Is your 6 month old taking good naps?

Melissa - posted on 07/03/2009

i was having horrible nap problems with my daughter. she would nap well when she was really little then just stopped. i finally got her to start napping again, but only in her swing and not for more than 30 min at a time. someone suggested the book "the no-cry nap solution" and it worked wonders!!! my daughter now takes two naps a day in her crib for at least 1.5 hrs per nap. i really recommend this book for anyone with nap problems!!!

Christina - posted on 07/02/2009

Try giving him your nipple. My husband calls my nipple the "sleeping pill" or put him in the swing when he is tired and let him cry for a little.. my daughter loves to bounce in one of those bouncing/ virbating chairs and goes to sleep. How much are you feeding him. maybe he isn't getting enough. Maybe he needs more in his tummy. I give her a4oz bottle in the morning 6-7am and then she goes back to sleep and when she wakes up at 9 i give her rice cereal with bananas mixed not alot just about 2 baby spoonfuls and then give still give her a 4oz bottle. My daughter is 16 pounds at her 6 month check up. I also give her bananas or applesauce around 3pm so about twice a day feeding more then just a bottle. she sleeps from 830 until 6-7 am

Mary - posted on 07/01/2009

Quoting Michelle:

My little girl was 6 months on the 17. She naps twice a day for 2 hours each time. I started this routiene when she was 3 months. She gets up at around 6ish, has breakfast at 7:30, nap at 10, lunch at 12, plays until 3, naps again and goes to bed anywhere from 7:30-9:00. Just try and keep at it! Good luck!

hey my daughter was born on the 17th too!

Mary - posted on 07/01/2009

Quoting Carina:

My daughter seems to sleep a lot, only shorter naps usually (approx 30 mins), but many times during the day. I'm not sure if I should ty to make her take only two naps, or if I should let her go about with her own schedule, any thoughts? The thing is she gets so crabby if she doesn't get enough sleep (which I'm sure all babies do). We now but her to bed at night around 9-10pm, is that too late? She usually sleeps until about 8am.

i would start tring to put her to bed around eight. every night just try putting her to bed 10 mins earlier.

Mary - posted on 07/01/2009

Yea my daughter is 6 1/2 months old and she does not do good naps either. she used to but just suddenly stopped...but she does sleep through the night. I know what you mean my daughter will only sleep for like 20 mins and then she is up but still tired. im working at getting her to sleep for naps.

Lesley - posted on 07/01/2009

My (almost 7 month old) wakes at 7:00am
two hour nap at 9:00am
two hour nap at 2:00pm
hour nap at 5:00pm
in bed for the night at 8:00pm.

Afternoon naps are the hardest, but I let him cry. He usually falls asleep in less than 15 min though.

Rachel - posted on 07/01/2009

My twins were 6 months on the 23rd. They are a lot like Carina's daughter. They take probably 3-30 minute naps through the day and one 2-3 hour nap in the afternoon. They go to bed at night around 9pm and are awake around 7am. Every kid is going to be different- some kids need more sleep than others. Just do what you feel is best for you, your child and your family. I do one big nap with mine b/c I have a 20 month old and 3 1/2 year old as well & I put them all down for a nap at the same time! It works well for my family!

Carina - posted on 06/29/2009

My daughter seems to sleep a lot, only shorter naps usually (approx 30 mins), but many times during the day. I'm not sure if I should ty to make her take only two naps, or if I should let her go about with her own schedule, any thoughts? The thing is she gets so crabby if she doesn't get enough sleep (which I'm sure all babies do). We now but her to bed at night around 9-10pm, is that too late? She usually sleeps until about 8am.

Ashley - posted on 06/25/2009

we have morning nap down, just not hte afternoon. I really liked the book "12 hours sleep by 12 weeks old"...you need a trigger to let them know what you want, (you have to decide what you want), and you have to enforce.
My twins wake up around 8 to 8:30, eat, and then we play for about an hour-an hour 1/2. Then I give them baths one by one and that is their trigger that it's nap time. They sleep for a long nap, like 1-2 hours, then we eat at around 12:30. I still haven't figured out the afternoon nap, though! They want to sleep around 3 to 4:30, but they still want to sleep sometime after 6, too...trying to get it down to 2 naps.

Anyways, the trigger for nighttime sleeping is a bottle (that's the only one they get all day)...but I'm still looking for a trigger for the afternoon nap...

Good luck!

Chris - posted on 06/25/2009

Arianna turned 6 months on the 22nd, and so far, I've gotten her routine down to this [been doing so ever since she was 2.5 months].. morning nap is at 10am.. for half an hour.. then the longer nap is at 12 for 2 hours.. next nap, 4pm then its off to bed at 8pm

Sharyn - posted on 06/24/2009

my daughter is nearly 7 months old as i write this ... she tends to nap for 20 mins to 30mins twice a day .... then i put her in her crib sometimes with a bottle sometimes without ... depending if that bottle is due. if its not, i put her in her crib and she mucks about a bit, but i leave her to it, and she falls asleep on her own .... her bedtime hour is 8pm without fail unless you know we go out or something ... and its been that hour since she was 4 months and she's taken to it quite well, usually begging me to put her to bed by that hour .

Lauren - posted on 06/24/2009

My son jake was born on 3rd december 08, he naps quite well really. He normally has 2 naps throughout the day (occasionally 3). he has one at about 11ish and another about 2.30pm. He sleeps for between 30mins to 2 hours!! He's quite good really, we put him down awake when he starts rubbing his eyes and he'll normally go down ok. He might whinge for a while, but then goes off to sleep

Michelle - posted on 06/23/2009

Quoting Corinne:

Wow, that's great! I am trying really hard to start a routine with him since he has been so used to eating and sleeping on demand. What are feedings like? Breasmilk or formula? Has she started solids? Did she just fall into the routine or did you use the cry it out method? If I could get just one two hour nap in I'd be making progress.... Today was our first day though and he is working on two more teeth so I know I have to be patient and we'll get there. One day at a time, right?

Aaralyn gets her meals as follows:  Breakfast:  8oz bottle, 1.5 tbsp rice cereal mixed with 1/3 jar of fruit;  Lunch:  8oz bottle, 1/3 jar meat and veggies;  Dinner:  8oz bottle, 1/3 jar meat and veggies;  Before bed:  8oz bottle.

She is formula fed as I had a hard time breastfeeding.  She started cereal at 4 months and I started on different types of foods at 5 months.  It seemed like everything went smoother after the doctor told me to try new foods with her.

She fell into the routine, but it took some work to get the times right.  I never let her cry for more then 15 minutes at a time.

I have a very active little girl too.  I mean when she's awake she's gabbing and playing the whole time.  She really doesn't stop until she starts to get tired and then she just likes to snuggle with me until I put her in her crib.  She also LOVES her crib, so I think that helps. 

She has been a little off for the last week as she's getting more teeth, but she still pretty much stays on track!

Your right, it is one day at a time and you'll get there!!  Good luck :)

Lydia - posted on 06/23/2009

My daughter kind of set her own routine. She gets up at 5am for a bottle and a play and then back to bed for a 1-2hour nap. When she wakes up she has fruit cereal and tops up with her bottle and then plays until she is very tired and back for another hour or so nap. She wakes up and has vege and a bottle for lunch and plays until she is tired again then another nap for about an hour and wakes up for her final bottle and play about 3pm ish. She normally goes to bed between 5 and 6pm and sleeps right through (more or less). I only struggled with the 1/2 hour naps when I was putting her down on her back for them which she doesnt like. As soon as I discovered she would sleep longer on her tummy I just kept on putting her to bed that way.

Corinne - posted on 06/22/2009

Wow, that's great! I am trying really hard to start a routine with him since he has been so used to eating and sleeping on demand. What are feedings like? Breasmilk or formula? Has she started solids? Did she just fall into the routine or did you use the cry it out method? If I could get just one two hour nap in I'd be making progress.... Today was our first day though and he is working on two more teeth so I know I have to be patient and we'll get there. One day at a time, right?

Michelle - posted on 06/22/2009

My little girl was 6 months on the 17. She naps twice a day for 2 hours each time. I started this routiene when she was 3 months. She gets up at around 6ish, has breakfast at 7:30, nap at 10, lunch at 12, plays until 3, naps again and goes to bed anywhere from 7:30-9:00. Just try and keep at it! Good luck!

Joanne - posted on 06/22/2009

My daughter was 6months yesterday and she only tends to nap 2 or 3 times a day for about 20mins. Unfortunately she tends to fall asleep after breakfast when I breastfeed her or in her pushchair when we are out. I can sometimes just put her to bed and she'll moan for a few mins then sleep but usually I have to feed her. The thing is I know she can get herself to sleep as she does at night.



When I was nannying I found it just took time and you have to persevere, leave him if you can but don't let him get so worked up that he can't calm himself. When you do go into him try to soothe him in bed rather than pick him up and he'll soon get used to the new routine. Good Luck