How long between naps? | ExpatWoman.com
 

How long between naps?

298
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 05 March 2012 - 16:27

How long did/do your 6-7 month olds go between naps? Mine is nearly 7 months (next week) and does around 2.5 hours except for the time just before her first nap which is between 1.5 and 2 hours depending.

I would usually watch her and put her down when the signs came up - which in her case is pulling hair/ears and rubbing eyes. But nope she's become a bit erratic with the signs and I just don't know anymore. Takes me a lot longer to get her to sleep (she's not a put down and walk away baby unfortunately, needs a bit of patting on a pillow on me, or alongside and then transfer to crib). Is that because she's too tired or not tired enough is what I'm wondering. Any thoughts? :)

298
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 05 March 2012 - 21:12
I've totally forgotten what DS did at that age :\: but DD is four months and she doesn't stay up more than about two hours at a stretch. Her first nap of the day is usually no more than an hour after her initial wake-up, and her awake periods get longer as the day goes on. I'd say if it's been easy to get her to go to sleep with these gaps up until now, maybe she's not tired enough and might be able to cope with a little longer awake? But I do remember DS only ever stayed up 1 to 1.5 hours after his first wake-up, so maybe if she's tired and goes to sleep too late for her first nap, she might then be cranky because she's overtired for the rest of the day? Sleep is such a complicated issue, and so hard to get right, and I feel like I'm always getting it wrong. I guess the best thing for you to do is try keeping her up a bit longer and see how it goes, then if that doesn't make any difference try putting her back to bed sooner for her first nap? Or the other way around :). Thanks DC. Trying the shorter awake time before first nap. Things are really messy right now because she has a horrid cold as well, so I just rush her off to bed when there's any sort of sign and hope she'll go to sleep. Will keep with the earlier first nap and stretch out the rest and see how it goes once she's a bit better.
2937
Posts
EW EXPERT
Latest post on 05 March 2012 - 21:00
I've totally forgotten what DS did at that age :\: but DD is four months and she doesn't stay up more than about two hours at a stretch. Her first nap of the day is usually no more than an hour after her initial wake-up, and her awake periods get longer as the day goes on. I'd say if it's been easy to get her to go to sleep with these gaps up until now, maybe she's not tired enough and might be able to cope with a little longer awake? But I do remember DS only ever stayed up 1 to 1.5 hours after his first wake-up, so maybe if she's tired and goes to sleep too late for her first nap, she might then be cranky because she's overtired for the rest of the day? Sleep is such a complicated issue, and so hard to get right, and I feel like I'm always getting it wrong. I guess the best thing for you to do is try keeping her up a bit longer and see how it goes, then if that doesn't make any difference try putting her back to bed sooner for her first nap? Or the other way around :).
 
 

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