Length of nap times?

[rugbywife]

Does anyone have a baby that doesn't have consistent length of nap times?  I know there are some babies that are like clockwork…we have never stuck to a hard and fast schedule, we try to strike a balance between 2-3-4 and meeting her needs day to day by reading her cues (hands in eyes, crying, etc)…

Some days she goes down for 3 30-minute naps, other days they are way longer. DH said she just woke up from over 2 hours…is there anything to be concerned about with regards to a baby who might have way less nap time one day vs. another? I figure she is getting whatever she needs day to day but as FTM, what the hell do I know?

[Velar Fricative]

She's probably fine. I've never had a clockwork baby either and jealous of parents who have them! Even now her nap lengths are unpredictable - sometimes she's happy with 90 minutes, other times she's happy with 3+ hours (she takes 1 nap now). During her 2-nap days it was unpredictable too.

[july]

My daughter napped inconsistently and sleeps on the low end of the scale now at 3. She is fine.

[sent]

Non-clockwork baby here too. Only since about Christmas has she even started somewhat regularly napping, usually 2 naps, usually 1 - 2 hours each but varies. Sorta follows 2-3-4, sometimes not. Like yesterday she woke up late and skipped the first nap.

This is a vast improvement over before when starting around 7 months, she would nap like 30 minutes, 1 hour if I was lucky.  It was totally unpredictable when those naps would be.  I would get so upset by 4 pm because I was exhausted and needed a break and had gotten nothing done because I spent the whole day waiting for her to nap.

I think what's helped us is that I stopped taking her on errands with me in the daytime. Even taking her to and from daycare the one month we did daycare was throwing her off as she'd take 10 - 20 minute naps in the car both ways. Now she stays home all day and has fallen into this schedule. We're happy, no make that ecstatic, that she's decided sleep is a good thing again.

[Deleted]

DS is like this.

Anywhere from 2-3 naps a day. Sometimes they're 45 minutes, sometimes 3 hours. I just never know. He usually takes a 3rd nap about 4 for 20 minutes if his other naps fell in the 30 minutes or so range. Sometimes he crawls to his crib at 6 and insists on bed. He's 11 months old.

I never worry about it. For as awful as a sleeper as he is he always seems so happy and well rested. I also quit stressing myself out over whether or not he napped. I couldn't handle it, I couldn't get anything done and I didn't want to waste my day either. I learned I can't make him sleep no matter what so I let him be.

It is strange though. I could time DD like a clock.

[changedname]

DD takes two naps. Each one ranges from 1.5-3 hours depending on what time she woke up I think.

[Deleted]

DS (16 months) is more consistent than as a baby but still not consistent. The 2-3-4
Was a joke in our house.

[carolinagirl831]

DD took two naps varying from 30 minutes to 2 hours from 3- 12 months. Then she went down to one nap that varies from 2-4 hours.... she's never been consistant

[rugbywife]

Jan 16, 2015 12:27:16 GMT -5 @justdairy said:

DS is like this.

Anywhere from 2-3 naps a day. Sometimes they're 45 minutes, sometimes 3 hours. I just never know. He usually takes a 3rd nap about 4 for 20 minutes if his other naps fell in the 30 minutes or so range. Sometimes he crawls to his crib at 6 and insists on bed. He's 11 months old.

I never worry about it. For as awful as a sleeper as he is he always seems so happy and well rested. I also quit stressing myself out over whether or not he napped. I couldn't handle it, I couldn't get anything done and I didn't want to waste my day either. I learned I can't make him sleep no matter what so I let him be.

It is strange though. I could time DD like a clock.

DD is the same - I wouldn't say she is an awful sleeper, but the lack of consistency doesn't affect her happiness at all, so I will go with it 'being ok'…as much as I hate the lack of consistency, it also means that I don't stress when I change her schedule.  I have a friend whose baby is like clockwork and it really limits what she can do, I would rather not have that.

Also, interesting that your DD is so different than your DS…I am so interested to see how #2 is different from DD. 

[bluelikejazz]

I laughed when the pedi said she should put herself on a 3 hour schedule. We usually put her down about an hour after she wakes up (when she gives us tired cues), and she sleeps anywhere from 20 min to 3 hours.

(This is at 7 weeks)

[Deleted]

Jan 16, 2015 12:32:54 GMT -5 rugbywife said:

Jan 16, 2015 12:27:16 GMT -5 @justdairy said:

Also, interesting that your DD is so different than your DS…I am so interested to see how #2 is different from DD. 

It really is interesting. In terms of being "easy" kids and general disposition they're both the same. They're just "easy" in different ways in that regard. 

Sleep is polar opposite. DD slept all night since birth on. Loved her crib. Bed transition with no issue. Had a 3 hour nap everyday all the way until 3.25ish. Wanted to sprawl herself out and be alone. Still asks for quiet time now.

DS hated his crib for the first month. Only napped in a swing until 7 months. Up every 2.5 hours (and that's an improvement). Likes to snuggle a lot.  

[longtimenopost]

DD (2) has never been like clockwork. Her whole life we've had to schedule naps around therapy appts and doctor visits. She would nap anywhere from 30 mins to 2 hrs, once or twice a day. Now at 2, she still isn't consistent but STTN 8-7 pretty consistently despite when/if she's napped.

[SJ]

DD is 6 months and her naps are not consistent.

The only "rule" is that she still can not handle being awake for more than 2 hours. She also has a very clear sleep cue of rubbing her eyes.

The only question I ask DC every day is when she last woke up. If it was 3-4pm, she will take another evening nap, because she will be tired again at 5-6pm. If she last woke up closer to 5pm, then we can stretch it and put her down for the night between 7-7:30pm. So she usually takes 3 naps a day, and her bedtime naturally also varies between 7-9pm.

I never ever wake her up. It works fine for us.

[rex]

L goes down at the same time everyday but her nap lengths vary. sometimes they are 2 hours, sometimes 3.5. when she had 2 naps it was similar.