How long are your baby's naps?

Jennifer - posted on 04/27/2009

My sons naps are very inconsistent. He was taking 2 almost 2 hr a day naps, now he is getting about 3 30 min naps. I wouldn't mind if he slept all night, but that has only happened once, most nights he is up 2 - 3 times. I have no advice for you. but I would just say be grateful he sleeps at night.

Erika - posted on 04/27/2009

Hi there - this has also driven me nuts for the past few months. Starting at about 3 months old, my daughter has had periods where she sleeps great, then periods where she is very fussy about nap times and bed time and either blows by the nap completely or takes very short naps. I read about a book called "The Wonder Weeks" on www.askmoxie.org (GREAT blog) which basically describes all the developmental phases babies go through. Amazingly, her fussy/no napping periods have mapped almost exactly to the time periods this book outlines! And it does seem like once she's through one of these periods, she has a three week or so time period where she's much more settled, sleeps well and is all of a sudden doing all kinds of cool new things. So, that may not be the whole explanation since obviously there are lots of other things that could be disturbing sleep like teething, tummy problems, etc, but I wanted to mention it. Now that I know about these phases, it makes it easier for ME to deal with the rough patches since I know they'll pass and that she's working really hard to learn something new!

Nadine - posted on 04/27/2009

My son was born on the 18th october and he has a nap in the morning after his breakfast(he usually gets up about 6am and has a bottle of formula and then cereal a few hours later)at 8.30am. He will usually have anything from an hour up to 2 hours!! Depending what mood he is in!!! He will then have a nap in the afternoon, no set time or length, usually about 30 mins to an hour!! And then into bed at about 8pm.

Lori - posted on 04/19/2009

hey patricia,

I think my son is also teething and he too has become very needy. He will sleep great if I hold him but put him down and he wakes right up.

Patricia - posted on 04/17/2009

my 6 month old son has never slept the whole night and his naps, if he takes one, are no longer than 30-45 minutes.
Every baby is different and their sleep patterns change depending on what they are going through. My baby is teething, he has 2 little teeth coming out, and since this started he has become more needy and usually wants to nap on me and not in him crib like before.

Lori - posted on 04/14/2009

hi Stacey,
My youngest is 51/2 months and hardly ever sleeps. He still gets up at least once if not twice at night and only takes 15 minute power naps 3 times a day. I think personality just plays a role, some children require sleep and others don't. My first one was an awesome sleeper, slept all night and took 2 naps 3 hours each every day like clockwork. If you figure anything out let me know, I need sleep.

Sarah - posted on 04/14/2009

My daughtey, Macey is my 4th child and she is the only one who hardly sleeps during the day. Shes only 6 months old, i think at the most she will sleep for 20 minutes, at regular times, so its not like she doesnt get a chance to sleep! all my other children at her age slept for a good 2 hours! i cant complain about her though, she does sleep through the night and has done since she was born!

Stacey - posted on 04/14/2009

Quoting Jen:

Quoting Stacey:

Hey everyone! I have a happy update. I posted this two weeks ago and for some reason I still haven't figured out, he has started napping for 1-3 hours twice a day. Yaaaaaaaaay! I don't really know what changed though, one day I put him in bed for his morning nap as usual and he just slept 1 1/2 hours and the next nap was the same. He has been taking long naps for over a week now. I guess maybe he just needed to "grow into" his naps? I don't know, but I'm counting my blessings. So for all of you out there still not getting your sleep, don't lose hope!

OMG lucky you!  Are you doing anything differently?  Adding more solids, or anything?  What's his daily schedule now?

The only thing I can think of is that about a week before he started taking longer naps, I started bringing him into bed with me for his afternoon nap (because he would sleep longer that way and I just really wanted sleep myself!).  He started to sleep for around 1-2 hours in the bed with me in the afternoon (I would still put him in his crib for his other two naps).  Then one day he took a 1 1/2 hour nap in his crib for his morning nap and so I put him in his crib for his afternoon nap too (instead of in bed with me) and again that nap was about 1 1/2 hours.  From that day on he has slept in his crib for all his naps and they have been about 1 - 2 1/2 hours.  Maybe his body got used to taking longer naps when he napped with me in the afternoon and then he just started napping longer on his own?  I'm not sure.  Also, the book I have "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" does say that learning to nap and getting into a naptime routine is a biological process that has to develop over time and that it is a separate part of the brain from the part that regulates night sleep, so maybe he just needed to get a little older in order to nap longer. 

He now goes to bed around 7 or 8pm and wakes up around 6:30 or 7am.  Then he naps at 9am and between 12-1pm (depending on how long his morning nap was).  He doesn't take a third nap in the early evening anymore, so it's just two naps now. 

Hayley - posted on 04/13/2009

I dont see a problem! My daughter does the EXACT SAME THING! Are they supposed to be sleeping more?? I thought that since she slept all night and napped through out the day that she was perfect and I had it made!! haha! Please correct me if Im wrong!! :)

Tanya - posted on 04/10/2009

Your son sounds *exactly* like mine! He sleeps at 8pm-7am with no wakings but will rarely nap more than 30minutes at a time during the day. And although I LOVE my sleep at night it makes it hard to get anything done during the day! Basically I'm told by everyone I meet including my doctor that: If he sleeps that long at night...I shouldn't expect much more. I know that doesn't help you but I just thought I'd share.

Jen - posted on 04/09/2009

Quoting Stacey:

Hey everyone! I have a happy update. I posted this two weeks ago and for some reason I still haven't figured out, he has started napping for 1-3 hours twice a day. Yaaaaaaaaay! I don't really know what changed though, one day I put him in bed for his morning nap as usual and he just slept 1 1/2 hours and the next nap was the same. He has been taking long naps for over a week now. I guess maybe he just needed to "grow into" his naps? I don't know, but I'm counting my blessings. So for all of you out there still not getting your sleep, don't lose hope!

OMG lucky you!  Are you doing anything differently?  Adding more solids, or anything?  What's his daily schedule now?

Kirsten - posted on 04/07/2009

my baby did the same until about 4 months when i started putting her in a sleeping bag, and she also started sucking her thumb!  now she usually naps for 1 - 2 hours which is great, but i cant say i changed anything, she just got used to it.  stick with it, he will get there eventually.

MaryJo - posted on 04/07/2009

i would love for my baby to sleep from 8pm-7am with out waking up. my daughter still gets up every 3 hours to eat. i hope it is just because she is teething. she takes 3 -4 20 minutes naps during the day.

Marly - posted on 04/06/2009

I recent;y heard that a 5 month old should get a total of 3-5 hours a day of sleep.  I also know that a sleep cycle is around 90 minuts give or take depending...to get good restful sleep all of us should try to get at least 90 mins of consistant sleep.  I think all babies to through a time when they are diffucult nappers.  Your doing your best...and youve read all the books.  Just keep up the good work, and stick to your guns...when your baby wakes up from a nap, is it by crying, or cooing?  If he has had enough rest it will be obvious.  When my boy wakes up and is still clearly tired, I will go in there and give him his sucky and tell him, " Not yet buddy, your still tired." and rub his back till he calms down again and eventually falls asleep (after I have left he room)  then about an hour later I will hear him cooing and moving around...a rested boy.  I used to go get him everytime he cried during the day, but one day I walked in and he immediatly stoped crying and started to smile, that is when I knew he was workin me...haha.  I love that boy, but I knew there was nothing wrong, he was just sick of being in his room...so I have been a littel more strict since then, and it has paid off.

Stacey - posted on 04/06/2009

Hey everyone! I have a happy update. I posted this two weeks ago and for some reason I still haven't figured out, he has started napping for 1-3 hours twice a day. Yaaaaaaaaay! I don't really know what changed though, one day I put him in bed for his morning nap as usual and he just slept 1 1/2 hours and the next nap was the same. He has been taking long naps for over a week now. I guess maybe he just needed to "grow into" his naps? I don't know, but I'm counting my blessings. So for all of you out there still not getting your sleep, don't lose hope!

Nicola - posted on 04/05/2009

My daughter was the same. I for some reason started putting her down in a porta cot in our theatre room, its pitch black, and that has helped so much. sleeping for at least 45 mins upto 2 hours some days. My nurse said before i was able to get her down for that long, she may not need longer than that. so if hes waking up happy then u should be fine. i know its hard for you coz u get nothing done. Thats what frustrated me!!!! but napping in another room really helped my lil girl. good luck!

Yumi - posted on 04/05/2009

My girl take some nap about 30min to 1hour for 2 or 3 times a day and she sleeps great,too. But it is like 10pm to 7am. I heard that about this age baby sleeps 14hours a day...

nap time is going to be shorter and shorter!!

Alicia - posted on 04/02/2009

my son naps all diffrent times...

Diana -n Craig - posted on 04/02/2009

Quoting Lesley:

My daughter is 5 months and if your son is sleeping for 11 hours, no wakings - don't complain about not napping! She will nap 3 times during the day but is awake every 1 to 2 hours at night - so pretty much no sleep for me either.

I'm so sorry you're not getting any sleep! That's how the first 4 months were for me, my daughter had horrible colic and still has GERD. Her dr. recommended starting at 4-6 months letting them cry to sleep so they learn to self soothe. I was hesitant at first, but it's worked like a charm. She now goes to sleep easily and sleeps 11-12 hours straight. What have you tried so far?

Diana -n Craig - posted on 04/02/2009

Quoting Stacey:

Thanks everyone for your comments! He takes about 3 naps a day (around 9am, 12pm and then somewhere between 3 - 5pm). Looks like all babies have their different sleep patterns and preferences. When I start to get frustrated during the day I just think about all the sleep I get at night and then I feel better! Hopefully he'll grow into some longer naps one day.

That is pretty much my daughter's schedule to a T. And she sleeps from 8pm -7am also.  She naps from 20-55 minutes about 3 times a day. Unless I'm out and about then she'll nap longer in the carseat.

Hannah - posted on 03/30/2009

My little ones routine suits me well i do have issuse with her lunchtime sleep, like others she will sleep on me!!!



So what i do is when she wakes after the 40mins and cant settle her self back off i give her 5 mins to try. I go in pick her up settle her back off over my shoulder and then carefully put her down on her front and she sleeps for another 1.5 hours.



Her daily routine is

630/7am wakes up has bottle

845/9am half hour nap

11am bottle and then solids

12/1230 lunchtime sleep of no more than 2 hours

14/1430 bottle

1530/1600 go out for a walk til 5pm and sometimes has a 20min nap in the pushchair

1745/1800 bath

1830 bottle and then solids and in to bed by 7/715



i followed the gina ford routine but not as strict as she does it. i just used her timings.

Rebecca - posted on 03/30/2009

My little man was born in October and he naps for 2-3 hours in the morning wakes up for dinner sleeps again for 2-3 hours for dinner then goes to bed for about 7.30 - 8.00 and wakes at around 7.30 - 8. i must just be lucky after readying ill the other posts

Lesley - posted on 03/25/2009

My daughter is 5 months and if your son is sleeping for 11 hours, no wakings - don't complain about not napping! She will nap 3 times during the day but is awake every 1 to 2 hours at night - so pretty much no sleep for me either.

Kelly - posted on 03/25/2009

Stacey, it sounds like he's not having enough time between naps. Try 9 am, 1 pm, and 5 pm. Also, has he had a good amount of milk/formula? You shouldn't feed him before his nap but rather after. However, if he isn't getting a good enough feed after his first nap, his second nap won't be very long as he'll wake up hungry.



Have you noticed whether he wakes up after 30 min or closer to 40 min? Watch a clock sometime from when he drifts off to sleep and when you hear him wake. If it's 40 min, that's because babies that age have 40 min sleep cycles, much shorter than adults, and he may have heard a noise. My 5-month-old often wakes and cries for a minute and falls back asleep as long as I don't grab her or appear next to her crib. Though sometimes, I have to let her cry for a lot longer :( and she will still go back to sleep 90% of the time.



Congratulations on him sleeping so well at night. He will still benefit greatly from having longer naps in the day.

Jenelle - posted on 03/24/2009

through out the day, my son will usually take 2-3 20-30 minute naps if im lucky. he usually sleeps all night, from 9-6.

Amber - posted on 03/24/2009

I wish mine would sleep at night and during the day. My baby girl is 5 months old, I put her down at night around 8pm ad she is up at 11, and every 2 hrs after that..She starts out in her crib, but by 11 I bring her into our bed. We get up between 7 and 8am, depending on how the night goes. During the day i usually get 2 -half hour naps out of her. Always in her crib. on occasion i get 1-1.5 hours out of her. She breastfeeds, however i have introduced rice cereal as well as a bottle of formula beofre bed. I try to fill her belly to help her sleep.. It hasn't helped yet. She is a very fussy girl, gassy, hates to be put down. I can't even put her down drowsy, she screams and screams..IM lost and need help as well...You keep me posted, ill keep you posted.

Amanda - posted on 03/24/2009

The first thing we should all remember is all babies are different and have different sleeping patterns. We should all stop worrying about what evryone elses baby is doing or not doing and just go with the flow with what our baby needs.

I have a 5 1/2 month old who naps 3 times a day. First nap 1 hour, 2nd nap 2.5 hours then a 45 minute nap. She sleeps from 8pm til 6:30 nearly always.

I think a flexible nap time routine is the key and just making sure baby has what they need before it.

Wendy - posted on 03/23/2009

Hi Stacey, I just wanted to add that our son is exactly the same as your baby. He too typically takes about 3 naps during the day and that are only 30-45 minutes and around the same times as yours. I did read though somewhere that they should be sleeping about 14.25 hours a day. I figure since he does sleep so well at night, that he just doesn't need as much during the day. Overall he is a very happy baby, hardly ever cranky, so I don't think he needs more sleep. But I do put him down at the first sign of sleepiness, b/c if he gets over tired he does fight it. I do remember when he was in his 2 month (and not sleeping through the night) asking a friend once b/c he took an unusually long nap what to do... and her response was count your blessings. And then another time, he hardly slept all day so we asked our brother and he responded count your blessings b/c he'll probably sleep through the night. So I guess the answer is just to be happy with what you have and to count our blessings that we have this little person to wonder about!

Tara - posted on 03/23/2009

Quoting Stacey:

Thanks everyone for your comments! He takes about 3 naps a day (around 9am, 12pm and then somewhere between 3 - 5pm). Looks like all babies have their different sleep patterns and preferences. When I start to get frustrated during the day I just think about all the sleep I get at night and then I feel better! Hopefully he'll grow into some longer naps one day.

Those are the times usually that mine does nap. Yes hopefully he will nap longer for you soon, but yes exactly!! As long as the nights stay the same.

Stacey - posted on 03/23/2009

Thanks everyone for your comments! He takes about 3 naps a day (around 9am, 12pm and then somewhere between 3 - 5pm). Looks like all babies have their different sleep patterns and preferences. When I start to get frustrated during the day I just think about all the sleep I get at night and then I feel better! Hopefully he'll grow into some longer naps one day.

Jenna - posted on 03/23/2009

Quoting Sherree:

My daughter usually naps twice a day for an hour and a half and then maybe again in the evening for just half an hour. That sounds awesome, right? But the trouble is, the only way I can get her to sleep is falling asleep on me (so I have no free time but that's ok if I want to sleep too) or in her carseat or stroller. Her night sleeping is terrible right now. She is teething so maybe that is it - she is awake every hour to 2 hours and sleeps a total of 9-10 hrs.

That sounds like me! lol! I chalked the night sleeping up to milestones. As he is sitting up now and trying to crawl.

Sherree - posted on 03/23/2009

My daughter usually naps twice a day for an hour and a half and then maybe again in the evening for just half an hour. That sounds awesome, right? But the trouble is, the only way I can get her to sleep is falling asleep on me (so I have no free time but that's ok if I want to sleep too) or in her carseat or stroller. Her night sleeping is terrible right now. She is teething so maybe that is it - she is awake every hour to 2 hours and sleeps a total of 9-10 hrs.

Jenna - posted on 03/23/2009

My son naps only 30-45min. I rock/cuddle him to sleep still in the day.Then I put him in his crib, he always wakes from the nap 30-45 min later. If I continue to cuddle/hold him he will sleep way longer. He uses a pacifier to nap. I keep the lights on while he naps to differenciate between day and night. I need major help in the sleep dept. though. He went from sleeping through the night at about 10 weeks in his crib to waking mutliple times at night and wanting to feed and bed sharing.

Jen - posted on 03/23/2009

I'm having the exact same problem.. He's taking 4 short naps a day.. usually 30-45 mins each.  I feel your pain and wish I had a solution.  I've read every book as well.  Right now I'm toying with his wake times to see if I can change anything (less stimulation, etc...)

What time of each day is everyone's little on napping?

Niki - posted on 03/23/2009

My 5 month old went through a phase of very short naps (half an hour) and he was often very grumpy. Last week he just started sleeping longer. His nap times are still very inconsistent, but longer. His nap this morning was 30 minutes, but he's taken two this afternoon that were both over an hour (and he consistently sleeps through the night unless he's sick). I think it was kind of just a phase. It sounds like you're doing everything I do with a naptime routine. I did change one thing in his naptime routine that I think might have helped I stopped playing music and started giving him a pacifier more (he's only allow the pacifier at naptime, not all day) maybe its something in the routine that needs to be changed. I know some books say the pacifier is a sleep "prop" but I figure that if he can go go sleep without it at night and is already consistently sleeping through the night its fine, and its helped him nap better.

Tara - posted on 03/23/2009

I think that every baby is just different. Since you have such a good night sleeper maybe he doesn't need more than a 30 min nap at a time. How many of these naps a day does he have?

My little guy is almost 6 months and he is also a good night sleeper however he will wake up sometimes at night (but he is also teething). I put him down for a nap at first signs of tiredness which is after about 1 1/2 - 2 hrs of wakefulness. He generally has 3 naps a day. At first he would only nap 30-40 mins and now over time he does an hour but sometimes up to 2 1/2 hrs. 

Kimberley - posted on 03/23/2009

My daughter will not take long naps either! She will sleep longer if i hold her but when she sleeps its the time i like to get things done so its kinda a pain. Her naps are no longer than 20 min at a time but she has many through out the day.

Jackie - posted on 03/23/2009

My daughter was napping only 30 minutes for me a little while ago also. Now she naps usually for about 45-1hour. But she does nap longer at daycare. I was putting her down too late and that was why she wasn't napping very long. She does a little better now.