https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 14 Jun 2026 11:05:17 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-ideas-for-extending-short-naps#post-1014077 Tue, 13 Aug 2013 16:12:32 +0000 Penny Lane 1014077@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>we had this problem too, except it was more like 30 minutes! we tried the fussing thing, it has never worked for us... once he's awake, he's awake. it got better for us around 7 months when I started giving him longer between naps, and dropped his 3rd nap! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-ideas-for-extending-short-naps#post-1013987 Tue, 13 Aug 2013 15:36:36 +0000 immabeetoo 1013987@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sslm: sorry another time response! He put himself to sleep, I let him fuss, I tried different times, soothing through the 45 interval, nada. Around 5.5 months he started lengthening naturally. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-ideas-for-extending-short-naps#post-1013985 Tue, 13 Aug 2013 15:35:49 +0000 sumer08 1013985@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think it just takes time for their naps to extend in length. I'd say LO's naps improved at 6-7 months, and then again around 9 months. Now at 11 months, his afternoon naps are 2-2.5 hours in length. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-ideas-for-extending-short-naps#post-1013826 Tue, 13 Aug 2013 14:39:38 +0000 sslm 1013826@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Beebug: yes, this morning I let her fuss for 15 minutes before going to get her! That did work a couple of times last week so maybe I should keep doing that. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-ideas-for-extending-short-naps#post-1013820 Tue, 13 Aug 2013 14:37:34 +0000 Sammyfab 1013820@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@sslm: yep. Before 4 months, I watched his sleepy cues like a hawk and I was often putting him down after 45-90 minutes and we were in an awful undertired/overtired loop and taking 4-5 naps a day. Right at 4 months we went right to 3 naps and 2 hours between each nap.</p> <p>I also agree that you can let her fuss at the 30-45 minute mark. Sometimes my LO would fall back asleep and sometimes he wouldn't. We always had a 1-hr in the crib rule so he would at least get some quiet time if he woke up early. Wake-to-sleep and shushing/patting back to sleep never worked for us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-ideas-for-extending-short-naps#post-1013805 Tue, 13 Aug 2013 14:32:55 +0000 mrs. wagon 1013805@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My kids always fuss at 30 min, 45 min, 1 hr 10 min (if they make it that far). Like ON THE DOT. So if you can let her fuss it out a bit, it may take a few days or weeks, but she may be able to fall back asleep. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-ideas-for-extending-short-naps#post-1013795 Tue, 13 Aug 2013 14:27:41 +0000 Beebug 1013795@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Do you ever let her fuss through that 45 minute point? I found if I didn't go to C right away she would wake around that point, fuss a little, and get herself back down. Just a few mins or so, sometimes you could tell she was "up", but it was a neat discovery she would sleep through sometimes. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-ideas-for-extending-short-naps#post-1013785 Tue, 13 Aug 2013 14:25:49 +0000 MrsHotDog 1013785@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For both my kids, their naps naturally extended when they started putting themselves to sleep. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-ideas-for-extending-short-naps#post-1013770 Tue, 13 Aug 2013 14:18:36 +0000 sslm 1013770@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Blah. I was worried this would be the response!! lol. </p> <p>@Sammyfab: hmmm. Yesterday she was awake for over two hours because we went to play group, I fought to keep her awake in the car, and then when we got home she had a miraculous 2 hour nap. Maybe that wasn't a miracle and i should try keeping her up a little longer than 2 hours... (it was 2.5) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-ideas-for-extending-short-naps#post-1013740 Tue, 13 Aug 2013 14:10:14 +0000 coastmama 1013740@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This was my life... and at 7 months he normally extends 1 nap a day to an hour... maybe an hour and 15. I just stopped fighting it. I tried everything every book and online resource suggested... and nothing worked for us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-ideas-for-extending-short-naps#post-1013559 Tue, 13 Aug 2013 13:23:15 +0000 heartonastring 1013559@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Google "45 minute intruder." K frequently wakes at the 45 minute mark and if I just leave her to fuss it out she eventually goes back to sleep. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-ideas-for-extending-short-naps#post-1013387 Tue, 13 Aug 2013 12:45:16 +0000 ShootingStar 1013387@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>No experience yet, but the baby whisperer recommends using the wake to sleep and/or shush-pat methods if your baby wakes up around the 30 or 45 minute mark. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-ideas-for-extending-short-naps#post-1013375 Tue, 13 Aug 2013 12:42:40 +0000 Sammyfab 1013375@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree with @hilsy85 that for a lot of babies it just takes time! 4-6 months is usually when naps lengthen.</p> <p>For my LO it was right at 4 months when i had to somewhat ignore his sleep cues (the kid yawned all day long...even after a 2hr nap) and distract him to the 2-hr mark before putting him down. He needed to he sleepy enough to sleep longer and then not wake up cranky after a short nap. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-ideas-for-extending-short-naps#post-1013347 Tue, 13 Aug 2013 12:35:35 +0000 hilsy85 1013347@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Honestly, the only thing that worked was time! Lo's nap lengthened on their own around 6 months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-ideas-for-extending-short-naps#post-1013336 Tue, 13 Aug 2013 12:31:11 +0000 Smurfette 1013336@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>R still does this at 5 months. Sorry, no advice but I know how it is. My pediatrician told me that they are still on 30 min sleep cycles at 4 months. So let her fuzz for 10-15 mins when she wakes up and see if she will go back to sleep. If not, then just get them up. She also said around 6 months they should start taking longer naps.<br /> She said 3 hours in the day is ideal. But she isn't worried when R only sleeps 1.5-2hours since she is sleeping 10-12 a night. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-ideas-for-extending-short-naps#post-1013326 Tue, 13 Aug 2013 12:28:21 +0000 aprk 1013326@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>A does this too, more or less. He'll generally nap longer if I lay down with him. Anything else I've tried is a crap shoot. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/any-ideas-for-extending-short-naps#post-1013316 Tue, 13 Aug 2013 12:26:01 +0000 sslm 1013316@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Madeline takes a 45 minute nap 3 times a day. It's starting to wear on me. Help! </p>