Daytime sleep usually regularizes by itself around 12-16 weeks, meaning that around this time naps times and lengths will start occurring around the same time with about 2/3 of the total daily sleep occurring during the night. With some babies this will occur sooner and with other babies it will occur later. In fact, some babies aren't very good at regularizing their
internal schedule at all and will never be able to get on a very good sleeping routine without help by mom or dad.
Daytime sleep problems are usually harder to treat than nighttime sleep problems, especially if your child is no longer an infant. The reason for this is that the urge to sleep is less during the day, and is accompanied by ups and downs in alertness. Even though the problems may be hard to treat, they are well worth treating. See Why Sleep is Way Important- Benefits of Adequate Sleep and Why Sleep is Way Important- Effects of Inadequate Sleep.
internal schedule at all and will never be able to get on a very good sleeping routine without help by mom or dad.
Daytime sleep problems are usually harder to treat than nighttime sleep problems, especially if your child is no longer an infant. The reason for this is that the urge to sleep is less during the day, and is accompanied by ups and downs in alertness. Even though the problems may be hard to treat, they are well worth treating. See Why Sleep is Way Important- Benefits of Adequate Sleep and Why Sleep is Way Important- Effects of Inadequate Sleep.
Nadia commented on Daytime Sleep - The Facts - My Baby Sleep Guide:
ReplyDeleteHi Rachel,
Love your blog! I have a couple of questions. My daughter is 11 weeks old, and I think is doing great at night. She goes to bed around 8:30 or 9 PM, wakes up anywhere between 4-6:30 AM to eat about 3-4 oz, and returns to sleep until 8:00-9:00, then wakes up for the day. I don't mind her one night feed at all, considering she is sleeping 10-12 hours a night, I am a well-rested mama. However, I have been reading, and it seems like she is going to bed and waking up too late! I am wondering what the difference is--assuming their daytime sleep is going well--if they have a 7 am-7pm schedule, as opposed to a 8 or 9Am- 8 or 9PM schedule? Putting her to bed by 7 PM sounds terribly difficult, especially if we have evening plans. I also don't like waking up at 6:00-7:00, and much prefer waking up around 8. My logic would tell me that it is the same, she is getting as much sleep as she would, just sleeping a bit later, but am I doing her harm by putting her to bed so late?
Nadia commented on Daytime Sleep - The Facts - My Baby Sleep Guide:
DeleteMy other question involves the swaddle. She LOVES to be swaddled and does not sleep well without it. Is it ok to keep swaddling her, even though she is getting older and bigger!?I am just worried that she is going to be dependent on being swaddled, and lets face it she can't be swaddled forever! How/when do I start to remove it? Or should I not even worry about it right now, since sleep is going pretty well? Thanks in advance!
Hi Rachel,
ReplyDeleteMy son is 7.5 months old, we did the sleep training while he was 6 months old. He goes to bed at 7pm normally, and wakes around 6ish. He was on 3 naps until last week, but recently he refuses his 3rd nap with lots of crying, but no crying for the first 2 naps. So for the past a couple of days, he's only having 2 naps. But he's only having one nap is longer than an hour, either the morning nap or the afternoon(even when he was on 3 naps schedule) so I move his bedtime a bit early around 6:30 for the past few days. How can I make him have two long naps? At least an hour each. I did try to put him down between 2.5 - 3 hours after he woke up. But still 30 mins naps I could get. Please advise, thank you.
April
April wen,
DeleteI would try a consistent nap schedule (sleep at the same time) to see if this helps with nap consistency and length. See info on the nap posts about this. Leaving him to see if he'll extend out the nap may also help.
best,
rachel