Schedules and Naps

Hi, A.,
Hope these words/video from sleep expert Dr. Marc Weissbluth are helpful to you
http://billiediscoverytoys.blogspot.com/2009/07/healthy-h...

A.,
Read your update. Good for you. Good for her. Schedules are not for every child. She may remain inconsistent with naps and getting up in the middle of the night for a long time.

If you have some time, try Attachment Parenting. They have a more kid/child/baby/family friendly approach to sleep.

My son hasn't had the same time nap yet. My priority is to get 12-13 hours sleep for him collectively. THAT is important for a happy baby, and that's what matters most.

Any questions, feel free to email.
Good luck!
M.

Any advice book will tell you that infants and toddlers thrive on a schedule. They need that structure. Afterall, aren't they on an eating schedule?

That being said, too rigid can be a mistake too. I would suggest a loose schedule (15 minutes here or there will not matter much). My daughter is consistent with her naps because I learned from her cues. She usually gets really tired after her mid morning snack so that is what time she usually goes down for a nap otherwise she is just cranky and miserable. Even of it isn't a true nap but quiet time in the crib..that's okay too.

At 6 months, your daughter still should be sleeping quite a lot though (perhaps 3-4 naps per day. When it comes down to 2 naps a day it is easier to create a schedule for her.

My son thrives on schedule and routine. For us, it was important to stick to the schedule...I would be sure to be home for naptime...it made him happier which defnitely made my life easier. You get used to planning around it.

I started my baby on a schedule at about 4-5 months and used the book "The No Cry Sleep Solution" and loved it. It basically says you really need to be very very consistent for 1-2 weeks so the baby gets used to it and their body clock can be set more or less and then you can be a bit more flexible after that. So for those 2 weeks we left friends houses early to stick to the schedule, even on weekends, but knew it would only be for a couple weeks and then he could be more flexible. But for those 2 weeks, all naps were in the crib and he went to bed in his crib the same time every night. He caught on very quickly and we never had to make him cry until he fell asleep. He has slept for 12-13 hours pretty much since then. Very worth the 2 week sacrifice, in my opinion. Good Luck Mama!

My son is 8 months old now and I have him more or less on a schedule. I go along with his cues. I can usually tell when he's tired. He naps around the same time everyday. Its never exact, but always within 1/2 hour give or take.

Hi A.
IDK if you are a SAHM or not. I am and I never forced a schedule on my daughter. I felt since I was home with her, I wanted her life to be as easy as it could be and she could have her schedule as she needed it.
It was never much different than anyone's who did place their baby on their schedule except that I didn't feel she was stressed out being forced to follow a schedule that didn't work for her, but did for me.
Babies schedule's change every month or two practically...very subtle though.
My daughter always went right off to sleep at bedtime and I could always schedule my outings around her naps. She was THAT predictable.
Your child may not be as predictable and I understand the need for the "schedule" if that is the case.
Yes, you are right that weekends can be problematic as we do different things on those days and baby has to come along.
But for the most part, if you are a SAHM, her schedule will be pretty regular. The ocassional day here or there that is not should not make things that bad for you. Sometimes the baby is a little bit cranky the day following a distruption, but they usually go right back to their schedule by day 2.
You have to do what works for you.
If it is easier to make her stick to a schedule then do it.
It was never an issue for me, but as I said, my daughter fell right into a schedule and she was very consistant on her own.
The waking at night always happened at growth spirts and so I gave her a bottle b/c she was up b/c of hunger.
She would take her bottle and go right off to sleep.
I always geared my bedtime, my needs etc around hers.
If I had to wake up at night to feed her a bottle, it was always easier to be up for 15-20 mins and then go right back off to sleep than to be up half the night listening to a crying child b/c the Books say to LET THEM CRY IT OUT!
(Don't ever do that to your baby...it is cruel and being there for your child is so more reassuring to your baby than to leave them to fend for themselves.)

As far as napping "in her crib all the time"...not to be an issue.
It is better for you to get her used to sleeping in different areas so that she will take to napping at a friend's home if you are out visiting. Let her sleep in the living room in her pack and play in the daytime. Let her sleep in a different room in the daytime if you are upstairs there doing work and even bring her stroller inside and let her sleep there too....it really does help to allow her to relax and fall off to sleep no matter where she is. And run the vacuum and radio also so that she does not become a light sleeper and wake at the slightest noise.

Good luck to you and congratulations on the birth of your little girl.
They are so precious at her age! (At ANY AGE for that matter ;)
God Bless her.
P.

Hi A.,
Yes, schedules are a great thing, even if you aren't living by a daily schedule yourself. (close to the same wake up time, meal time, bedtime; if you already have "times" for these, you're already starting her schedule!lol)

Naps and nighttime sleep should be in the same place, as much as possible. If you usually put her in her crib for naps, she will recognize this as where she sleeps; keep putting her there.

Now, you mentioned what to do when you're out. If you plan on being out during a naptime, take a portable crib with you and put her down for her nap, so she can still be close to that schedule. Same for weekends.

If she hasnt slept in one before, this may be confusing for her. Try it at home a couple times so she can get to know it. If there is a music box in her crib that she likes, find one for the portable also. Make is as close to her crib as you can, it'll be an easier adjustment.

If you are out shopping, she'll just have to wait until you get home to put her down, but try not to completely skip naps once you have her on a schedule.

good luck

Hi A.,

I am all for schedules and being consistent, however I don't think you have to sacrifice fun weekend family time by being a slave to your home. Children learn quickly the change in their surroundings. That's why all you have to do is put them in your bed once and most times they are there for eternity LOL!! So when you are home she will know the schedule and the everyday routine, and when you are out she may be a little off schedule but she will be fine. I always made sure I had my stroller with me for naps when I was out so I could lay them down. I had a family member who had to go home everyday at nap time no matter where she was because her daughter would not nap anywhere but home. So sometimes if you are so rigid with your schedule your children may also become less flexible. My children always came first but I tried to have them adjust to our lifestyle rather then us live out life around theirs. I have 8 infants at my childcare center now and most are around the same age. They usually nap around 9-9:30 because the arrive at 7:30, and in the afternoon after they have lunch around 12:30-1:00. Sometimes they take another small cat-nap around dinner time (at home) and then most go to bed between 7:30-8:00 because they are up early. Just a general guideline for you to go by. They have cereal and fruit in the morning, a veggie and sometimes fruit for lunch, and their dinner at home. So most are on the three meals as well. Now that winter time is coming that is usually the best time to get a good sleep schedule with it getting dark earlier. My son who is now 24 would go to bed at 7. I could remember being at family parties in the summer and having to leave to put him in bed. For us, summer was always more difficult to stick to a schedule. Good luck!

I think it depends on how reliable and consistant your child is. My son has a lot of trouble going to sleep anywhere except in the car or in his crib. So I schedule plans around his naps, either in the morning after he wakes up or in the afternoon after his nap. Your daughter is probably taking 2 naps a day so I remember that being tough to plan anything lenghthy. Also, my son was extremely irregular for the first 6 months or so. I read that book too but I found it very hard to apply to my child. I think as far as scheduling goes, its a 2 way street. You can try but if the child is not ready or receptive then it will just stress you both out. My son is 17 months old and he is still no robot but I can pretty much plan things within the hour. But hey, teething, sickness, growth, ect can always throw a monkey wrench into things.

Schedules are great. But they only work if you can stick with them and they fit into your life style. If you lead a life that has no schedule, then it won't work. But you can try a "relaxed schedule". Such as: nap time can be somewhere between 1:30 and 2:30. Lunch time somewhere around noon. Bed time between 8:00 and 9:00. Whatever time frame that works for you. Or you can just put her down for a nap when she is tired, feed her when she is hungry, etc. Neither will do her any harm. And you will find after a while she will develop her own schedule anyway.