Hellobee Boards Topic: Do you try to extend naps?

Hellobee Boards Topic: Do you try to extend naps? https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 07 May 2026 13:29:28 +0000 Meridian on "Do you try to extend naps?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-try-to-extend-naps#post-2501589 Mon, 21 Mar 2016 10:36:34 +0000 Meridian 2501589@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Yes! He would nap in his crib for 25 - 35 mins, and then would start to fuss, so I would usually go in his room to hold him in the glider so he would sleep another 30 - 45 mins. I spent sooo much time in the dark nursery, I thought I would go nuts. Pretty sure I won't be able to do this when LO2 arrives in May. snowjewelz on "Do you try to extend naps?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-try-to-extend-naps#post-2501415 Mon, 21 Mar 2016 09:10:48 +0000 snowjewelz 2501415@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Yes, I always tried! SweetiePie on "Do you try to extend naps?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-try-to-extend-naps#post-2500837 Sun, 20 Mar 2016 09:33:39 +0000 SweetiePie 2500837@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Yes, for the first 3 months or so I was just replacing the paci over and over and rubbing his head. When he became more aware I would duck down so he didn't see me. Occasionally if he was really upset I would pick up and rock him. By 3 months he was taking minimum 1.5 hour naps 2-3 times a day plus a small cat nap of 45 mins. MoonMoon on "Do you try to extend naps?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-try-to-extend-naps#post-2500800 Sun, 20 Mar 2016 07:41:41 +0000 MoonMoon 2500800@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Yup, I almost always extended his nap by nursing him back to sleep. jape14 on "Do you try to extend naps?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-try-to-extend-naps#post-2500786 Sun, 20 Mar 2016 07:11:34 +0000 jape14 2500786@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Tried it all the time when DS was really little/before we sleep trained - his sleep cycle was exactly 38 minutes. His naps didn't get consistently long until he started sleeping through the night around 8-9 months. Now he's on one nap (he's 18 mo) and I can still extend his naps on occasion- he regularly wakes up and fusses a bit right at the 1hr10min mark but probably 75% of the time goes back to sleep for another 30-45 minutes. Foodnerd81 on "Do you try to extend naps?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-try-to-extend-naps#post-2500781 Sun, 20 Mar 2016 06:49:39 +0000 Foodnerd81 2500781@https://boards.hellobee.com/ @mrs.kiwi: my first was such a bad sleeper, especially during the day, I was a complete crazy person! I was obsessed with doing everything I could to get her to sleep, including knowing her exact sleep schedule. This time around I'm so much more laid back, partly because I don't have a choice, with a toddler, but mostly because her personality is so different. I'm always like, wait what time she she go down? How long has she been in there? Mrs. Goose on "Do you try to extend naps?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-try-to-extend-naps#post-2500779 Sun, 20 Mar 2016 06:37:32 +0000 Mrs. Goose 2500779@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Also, I don't believe in "sleep begets sleep" because she has been a great sleeper at night since birth and she'll often get 1.5 hours of sleep in total for the day through naps (three naps) and then sleep 8 hours, eat and sleep for another 1-1.5 before we get up. Mrs. Goose on "Do you try to extend naps?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-try-to-extend-naps#post-2500747 Sat, 19 Mar 2016 23:33:15 +0000 Mrs. Goose 2500747@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I tried and it didn't work so I gave up trying because it was stressing me out. I was happier when I accepted that short naps were her thing (as they seem to be for many babies). I only get a long nap now if I am wearing her out in the carrier or hold her on my chest if she falls asleep after eating. I did have a few random days of a long nap, but it didn't last and was just a fluke. I tried rocking, patting, leaving her, feeding her a little, putting her in the swing. She doesn't wake up crying from a nap very often and she'll wait around until I come get her. Sometimes I watch her on the monitor for a while to see what she does. mrs.kiwi on "Do you try to extend naps?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-try-to-extend-naps#post-2500746 Sat, 19 Mar 2016 23:30:18 +0000 mrs.kiwi 2500746@https://boards.hellobee.com/ By the way I'm very impressed with everyone's time watching skills. Maybe I should be better about keeping time!! mrs.kiwi on "Do you try to extend naps?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-try-to-extend-naps#post-2500745 Sat, 19 Mar 2016 23:29:34 +0000 mrs.kiwi 2500745@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Only when I'm napping and I want to nap longer! Then I will put her on my chest and pat her to sleep if she'll have it. Or if we are out and she is in the stroller and it'd be nice if she was quiet...haha.. Grace on "Do you try to extend naps?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-try-to-extend-naps#post-2500743 Sat, 19 Mar 2016 23:27:38 +0000 Grace 2500743@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Nope, but when she was 5.5 months old, I accidently discovered that if I let her cry for 8 min (exactly) when she woke from a short nap, she would fall back asleep. After that, her naps started consolidating. BabyTsMom on "Do you try to extend naps?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-try-to-extend-naps#post-2500739 Sat, 19 Mar 2016 23:07:05 +0000 BabyTsMom 2500739@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I may have tried once or twice but it never worked. sapphire on "Do you try to extend naps?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-try-to-extend-naps#post-2500679 Sat, 19 Mar 2016 20:23:40 +0000 sapphire 2500679@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I didn't do this. My concern was that LO would learn that I needed to be there and she would need to be bounced to get back to sleep. We worked really hard on sleep routines and putting own drowsy but awake. Every baby is different but it worked well for us. NovBaby1112 on "Do you try to extend naps?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-try-to-extend-naps#post-2500646 Sat, 19 Mar 2016 19:14:10 +0000 NovBaby1112 2500646@https://boards.hellobee.com/ With my first, I tried everything to extend the nap-rocking, nursing back down, etc. but with DS I will either try the paci to see if he goes back down, if not I don't try anything else and just go with it Mrs. Champagne on "Do you try to extend naps?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-try-to-extend-naps#post-2500601 Sat, 19 Mar 2016 16:47:04 +0000 Mrs. Champagne 2500601@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Yes. Never worked. 30 min naps for life. Foodnerd81 on "Do you try to extend naps?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-try-to-extend-naps#post-2500597 Sat, 19 Mar 2016 16:35:28 +0000 Foodnerd81 2500597@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I tried with C- her sleep cycle was 38 minutes long exactly, with limited success. I can't remember when naps consolidated but it was way later than 2 months. And it took forever to get her to sleep. I do think it's a good habit if that's working though especially if you don't have to pick him up or anything. G is 3 months and frequently takes 45 minute naps. If I'm alone with her or the toddler is napping I can sometimes rock her back to sleep but if the toddler is around there is no way I could get her back to sleep. So I just put her down pretty often. She doesn't fight sleep anywhere near as bad as big sis did though. Jess1483 on "Do you try to extend naps?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-try-to-extend-naps#post-2500578 Sat, 19 Mar 2016 16:16:23 +0000 Jess1483 2500578@https://boards.hellobee.com/ I did with DS1. He swing napped, but I would go in exactly 27 minutes into his nap and sit in the exact spot I was in when he fell asleep, and then he would go back to sleep. It was ridiculous, looking back, and only worked some of the time, but I was desperate. DS2 consolidated naps much more quickly, so I didn't ever really try with him. DesertDreams88 on "Do you try to extend naps?" https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/do-you-try-to-extend-naps#post-2500577 Sat, 19 Mar 2016 16:14:30 +0000 DesertDreams88 2500577@https://boards.hellobee.com/ Just curious if you all try to extend naps? With my 2mo old, it takes about 10 minutes to get him fully down for a nap, from the start of putting him in the bouncer to fully asleep. I bounce him deeply, then back off as he gets drowsier. Yet, he will inevitably start to wake up within 25-30 minutes. So I try to "stick around"/be very close by so that I can extend his nap to 1 hour (my preferred minimum) by bouncing him slightly, or medium-level if he's pretty awake. This takes another 5-10 minutes. How many of you out there try to extend your baby's naps? What methods do you use? When did you start to do this less (AKA when did your child start to take 1hr+ naps on their own?) More info on what I mean: <a href="http://www.mybabysleepguide.com/2009/02/how-to-extend-short-nap.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.mybabysleepguide.com/2009/02/how-to-extend-short-nap.html</a> <a href="https://childsleepscience.wordpress.com/2014/03/24/nap-101-post-3-how-do-i-teach-my-baby-to-sleep-more-than-one-30-45-minute-sleep-cycle/" rel="nofollow">https://childsleepscience.wordpress.com/2014/03/24/nap-101-post-3-how-do-i-teach-my-baby-to-sleep-more-than-one-30-45-minute-sleep-cycle/</a>