs each or whatever then do they just sleep more in total in the day than they did before on the shorter naps? Or does the amount still stay the same as the night is still roughly the same. Sorry if that sounds like a stupid question… but the main issue is I don’t think she is getting enough day sleep in total at the moment rather than whether her naps themselves are long or short.

Ironically she had a good day yesterday and managed 2x1.5 hr plus catnap so she can do it and obviously does need it. Completely different baby when’s she’s had a good sleep. I just hope she gets more consistent with it. 🤞

Some babies seem to need a routine.
DC1 was a very 'cranky' baby.
Once we had a routine, they were much happier - and the other plus was it was beneficial to me too!

On three naps, 30m-1h, sometimes the first nap would be longer. She would often refuse the third nap or need walking in the pram for it, but was not lengthening her earlier wake times etc so I didn’t want to drop the third. Then one day I tried pushing the first and second naps later and found the second nap was much better and longer straight away, so clearly I could have changed slightly earlier!
On two naps, the first is 45m and the second usually 1.5h. She sleeps roughly 7-6.30.

Great. Thanks. 👍