https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 04 Apr 2026 04:15:24 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/struggles-with-afternoon-nap#post-2260676 Tue, 11 Aug 2015 10:04:17 +0000 snowjewelz 2260676@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I feel you! We're doing 2-3-4 but her naps aren't long enough so sometimes she either needs a late cat nap or early bed time. Sometimes she's more like 2-4-4, sometimes 1.5-3-4... I really just try to watch for cues too, for us it's eye rubbing and that spaced out look. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/struggles-with-afternoon-nap#post-2260669 Tue, 11 Aug 2015 09:59:55 +0000 daniellemybelle 2260669@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Freckles: We transitioned to two naps pretty early (5.5 months I think) and so LO definitely had to go to bed at 6-6:30pm for a while. Assuming two 1.5 hour naps you could do 2-3-4 like this:</p> <p>6am - up<br /> 8am - nap<br /> 9:30am - up<br /> 12:30pm - nap<br /> 2pm - up<br /> 6pm - bedtime</p> <p>Of course if his afternoon nap is crap, I might try a little 3rd cat nap but don't let it run too long and interfere with bedtime. So something like this:</p> <p>6am - up<br /> 8am - nap<br /> 9:30am - up<br /> 12:30pm - nap (crappy one)<br /> 1:15pm - up<br /> 3:15pm - cat nap<br /> 4pm - up<br /> 7pm - bedtime</p> <p>I think you just have to kind of do it like that until he adjusts - which I really think he will! Nap transitions are just hard. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/struggles-with-afternoon-nap#post-2260655 Tue, 11 Aug 2015 09:47:10 +0000 Freckles 2260655@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. High Heels: Thanks! Things were going sooo well, so the afternoon nap struggle has been quite frustrating!</p> <p>@looch: My biggest issue is when he wakes up at 6am, and he is already looking tired by 7:30 (lots of eye/ear rubbing)...i worry that i'll end up having him on what, 4 naps? I'll see if for the next nap i can have him down within 2 hours. Thanks!</p> <p>@daniellemybelle: We can't do 2-3-4 yet because his naps aren't long enough. Nighttime sleep is good as long as he has enough naps during the day. One time he only napped a total of 1.5 hours and night sleep was a nightmare! So i totally agree with you - sleep begets sleep! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/struggles-with-afternoon-nap#post-2260634 Tue, 11 Aug 2015 09:22:09 +0000 daniellemybelle 2260634@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: Yeah, that's a good idea. Some kiddos take their morning nap like right after breakfast, with 1.5-2 hours of wake time. That was never my LO but if it is yours, it may help him not be overtired and be better about his second nap. Sleep begets sleep was really the #1 rule for us for the first year. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/struggles-with-afternoon-nap#post-2260558 Tue, 11 Aug 2015 07:47:42 +0000 looch 2260558@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would shorten his wake time between the first and second naps. Yawning and eye rubbing are classic signs of being over tired and it was my goal to put my son down before I saw them. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/struggles-with-afternoon-nap#post-2260543 Tue, 11 Aug 2015 07:18:29 +0000 daniellemybelle 2260543@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Man, naps are the worst. At that age, we were on 2 naps and kind of doing 2-3-4. I was always tweaking it so it would be like 2.5-3-3.5 or 2.5-3.5-4 but that was our starting place.</p> <p>How is nighttime sleep? That had a big impact on naps for us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/struggles-with-afternoon-nap#post-2260476 Tue, 11 Aug 2015 00:35:53 +0000 Mrs. High Heels 2260476@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Freckles: Oh man.. :bummed: That's all I got. Hope things improve in the nap department! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/struggles-with-afternoon-nap#post-2260475 Tue, 11 Aug 2015 00:29:13 +0000 Freckles 2260475@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. High Heels: For this one nap, he was crying for 5 minutes before rolling around and talking for 30 minutes, then started crying. I figure after 30-45 minutes he is not going to sleep! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/struggles-with-afternoon-nap#post-2260156 Mon, 10 Aug 2015 17:37:43 +0000 Mrs. High Heels 2260156@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>At 8.5 months, J was solidly on the 2-3-4 schedule. I could never tell when he was tired, so at times I would be skeptical that he would fall asleep for his 2nd nap after 3 hours, but he would! I would let him settle himself for at least 15 minutes or so. Usually he'd be able to fall asleep in that time frame. </p> <p>Not sure what your nap routine is, but at what point do you say "this isn't working" or "he's not going to nap"? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/struggles-with-afternoon-nap#post-2260151 Mon, 10 Aug 2015 17:29:28 +0000 SweetiePie 2260151@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Freckles: agree! I've always thought yawns were a hard way to judge. Eye rubbing is a better signal for us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/struggles-with-afternoon-nap#post-2260137 Mon, 10 Aug 2015 17:11:12 +0000 Freckles 2260137@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@SweetiePie: i think I tried to bring it down to two because he would really fight that third nap and by the time he fell asleep it would push back his bedtime. I think I'll try to move it to three naps and not worry if the last two naps are crap. Thanks! (Sometimes he yawns 30 min after waking up, but I'm definitely not putting him down!) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/struggles-with-afternoon-nap#post-2260135 Mon, 10 Aug 2015 17:07:11 +0000 SweetiePie 2260135@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Hi! I think around that age my son was still on 3 naps and he could barely make it 2 hours awake. So could try a little less than 2 hours?<br /> I don't know how true it is but I've read that once they yawn it's already too late. That hasn't been the case for us but maybe it's true for you guys?<br /> I am such a sleep lunatic with my son so I feel your pain! The naps are my sanity saver.<br /> Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/struggles-with-afternoon-nap#post-2260121 Mon, 10 Aug 2015 16:37:45 +0000 Freckles 2260121@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>After months of wearing DS for naps because he couldn't sleep for more than 35 min in the crib I nap trained him at 7.5 months (took 1 day!) and he was getting in good long naps. Now at 8.5 months, I have been struggling with his afternoon nap.</p> <p>With his first nap, he will be asleep within 2.5 hours and will sleep a little over 1.5 hours. I'm still trying to figure out when to put him down for the second nap. He starts to yawn 2 hours after waking up but he will flop around the crib for 20 minutes and then only sleep for 35 min. So I tried 2.5 hours, same thing. 3 hours, same thing, sometimes he won't even sleep. I will them end up putting him in the ergo 90 minutes later for a third nap. </p> <p>The first week or so after nap training I was able to get him down for 2 naps because he napped for so long, but now I wonder if I should have him on 3 naps and shorten his awake time to 2 hours between naps? Any advice? </p>