My 4-month-old sleeps great at night. He's a little fussy to get down, but once he's in his crib, he sleeps for 10-11 hours, which is great! So, the problem is, he doesn't take good naps. He fights sleep during the day. He often naps for only 30-45 min and wakes up still cranky and tired and won't go back to sleep no matter what I do. In the end, I do think he's getting enough sleep, though. I'm thinking this is just a stage, and he'll get to be a better napper as time goes on. I can't help but worry, though, that I am letting him form "unhealthy sleep habits" as they say b/c I let him nap wherever he can- car seat, baby bjorn, crib, on me. I've tried to get him into a routine where he's napping at the same time and place (crib) every day, but he just does not want to be in a routine. Is there some magic thing I need to do, or will it just get better as he gets older? -April ↓
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Name: sarah21 | Date: Jun 30th, 2008 8:34 PM
Well April in my opinion and limited experience, babies kind of set their own routine and schedule especially at this age. Around 6 months I think you can start maybe trying to force Jack into more of a schedule... I dunno. ↑
Name: Crystal83 | Date: Jul 1st, 2008 11:59 AM
You do want to set up a napping routine with your LO as young as possible. The older they get the easier it is for them to fight sleep, and if you've let him fight it all along he won't all of a sudden start napping really well for you one day, it's going to get worse. When are you trying to get your ds down for his first nap of the day? If he is getting too overstimulated and tired that could be the problem. I make sure my LO goes down within 2 hours after waking up in the morning and another nap by 4-5pm but I won't let her sleep later than 7pm because then she is up all night. She goes to bed at 9:30 pm and wakes up at 9am in the morning. I've been a little more lenient with the naps lately though because she is 10 months old now. Sometimes she skips one of her naps, but I usually try to make it the morning nap because she is a monster if she misses her afternoon nap and then tries to go to sleep at 8pm. If I let her go to bed that early she wakes up at 11pm and thinks it's time to play, lol! I think why I'm so adamant about naps now is because when my 2 oldest were babies I let them get overtired and overstimulated and it was soo hard trying to get them to have a nap after I never really made it a priority to begin with. I agree, it doesn't matter where they nap, I would let mine just sleep wherever they landed, lol, and if my LO wants to sleep on me for an hour or sleep in her bouncy chair/carseat I don't think it's a big deal. Sometimes having a nap somewhere different from where a baby/toddler sleeps at night helps them to know they aren't going to be asleep for a long time, just a short time. ↑
Name: Happymommy | Date: Jul 1st, 2008 4:56 PM
My four month old is similar--she will take longer naps in her swing, though! So, maybe you can try that especially if he's sleeping good in his crib at night. I also found with my first two that they started taking good long naps during the day after they starting walking--like around a year. Then they took a two hour am nap and a 3 hour pm nap--but before that they kind of took cat naps like you described during the day. I don't know if that is typical, but it is my experience. It's sometimes so hard to know what to do isn't it! I'm on my third baby and I always think that somehow I will have my babies get into a better nap routine, but I still haven't figured out how to do it! Good luck! ↑
Name: Malica | Date: Jul 1st, 2008 11:53 PM
Like adults, some babies don't like routine and others prefer to set their own routine instead of following what others would like their routine. Have you tried putting him down earlier? If he's overtired it can be hard to fall asleep and get restful sleep. ↑
Name: angeev | Date: Jul 2nd, 2008 9:40 AM
Look for postings by Docbytch or me from about 4-5 months ago (I'm at work and can't look right now). Her LO was the same way and same age as my son. We chatted about it quite abit, she had lots of helpful suggestions for that age. My son is the same way, and has been since the day he was born. At night he is out, during the day he only naps 1-hour total all day, if at all. Then some days he'll nap 3+ hours and there seems to be no rhyme or reason. I have noticed that it is best to catch him before he gets tired, he goes to sleep better and sleeps longer. When he gets over-tired it is ugly and I need to force him to sleep, in these cases swadling works best. I have been unhealthily obcessed with gettting him on a schdule since day one and after 8-months have accepted that he is who he is, but I do worry about bad sleep habits as he gets older. On the bright side, if he is tired he will sleep anywhere no matter what is going on around him, he even naps better at daycare than at home. If you figure out something please let me know and I will do the same. Good luck! ↑
Name: ACG | Date: Jul 2nd, 2008 2:55 PM
Thanks for y'all's help. I do think part of the problem is I let him get overtired. It's just that sometimes his "tired signs" show up 30 minutes after he's just gotten up! Also, he has acid reflux, which causes him to eat a bunch of small meals at irregular intervals. Sometimes I'm not sure whether he's hungry or tired. I do notice he naps better when we stay home all day and I devote most of my time to watching for tiredness and putting him to sleep. I don't think I can do that every day, though, and remain sane! I do have to go to the grocery store sometime. - April ↑
Name: Crystal83 | Date: Jul 2nd, 2008 4:23 PM
I understand completely! Most babies like to have a routine of some sort when it comes to napping and feeding, but they just don't know it, lol. When you have them out all day or you are staying somewhere different for a couple days they get a little agitated from not being home and within a day of having them home they are more comfortable and easier to handle. Ther home is their little world where they know what's going on and who's there, and it gives them the encouragment to explore things comfortably. ↑
