https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 09 Apr 2026 07:53:20 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/trouble-with-nap-timing#post-1296401 Sun, 22 Dec 2013 10:58:07 +0000 Foodnerd81 1296401@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@lawbee11: Yup, the yawns are rare, it's more a certain glassy look in her eyes I have to watch for. Or, when I know she isn't hungry and she starts just whining a little, but that happens more during the day. In the evening she'll keep going but then suddenly it's too late. Babies... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/trouble-with-nap-timing#post-1296392 Sun, 22 Dec 2013 10:45:23 +0000 lawbee11 1296392@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: Yeah, M is starting to have fewer sleep cues. She used to yawn all the time and now she rarely does! So it's a lot of clock watching. Usually if she wakes up from her second nap before 3:45 we'll try for a third nap. If she wakes up after that we just give her a bath at 6:30 and put her down a little earlier (her normal bath time is 6:45/7). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/trouble-with-nap-timing#post-1296365 Sun, 22 Dec 2013 10:31:44 +0000 erwoo 1296365@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I remember with both of my boys they went to bed late (10:30 - 11pm) at that age b/c of their third nap. It worked out b/c then I could nurse him before I go to bed and have about 3 hours of sleep before having to wake up again. Eventually, I did get them on a 10am and 2pm nap time and 9pm bed time around 7 months? I'm not for sure, but by 9 months they were on a 2-nap schedule. Now that my youngest is almost 21 months he has been on a one nap around 1:30-2pm since around 12 months. He dropped his second nap earlier than his older brother. I just went with what worked for each kid. </p> <p>My suggestion is to find times that work for your baby and for you and your husband. I am a SAHM so I made it work to my schedule and I didn't want them to wake up any earlier than 8am. :D </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/trouble-with-nap-timing#post-1296352 Sun, 22 Dec 2013 10:19:34 +0000 delight 1296352@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: I totally know what you mean about putting LO down for a nap after 5. For us that is often the 4th nap of the day. But if I try to make her just stay up, she has a much harder time going to bed. The nights she misses that last nap she always wakes up 30 mins after I put her to sleep and I have to nurse her to sleep again. This can continue for a couple hours. If she naps though and she's only ever awake for about 1.5 hours at a time, she ends up sleeping great at night. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/trouble-with-nap-timing#post-1296297 Sun, 22 Dec 2013 09:32:01 +0000 Foodnerd81 1296297@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@looch: No, I'm a SAHM and we rarely make plans in the morning, since no matter what time she wakes up, she always needs that first nap 1-1.5 hours after she wakes. Oh, and because I'm not a morning person and don't get ready for the day until she is napping :) </p> <p>@lawbee11: She doesn't even get super cranky any more, which sometimes fools me into thinking she doesn't need the last one, but then she has a harder time falling asleep at bedtime and I know it's because she must be overtired. It's tough because she really isn't ready for it until 5 a lot of the time, which doesn't leave much time before bedtime. But I do prefer a slightly later bedtime (closer to 8 than 7) since then DH usually gets home in time to see her for a few minutes and put her to bed. I hate when he comes home 5 minutes after she went to sleep and he doesn't get to see her. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/trouble-with-nap-timing#post-1296291 Sun, 22 Dec 2013 09:09:21 +0000 lawbee11 1296291@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Ugh we have this issue almost every day! I almost always get her to take a third nap because otherwise she is super cranky. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/trouble-with-nap-timing#post-1296269 Sun, 22 Dec 2013 08:28:09 +0000 hilsy85 1296269@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree with the 3rd nap. I think that one is often kind of a --make it happen however you cn! Stroller, wearing, etc. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/trouble-with-nap-timing#post-1296258 Sun, 22 Dec 2013 08:03:41 +0000 looch 1296258@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Do you have to leave the house at a specific time in the morning? If not, I would do the third nap for sure. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/trouble-with-nap-timing#post-1296257 Sun, 22 Dec 2013 07:59:46 +0000 Foodnerd81 1296257@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Well last night she refused the last nap, and slept pretty poorly overnight, so I think I'll try and force the nap! So tired this morning. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/trouble-with-nap-timing#post-1296231 Sun, 22 Dec 2013 06:20:58 +0000 delight 1296231@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I struggle with this is as well with my 4 month old. I just let her have a nap in the evening and that usually happens sometime between 5-6 for about 30 mins. Otherwise she just gets cranky r she falls asleep on me anyways while nursing. Depending on when she wakes up from nap, her bedtime is usually around 730/8. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/trouble-with-nap-timing#post-1296230 Sun, 22 Dec 2013 06:01:21 +0000 illumina 1296230@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: ahh, though S is a month younger than C, our schedules are pretty similar :) We try and squeeze in a 3rd nap and most of the time she will just nap for 30mins rather than her usual 1.5-2hrs. Though she can go from around 3-7pm without really napping (besides the odd few mins at the boob ;)) it's not pretty! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/trouble-with-nap-timing#post-1296206 Sun, 22 Dec 2013 02:32:50 +0000 Mrs. High Heels 1296206@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: this chart has always helped me a lot when it comes to timing naps. <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/11GHo4keUb2TVJUlSL1kD6HQcEgaNFBmzoQoOzcpcyas/edit?authkey=CPXE1bsO&#038;hl=en_US&#038;authkey=CPXE1bsO" rel="nofollow">https://docs.google.com/document/d/11GHo4keUb2TVJUlSL1kD6HQcEgaNFBmzoQoOzcpcyas/edit?authkey=CPXE1bsO&#038;hl=en_US&#038;authkey=CPXE1bsO</a></p> <p>at 4.5 months, the max wake time should be 1.75-2 hours, so it sounds like your nap times are pretty on target with what the chart suggests. </p> <p>"Right now I go back and forth, moving bedtime to the earlier end if she only took two naps, and later of she woke up late from that third nap. But I worry being inconsistent isn't great" &lt;&lt;&lt; I did this with DS, but he was a very easygoing, flexible baby so the inconsistency didn't bother him at all. What kind of temperament does your LO have?</p> <p>More often than not, I'd try to squeeze in a 3rd catnap about 30 minutes long. So if C's last nap is 3:30, I'd assume he'd get sleepy around 5 pm (1.5 hrs after wake time)… I would probably do a catnap from 5-5:30 pm… then put him down by 7:30 pm (2 hours after catnap).</p> <p>At 6 months, we started going with the 2-3-4 (well.. more like 2-3-3) schedule and he completely dropped his 3rd nap. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/trouble-with-nap-timing#post-1296203 Sun, 22 Dec 2013 01:54:57 +0000 Kemma 1296203@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>From memory when Miss A was that age, as long as she was still napping at 3pm she was pretty ok to hang out until bedtime at 7ish. Having said that, she has always had a slightly longer awake time and dropped down to just one nap at nine months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/trouble-with-nap-timing#post-1296200 Sun, 22 Dec 2013 01:32:40 +0000 birdofafeather 1296200@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO didn't drop her 3rd nap til 7.5 months. She would have melted down if we tried to keep her awake for more than 2 hours at that age! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/trouble-with-nap-timing#post-1296184 Sat, 21 Dec 2013 23:46:23 +0000 Foodnerd81 1296184@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>C is finally taking decent naps most days! This was a long time coming and I know it can change again, so I'm enjoying it while I can. </p> <p>However I'm having trouble figuring out the timing throughout the day. She is 4.5 months old. A sample schedule for her would be:</p> <p>7:30-8:30-- wake up, nurse, quietly play<br /> 1-1.5 hours after wake up, down for nap one<br /> Naps for 1-2 hours<br /> Up, nurse, play, for 1.5-2 hours, readin her sleep cues but also watching the clock<br /> Naps for 1-2 hours</p> <p>Here is where it gets tricky- if she wakes up from the last nap at 3:30, that's a long time to go before bedtime between 7 and 8. I can't decide if I should try to squeeze in a third nap. If her two earlier naps were short, I usually do, and often end up having to wake her around 6 so we can keep her bedtime. But when she's had two good naps, I don't really know. </p> <p>Right now I go back and forth, moving bedtime to the earlier end if she only took two naps, and later of she woke up late from that third nap. But I worry being inconsistent isn't great </p> <p>So, at 4.5 months, what do you think would be best? She's waking up more at night than I would like, 2-3 times, but otherwise is pretty happy and not too fussy throughout the day. </p>