Does anyone have trouble with their baby sleeping past the 40 min mark during the day?

Sophie - posted on 11/20/2009

Hi

I have been battling with this same problem for as long as i can remember. I have been told that as baby's get to about 6-7 months they get better at sleeping past the 40min mark but as yet we haven't got there and lilly is a few weeks over 6 months. The way i deal with it is to put her down then go back up to her room at about 30mins after she went to sleep (better to go up at maybe 25mins as better to be there early than to miss the chance) i stand watching her with the dummy in my hand and the minute i see her start to twitch (usually her fingers start to move first) i put the dummy in her mouth and leave the room. She sucks a few times on the dummy enough to continue sleeping for another 45mins, Hope this helps.

Sophie

Janine - posted on 11/20/2009

Hi, I had the same problem with my boy in the early months. It is really common because their sleep cycle means that they go through deep and light phases of sleep. After about 40min, your baby is in a very light phase of sleep, and often wakes. The trick is, to sneak up and rock them back to sleep or nurse them back to sleep in any way you can, keep trying for 10 minutes or so, or longer if necessary. You need to hang around when you know she's about to wake so you can get in quickly and hopefully get her back off to sleep when she's just stirring, not full awake. If you leave it too long, she'll be wide awake and nothing will work!!
I persevered with this for about 3 weeks, and before I knew it, he was sleeping for an hour, then an hour and a half, then 2 hours, all on his own!! You need to get her to do at least hour naps, anything less than that is not a complete sleep cycle.
Keep your chin up and persevere, she'll get there in the end!

Laura Zoey - posted on 11/17/2009

mine also doesnt sleep very long during the day. i dont worry cuz he sleps good at night.

Niki - posted on 11/16/2009

My 6month old was the same i found if i kept him up longer he will sleep longer, I now keep him up till he himself is falling asleep and so can get 1 1/4 to 2 hour sleeps. Sleeps well at night. I've heard babies that sleep well at night dont during the day and vice versa, also heard if they sleep for 40mins they were not tired when went to bed, 30mins over tired. my boy now has 2 naps a day and will some times wake and cry during the nap, but often goes back to sleep. I use to rock him and rock before he was due to wake at the 40min mark to get him over it, now just leave him to it.

Melissa - posted on 11/12/2009

My little girl Scarlett has always been a good sleeper at night (she sleeps for about 11 hours) and doesn't waake up for any feeds. In the daytime she has about 3 little catnaps of about 40 mins each time, I just figure out that it's all she needs or she would sleep longer if she needed to?! I think that if she slept for any longer in the day she would not sleep as well at night and after her 6:15pm feed, I try not to let her nap until her bedtime and she usually goes straight off to sleep until the morning then...

Jane - posted on 11/11/2009

My lil boy is 6.5 months and does the same..he is an awesome night sleeper..sleeps thru from about 6.30/7pm to about 6.30/7 am so we always get at least 11 - 12 hours a night. But during the day he has about 3 cat naps for about 45mins - hour each. I don't mind I guess as he is sleeping so well at night. I guess I have just accepted that this is the way he is :)

Dawn - posted on 11/10/2009

My daughter was doing the same thing she is 6 1/2 months old and this past week she started taking 2 hour naps.On her own she transitioned to this. I had not been putting her in her crib for the nap, when she fell asleep I would normally lay her in her pack and play or in her bouncy seat. Now she goes down in her crib and I do not have to rock her at all. She normally wakes up during them but then ends up either finding her thumb or her paci and then falls back to sleep. I found that if she is not in her crib she will not sleep more than 45 minutes at a time. She normally sleeps at night from 8:30 pm till about 7:00 am. She has been sleeping thru the night since she was 2 1/2 months old. It is my belief and have heard this from other friends of mine that they do transition into sleeping longer during the day naps. I am greatful for the longer naps now.

Courtney - posted on 11/10/2009

Hey! just found a book "Save our Sleep" and have tried giving it a go and following the routine eg. feeding, sleeping, solids etc. and so far it has been great. Night times we only get up once to rewrap, the morning sleep in now two hours, the afternoon sleep we are still working on! Basically the book talks about how a baby needs to learn to put itself to sleep. Our routine was a bit all over the place due to my 3 year olds needs, but we are getting there! believe it or not, my little one is sleeping alot more overall than she used to! Take a look for this book, it was recommended to me, lets hope it keeps going this way! Good luck to everyone else!

Cheryl - posted on 10/15/2009

My son is 5 months 2 weeks and does the same. He sleeps at night from around 9:30 until 7:00 am, so I'm happy about that. But I'm lucky if I can get two 30 minute naps in during the day. He's good about going down at 11 and 3, but only sleeps for 20-40 minutes top.

Jill - posted on 10/15/2009

My boy's also a catnapper. Lately, I've been able to nurse him back to sleep during his afternoon nap. We're usually at 4-5 naps a day! Good luck! I hope it changes for all of us!

Renee - posted on 10/15/2009

Hi. My 6mth old is now sleeping from 8.30pm until 7.30am, love it. He use to do the cat napping during the day, but i found if i kept him up a bit longer, he slept longer. He has now also started solids, so that has settled him greatly.

Elisabeth - posted on 10/15/2009

My daughter is the same way. Since she was born. She takes at least three of these cat naps a day. Then sleeps good through the night. She is now 6 months and still does it. The only time she will sleep longer during the day is if i lay with her. And then she will sleep for two hours. Those naps are helpful for when i get home from my night shift.But it is very hard to get any thing done when you have a little sleeper like that. I just try to plan my chores around these naps. Good Luck..

Elaine - posted on 10/11/2009

I have the same problem with my boy who is 6 months old, can not get him to sleep more than 40 mins! sooo frustrating!

Maria - posted on 10/10/2009

My little man only takes 30 minute naps in the day but sleeps anywhere from about 830 to 1030pm to anywhere from 630 to 8am he is 6 months old and he hasdone this for a few months

Jessica - posted on 10/09/2009

my 6 month old does this also. when he was younger he wouldn't sleep during the day at all until i started putting him to sleep on his stomach. i know you're not supposed to do that but my doctor said that it is ok if you check on him a lot. now my baby only takes 40 mins. naps most of the time but he takes 4 naps a day and i think that gives him enough sleep. it doesn't leave me much time to do anything but as long as he is getting enough and isn't fussy i'm ok. i think he will grow out of it eventually and take 2 longer naps? i hope! good luck with your baby's naps!

Amanda - posted on 10/03/2009

my little guy is exactly the same and so is one of my best freinds bubz , so i guess its pretty normal

Courtney - posted on 10/02/2009

My daughter will go back to sleep if breastfed, but learnt very quickly after my first daughter not to do this as it only turns to bad news at night time as she expected to be fed to sleep each time!

Sleeps are slowly getting longer, we can get to 1 hr now - but will use the tips for watching more closely for tired signs ta!

Meg - posted on 10/02/2009

My baby does the same thing!!! CAT NAPS.. but sleeps good at night. I dont think you can break her of that. I think that is what they need. It is hard to get things done..but I try to do as much as I can when hes a wake.

Tessa - posted on 10/02/2009

My daughter does the same thing. During her morning nap, I can not get her back to sleep. But, I can usually get her back to sleep during her afternoon nap if I pick her up and lay her on my shoulder. I walk around the room a little and she will usually go right back to sleep. Or sometimes I can breastfeed her back to sleep. Also, I am trying really hard to put her down at the first signs of sleepiness rather than putting her off-even if it means giving her an extra nap in the evening. When I do this she usually sleeps better and wakes up happier. I have hopes that she will outgrow her teeny tiny naps, but only time will tell. I wish you the best!

Nancy - posted on 10/01/2009

well, you know what they say, every child is different...

Courtney - posted on 10/01/2009

yes, my youngest is almost 6 months, I have a 3 yr old as well, but I can't remember her doing this!

Nancy - posted on 10/01/2009

it depend on how many months is ur baby? but i guess they do grow out of it.my little is 5 months and half and she still wakes up once or twice at night and sometime during the day, she cannot sleep more than 45 bminute without waking up. so, i guess you shouldn't worry, the more they grow the easy it will get...