looking for solutions to napping problems

world cup

My little boy is 5 months old and going great. Sleeps all night, feeds well, always in good form (except when hungry and that's very easily dealt with)

However:
We can't seem to get the hang of daytime naps. I say 'we' but I feel it's me that's at fault. I'm going back to work in two months, and I'd really like to have him napping well before handing him over to someone else.

I think the problem is that I can't spot when he's tired. He seems to be able to go for hours and hours without a yawn, or the 20-yard stare. When he does sleep, it's for 30 to 45 minutes at a time. This is not a problem, but I do feel he should be napping often as a result. Also his naps are a bit erratic, so I can't go by 'naptime' because his naptimes are at different times every day.

I've tried putting him into the cot when he seems tired and either he'll sleep no problem or he'll cry for half and hour because he's not tired and I'll have to take him up again. I've tried putting him into the cot when he doesn't seem tired but I feel he's been up so long he needs a sleep and again, he'll either sleep no problem or he'll cry for half and hour and he's up again. He'll sleep almost without fail if I bring him anywhere in the car or pram.

I don't mind doing the car or walk thing in order to get him asleep, but I'd hate to have a childminder have to do that. I feel this is my chance to get him into good habits.

I'm wondering if I should impose a routine on him myself, but I have no idea what a daytime sleeping routine should be for a five month old. I am a determined person, so if there is a plan I will put it in place and tolerate whatever mayhem arises in the process if I think it's going to work.

Anybody got any ideas?

How Strange

I wouldn't worry too much. My son only fell into a napping routine in crèche at 6.5 months. By 9-10 months he was having two established naps a day. Now at 2yrs he has 1 nap and it could be anything from an hour to 3 hours. At 5 months he mostly napped in the buggy or the car. I think napping is something developmental so they learn to do it as they get older.

I know my son used to get grizzly when he needed a nap. That was my sign to try get him to sleep. However the naps were usually around 30-45 mins max.

I'd say enjoy the lack of routine because as they get older they'll need to sleep in their cot so you'll be much more tied to home.

Neyite

My son only napped for about 40 mins at a time. I usually found that if I counted his awake time it was usually 90 mins between naps so I'd note the time he woke up and look out in 90mins time for his sleep cues. It would be longer awake times in the afternoon.

Its only now at 10 months that he has a textbook nap of 90 mins and can usually go for 2 hrs after morning waking to nap time, 90 mins sleep, up for about another 2 to 2.5 hrs and he might sleep for 40 mins, then he is awake for hours usually until bedtime or if we are out and about he might catnap in the buggy.

Rose35

My little man is 7 months old, daytime naps can sometimes only be 35 mins twice a day, i dont know how he keeps going for so long with such little sleep but he only ever had short power naps since newborn, he sleeps ok at night, still gets up for a feed around 4am, one day in creche he slept for two hours in one go and had the girls running in and out of the cot room checking on him because it was highly unusual he would sleep so long - that can happen once every six weeks, some babies need more sleep than others i guess - same as adults, i could sleep for 12 hrs straight, my partner can survive on 4 hrs sleep at night.

Mink

I could have written same post as you when my fella was 5mths (he's 7.5mths now).

They really are all different, some babies take 2x 1/2hr naps a day and then sleep 13hrs at night and some take 3x 1-2hr naps a day and sleep 11hrs at night. Then there's every combination in between.

In other words don't worry about a nap routine or times for naps. When you come to the point of him going to childminder, just tell her whatever schedule he seems to be in. I told mine "he gets tired 2-2 1/2hrs after he last woke" and that was the end of it.

I've always been able to get him to sleep in his cot by himself but childminder (mil) could only get him asleep wheeling him in his buggy in her house. A month later she got him sleeping in the travel cot.

So really the only habit I'd be encouraging is that he gets himself off to sleep in his cot, which he probably is already doing. He'll find his own routine so just watch out for it and work with it.

pwurple

Mine was exactly like that. She has never in her life taken a nap longer than 45 mins. She took 3 around that age. About 1.5 to 2 hrs between naps.

She was never a fan of the cot in daytime.... car, buggy she would zonk out though. That isn't feasible, so we tried a bouncy chair with a vibrate function on it, without the toys... worked a charm. Same effect as the car for her. They are about 30 euro in smyths.