Catnapper - is this ok?

[fhutts]

My 10wk DD will not nap any longer than 30 mins at a time for daytime naps and is then ready to nap again an hour later.

I can settle her in her cot but after 30 to 40 mins she wakes, sometimes she is happy and smily but others she is grumpy and clearly not wanting to be awake.
Is there any way or point in returning her to sleep? If so, how do I convince her she does need more sleep!
She generally sleeps well during the night, but if she has had a particularly nap deprived day she can be hard to settle initially.

Shall I try methods to keep her in the cot (ssh-pat etc) or should I just let her nap when and how she can?
This has a knock on effect for any type of routine I try to create as she never sleeps for as long as these books suggest (which are now in the bin)

I remember that soo well! Used to drive me mad as you get no time for you. I think I'm right in saying natural sleep cycles are about 40-45 mins, so that's probably why she wakes. It means she comes into a light sleep and unlike most babies wakes rather than going round in another cycle. I never managed to solve it totally, but you have to break the cycle somehow. Have you tried lying next to her in the dark, so when she wakes just hum quietly and keep a hand on her tummy, but don't pick her up?? Do that for a few days and see if it'll make a difference. If it works, slowly she'll only barely wake, and then she won't wake at all. I know she won't be in her cot, but once the pattern's broken you can move her back iyswim.

Thank you for the advice - I thought it might be something to do with the natrual sleep pattern. I haven't tried that as you suggest because she is in her cot but I could try it when she is napping later in the afternoon in her chair maybe?
She goes off with a dummy and I did think of popping into her just before the 30 mins and slipping it back in but I wasn't sure if this would wake her even more???
Is is right that they start to have a 90 min pattern as they get older? What age does this tend to happen can anyone tell me?

I don't really fancy trying the sshh-pat as I can't help but feel that she won't understand what I am trying to do and I find doing it when they are IN the cot a bit awkward. if I take her out each time then how does she relate this to going back to sleep

Sorry, I haven't a clue about the 90 minute thing Fhutts. The cot is awkward. You kind of need one with a side that drops down for it to work. Yes try the chair - why not if it works. In desperation what I did was to settle my son on the bed next to me. First few times you'd have to lie next to her, so you're right there when she wakes. When she does, you just keep your eyes closed and put a reassuring hand on her tummy and maybe hum quietly and gently. If you stay calm and quiet she'll drop off again almost before she's awake (hopefully!). The logic is that the next time, she'll drop off quicker and then quicker still until she doesn't wake at all. Once she's got the hang of that, you've shifted her sleep pattern, so you don't need to be there with her. Then the only problem is how to get them back in their cot... I know it's a faff, but it's the only thing that ever worked for me.

Hello fhutts - I recently borrowed the Elizabeth Pantley No Cry NAP Solution from the library and although I've not read it all, it does suggest going into the room where she's napping 5/10 mins before the earliest she would wake (so after 20/25 mins for a 30min napper) and then do whatever you normally would to soothe (ie hum, stroke head, pat etc). This way when she begins to rouse from the cycle at 30mins, the nap-inducing soothers are in place and more likely to work. I've tried it for a week and found that my 45min napper will now go 1 - 1.5 hrs, seemingly overnight...

HTH, Nat

Hi, just wanted to share that I tried everything I could to get my DD to nap longer than 45 minutes. She was having 4 / 5 naps a day and would normally wake still tired and grumpy. In the end I decided to go with it and then at about 7/8 months (maybe a bit earlier) she started to sleep for longer, I couldn't believe it. At 13 months she now has 2 naps for anything between 45 minutes and 2 hours each time. So sorry, not tips other than I do think they nap for longer once they get a bit older.

sorry meant to add at the end of the post that sometimes when she does wake after 30 minutes I leave her for up to 15 mins (while she talks to herself!) and then she goes back off.

My 4 month old is exactly the same and thought I would look on here for tips even though I know she will probably grow out of it! My DS was the same and I used to spend hours walking around with him in pram to get him to sleep longer. I didn't manage to solve the problem but probably at about 7 months, one day he suddenly slept for over 2 hours after lunch, before which he'd only managed 45 mins. It really did happen just like that. Had to keep checking he was still breathing! He would then have 2 naps a day of up to 2.5 hrs.

Still want DD to have longer naps now though!

Have been through this with both of mine, I found the only thing to do is wait for them to grow into longer naps (happened with both around 6mo iirc). Better than driving yourself mad spending all day shushing and patting ime!

And look at it this way, with short naps it's easier to get out and about because you're not tied to having them in the cot for 90 minutes at a time.

thanks for all the tips - she is a monkey though and patting/stroking in her cot will simply not cut the mustard. I think I have to go with the flow and let her nap as and when she wants to as I am finding myself getting severly stressed out about it .
I do however go for a long walk around lunchtime with her in the pram and she will sleep longer, although yesterday I walked around the garden for half and hour to get her off and she slept for over 2.5 hours without me having to rock her again, but today on the walk she woke after 45 mins and wouldn't go back - this child is a law unto herself!

after a particularly bad day with my 4 month old son, it is good to know i am not the only one strugglying with day naps.

He sleeps pretty well of a night, last feed at 10.30pm and then thru till 7 am ish but no day is the same, one day can go perfectly with 45 mins am and pm and then 2 - 2.5 hrs lunchtime and then like today - HELL!!

I have been stressing myself and him with trying to re-settle him but have decided today after reading the posts to go with it and hope that he does grow out of it!

If only they could understand that they and their mummy are much happier with longer naps!!

I just wish my 4mo would nap during the day full stop...