Nap Schedule - San Diego,CA

Updated on December 29, 2010
J.D. asks from San Diego, CA
7 answers

Hi Moms~
This is my third question on mamapedia now and everyone has been so helpful. I'm hoping once again you can help me out. My son is 2 1/2 months old , but is on the larger side and I really think that has helped him reach some milestones early. He is sleeping through the night - 11hrs ( 7:30pm - 6:45 am) and actually just rolled on to his back for the first time. Our problem is that we don't know how to get him on a nap schedule. Here's what is happening currently. Any advice is appreciated.

He eats 7 ounces(formula) every 3 hours, for a total pf 5 feedings- 7am, 10am,1pm, 4pm and 7pm. Right now he is up for about an 1 1/2 hrs (sometimies a little longer) after every feeding and then goes down for goes down for a nap between every feeding for about 45 min- 1hr. and often wakes up before it is time to eat again. I put him down for these naps because he yawns and gets fussy , but he is taking 4 naps a day right now and I don't know how to cut it down to the two or three recommended naps ( which would also make life alot easier for getting out of the house) without making him overly tired by skipping a naptime.

my first kid so I'm just

1 mom found this helpful

What can I do next?

  • Add yourAnswer own comment
  • Ask your own question Add Question
  • Join the Mamapedia community Mamapedia
  • as inappropriate
  • this with your friends

More Answers

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.W.

answers from Gainesville on

Right now he's just a cat napper and it will even out but you've really got to follow his lead for now. At his age he's staying up almost as long as would be recommended before going back down for some rest. 2 hours up is about the max at his age.

But don't be afraid to get out of the house and run your errands. Try to time it where he can pass out when you are on the way (don't wait till he is fussy to leave or that could be bad) and if you have a seat that you can remove from the car he'll likely stay asleep for awhile while you are in the store.

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

S.H.

answers from Honolulu on

yes, they nap a lot at this age.
Normal.
Follow his lead and his cues.
He seems fine to me.
He's TOO young, to be put on a nap "schedule."
He seems to know what he needs, anyway.

My son was like that... and put it this way, I always went by his cues/needs for naps. He is NOW 4 years old, and STILL NAPS every darn day. Good for me and him. He is napping now, in fact.
He turns into a mega Troll... if he does not nap or skips nap.
He is very regular about naps and sleep. To my happiness.

My daughter on the other hand, was VERY difficult to get her to nap or bed. Ugh.

Your son, is fine.
Babies, nap a LOT. My son was like that.
I kept to his sleep/nap routines... per his cues.
He grew like a weed, is a big/tall/lean/solid and healthy boy. Probably due to his good sleeping habits.
He was also a good nurser.... and a big baby, born at over 8 pounds.

If you jostle it up too much (his nap/sleep timing)... you will regret it. And then often times, they will not get back into, a nice little rhythm about sleep/naps and it is too interfering.

ALSO... skipping naps makes a baby tired and fussy and then OVER-tired. And then, over-tired babies/kids, actually sleep WORSE, cannot fall asleep well, and wake more.... so bear that in mind.

Sleep... is actually very important for a baby and child. It is when their brain is developing and they are being restored and it is good for the immune system.

Beware also... babies also will do what is called "cluster feeding" whereby they will get hungry and need to feed even every.single.hour. It is NORMAL and due to growth-spurts. So always... feed on-demand.... 24/7, day and night.

Let him sleep/nap when needed. It is important for growth and brain development.

all the best,
Susan

2 moms found this helpful
Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

D.P.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Try to keep him up between the 7 and 10 a.m. bottles, give him the 10:00 bottle then put him down for a nap. He'll most likely sleep til almost his next bottle near 1:00. Give him that then keep him "busy" til about 3ish. Nap, up then til bedtime.
I always tried to do the nap after the bottle....they seem to sleep longer naps when they are full.
Good luck!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.E.

answers from Los Angeles on

he is 2.5 MONTHS old? Let him sleep when he wants to. Really, as my pediatrition said "you cant spoil a child under one years old". He will have constantly changing eating and sleeping needs as he grows and develops.
He may stop sleeping through the night at some points. He may stop napping. He may start to need more naps. He's a baby. Listen to him and he will let you know what he needs :)

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.C.

answers from Cincinnati on

My local family enrichment center did a seminar on the 90-minute sleep solution. I didn't attend. Why? Because my son was a terrific napper right from the start. He napped 3 hours in the morning, 3 in the afternoon, and then slept most of the night.

My daughter, however, fits into the 90-minute pattern perfectly at 3 months old. She wakes, eats, and is up for an hour and a half, and then goes down and sleeps for 45-minutes to an hour, and then repeats (except at night). From what I have read, my daughter's nap pattern is more common than my son's - and your son's, too! The good news is that most babies are napping longer and more heavily by the time they are 4-6 months old, so just give your son some time and in the meantime, follow his cues. Good luck!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

V.C.

answers from Los Angeles on

i agree with the other posters -- consider yourself lucky! my older child was a great sleeper, which had me patting myself on the back for my great parenting skills. my younger child, however, was much more challenging in the sleep department.

if you are looking to consolidate your son's naps, though, i would suggest trying to put him down for naps before his is at the yawning/fussing stage. i had a hard time believing that my son could only stay awake for one hour, but, after many fuss sessions and short naps, i figured out that putting him down an hour after he last woke (and before he showed any sign of being overly-tired) really helped him nap longer.

good luck, and enjoy all that great sleep you are getting!

Smallavatar-fefd015f3e6a23a79637b7ec8e9ddaa6

A.C.

answers from Los Angeles on

He is only 2.5 months old. You can just let him sleep when he wants. For my both kids, when they staredt like 4 months old, and they established a pretty regular nap schedule on their own. But, also, we need to consistency to make it happen. Then, I will adjust a little when there are some changes happened like they don't sleep well at night. then, you may need to change the schedule (such as cutting a little bit nap time, make sure not growth spurts etc). Right now, you are so blessed that he has been sleeping well at night and napped well during the day! Just relax and enjoy... because they change every day!

For Updates and Special Promotions
Follow Us

Related Questions