what does your baby's nap schedule look like?

Melissa - posted on 01/25/2009

My son is 4 months and he goes to bed around 7:30-8:30pm he sleeps until 6:30-7:30am. He then takes 3 naps during the day one around 9:30-10:30 am for about 2hrs then another nap around 1p -2pm for about 1hr-11/2hrs, his final nap around 4 or 5pm only for about 30 min. then its solid food, bath and bottle and down for the night.

Jade - posted on 01/23/2009

My son is nearly 4 months and he sleeps from around 9-9:30 and usually sleeps till 8:30 - 9:00 without a feed inbetween. Then he will go to sleep again at about 11 - 11:30 and then another one at about 3ish!

Stephanie - posted on 01/23/2009

Quoting Jennifer:

My little girl is 4 months old today. She sleeps from about 4pm to 4am (sometimes 5 or 6) and wakes up once or twice during the night for a feeding. She naps sporadically during the day (sometimes only 10 minutes at a time) two or three times during the day.

Can I ask why 4pm? do u have other kids?

Stephanie - posted on 01/23/2009

Quoting Jennifer:

My little girl is 4 months old today. She sleeps from about 4pm to 4am (sometimes 5 or 6) and wakes up once or twice during the night for a feeding. She naps sporadically during the day (sometimes only 10 minutes at a time) two or three times during the day.

Can I ask why 4pm? do u have other kids?

Stephanie - posted on 01/23/2009

Quoting Jennifer:

My little girl is 4 months old today. She sleeps from about 4pm to 4am (sometimes 5 or 6) and wakes up once or twice during the night for a feeding. She naps sporadically during the day (sometimes only 10 minutes at a time) two or three times during the day.

Can I ask why 4pm? do u have other kids?

Jessica - posted on 01/23/2009

Wow...I am jealous of all of you! :)  My Emma (4.5 months) goes to bed around 9 or 10 and wakes up at 12 and then 2 and then 4 etc...I am breastfeeding and we have started on rice and some nights she'll have a 4 hour stretch.  She naps somewhat on a schedule but never for more than an hour and usually only twice a day.  She'll have a morning nap around 10 and then afternoon anytime from 2-4.  We are working on getting her to go back to sleep in her crib - she falls asleep in her crib for the first round of sleeping (9 or 10 pm) and then wakes up and I feed her and she falls back asleep but then wakes up when I put her down and won't go back to sleep.  So I take her into bed with us,  It's very slowly improving but hearing how all your babies sleep so much makes me so envious!!!

Alison - posted on 01/22/2009

One thing said over and over on that page I posted above: "It gets better, then worse, then better, then worse, then they go to college" :) Hahahaha!

Kelly - posted on 01/22/2009

Alison- sorry to hear that about your night last night :(

Gavin fell off his schedule today as well, he wanted to nurse every 2 hrs this morning, then every 3 so far this afternoon. No naps yet today, but he is very cranky. You can tell he's tired but just doesn't want to sleep.

I don't think that I am going to worry too much about his schedule until he's 6 months old, when he's eating solids (possible 5 months). I am just happy that he will give me 5-6hrs at night. I have friends who's babies are the same age and older who are up 3 times a night. So I think that I am pretty lucky.

I am sure we will have many more rough nighst and days, but thats part of being a mom.

Just wait until they are old enough to drive, then we will start the sleepless nights all over again LOL!!

Alison - posted on 01/22/2009

Help is on the way! http://www.askmoxie.org/2007/10/4-month-...

Colleen - posted on 01/22/2009

Our little girl was four months last week. She has been sleeping through the night since six weeks. She wakes up between 7 - 7:30 am. She nurses every three hours and takes three naps a day for about 1 - 1.5 hours each. Her last feeding right now is at 9 pm. We read her a few books and shes usually asleep by 10:30. I would like to get her to bed earlier but I feel like she still needs those 5 feedings each day.

Allana - posted on 01/22/2009

The schedule that Jennifer posted on the 21st at 9:22 pm is the exact schedule that seems to be working wonders for my little girl. Granted, she may be off a half hour here or there, but other than that, it works amazing.

Alison - posted on 01/22/2009

Kelly, I spoke too soon! Here I am, bragging about having a schedule... our little guy must have found out, because yesterday and today, he's been off his schedule like crazy! Last night, we started bedtime at 9pm (like usual) and started rocking him to sleep around 10pm.

An hour later, he still wasn't asleep, and he was crying like crazy. His dad usually does bedtime, and he was so frustrated that he left the nursery and said "Your turn!" and I went in to rock our boy to sleep. It took a while, and he finally fell asleep (exhausted, I think) around 11:30pm. AND, he didn't sleep very long - he woke up this morning at 4am!

Today's saga - he nursed at 4am till around 4:40 (both sides), and went back to sleep from 5-8am. Then I nursed him again from 8:30-9am, bathed and dressed him, played until 10am, when I thought I saw nap cues (tired eyes, cuddling into my shoulder). I started doing the "routine" but he wouldn't have ANY of it! Finally, at 11am, I took him out of his room and put him in his swing, where he's been sleeping peacefully now for over an hour. *sigh* What am I doing wrong?

Ashley - posted on 01/22/2009

Quoting Emma:

You are all very lucky, I also thought my bubs was good and she is perfect for me, she usually goes to sleep between 9:30 - 10:00 wakes twice during the night and I get up by 7 am she has a small nap for about 45 mins to an hour at 9 am and after that she only naps 10 mins at a time all day.

 

Emma, our baby is like yours.  She usually sleeps from 8:30-8:00 a.m., waking once in the night for a feeding...but then she naps in the morning for about 30 min., the afternoon for 45 min. and the evening for 30 min.  I get lots of sleep at night, but I definitely need it during the day, since there aren't many breaks!

Kristin - posted on 01/21/2009

that's what I do too, but my son doesn't go to bed til at least 8 pm. 

Ashlee - posted on 01/21/2009

kaydence sleeps from 9:30-7:30 everynight....she was sleeping threw the night at 3weeks so were are very lucky about that. as far as naps she takes about 3 45min naps during the day. usually around 10am, 2pm and 6pm. hope this helps :)

Jennifer - posted on 01/21/2009

Tania, another suggestion for getting your baby's bedtime to be 8pm every night: focus on his WAKE-UP time in the morning.  Try waking him at 8am every morning consistently and starting his feedings then.  If he eats every 3 hours, then feed at 8am, 11am, 2pm, 5pm, and then the last feeding right around 8pm and put him to bed.  If he eats every 4 hours, then you can start feeding at 8am, then feed at noon, 4pm and then 8pm then put him to bed.  It will probably take about a week of getting him up at 8am before you notice he'll start to get tired earlier and his bedtime will eventually become about 8pm.  He will also probably start waking at 8am on his own after a while too.  Worked for me!  Good luck!

Sheila - posted on 01/21/2009

Wow that's a great little baby you have there!!! My little guy turned 4 months last week as well. His sleep schedule isn't yet defined, but usually he will go to bed by 10 or 11 (it really depends on when his feeding is) and then sleep until his next feeding ( every four hours). He goes right back to sleep after his feedings at night and then will sleep until 8 or 830. He will be up for a few hours, and then sleep around 11 or 12 for a few hours. Like I said, he wakes up to eat every 4 hours. He will then sleep late afternoon and be up from about 6pm onwards. He was born 3 weeks early, so he's only 12lbs right now.. probably why he's still eating and sleeping so much!! How do you get them on a napping schedule like that??

Kelly - posted on 01/21/2009

Alison- do you have any tips that will help me drop his 11pm feed? Is you baby on solids? I find if I drop the 11pm feed he will wake up at 3am.

And what does it do to your milk supply? I find if we miss a feeding my milk supply dips drastically, and he fusses during the day like he's not getting enough

Alison - posted on 01/21/2009

Kelly - that's almost exactly what our schedule looks like too! The only difference is that I wake him to feed at 8:30 or sometimes 9:30pm for his "last feeding."

Kelly - posted on 01/21/2009

My son falls asleep at 7/8pm I wake him to feed at 11pm (so he will sleep through the night) he sleeps till 5/6:30 then feeds and falls back asleep till 9am.



If I don't wake him to feed at 11pm he is up at 3am.



He is only breastfed right now. Will this improve when he starts solids?

Lauren - posted on 01/21/2009

Allana-- thanks so much for the advice! but i have a question--what is your feeding schedule like? i feel like i wouldn't be able to get it all in when putting him to bed so early!

Allana - posted on 01/21/2009

Lauren, we had that problem too. You're probably a lot like me and your schedule is all over the place so it's hard for you to get a baby on a schedule. You just have to be prepared to wake up pretty early for a few weeks. I started putting Zoey to bed between 7 and 9 and spent the first week or so up at 5. She's getting the hang of it now and sleeps later. It's going to get a little harder on nights that we're at friends homes and stuff because we will have to leave early to keep to her schedule, but the doctors say it's really good for them.

Lauren - posted on 01/21/2009

wow! you are all very lucky your bebes goes to sleep so early! my little guy goes to bed at like 11pm and wakes up around 9am... then he takes a 3-4 hour nap in the afternoon... and in the evening he usually takes a short snooze after dinner time (7-8ish). but his schedule is still pretty all over the place!

Anna - posted on 01/21/2009

Wow, there is hope that he will sleep. Jesse eats about 10pm but then is up around 2 -2:30 to eat again, then up again around 6:30, then again at 10:30. He never sleeps more than 4-5 hours at a stretch. He does nap here and there during the day but never more than 30 minutes. My mom said that I was the same way as a baby. His schedule is a little off since my husband got laid off and I had to go back to work. I don't get home until 5:30-6 so Jesse wants time with me before we finally convince him to go to sleep. Some nights it isn't till 11 or 12.

Jennifer - posted on 01/21/2009

Tania, you can gradually move his 10pm feeding back 15 minutes at a time until you get to 8pm. We're doing that right now. About every 3 days or so, we move the feeding up 15 minutes. We're at 9:15 right now. It takes a few weeks, but he's adjusting very well. Your baby may no eat as much at first because he's used to eating at a later time, but he will adjust. He'll realize that when you feed him is when it's time to eat and he'll be fine. Good Luck!!

Anna-Marie - posted on 01/21/2009

nevermind...BW is baby wise

Anna-Marie - posted on 01/20/2009

What's BW??? I'm confused! I just feed my baby when he's hungry.



Tania, I make sure that my little one eats supper with us (mind you, he's on solids so he'll eat a whole jar of veggies). That way by about 7-8pm he's ready for a bath, bubba and bed...Tripple B's (Kinda like the triple threat!) Works every time. If he doesn't make it till bed time before needing a bottle I will just top him up at bed time. I give him an ounce or so and quickly switch to the soother so he doesn't know the difference and he's out like a light...I dunno, works for us!

Jennifer - posted on 01/20/2009

My little girl is 4 months old today. She sleeps from about 4pm to 4am (sometimes 5 or 6) and wakes up once or twice during the night for a feeding. She naps sporadically during the day (sometimes only 10 minutes at a time) two or three times during the day.

Alison - posted on 01/20/2009

Jennifer, I just did some preliminary looking-around at BW info on the internet, and I more fully understand what you were saying above. Sorry if I came across rude or offended, I wasn't! I was just pointing out that every baby and every mom is different (as if any of us didn't know that, haha).

Even though I don't think BW is right for us, I can see how it can be right for others. All the best!

Tania - posted on 01/20/2009

my little one goes to bed anywhere between 8:30- 11pm, usually wakes up around 2:30pm, where I give him his pacifier, then slepped till about 5:30-6:30am to feed, then back to slepp till about 8am. His naps are getting better. usually 1 morning nap around 11am, then afternoon nap at around 3 and evening nap around 6, for 30min to an hour.

The time ew put him to bed depends on his feedings during the day.So if he feeds at 6 and then 10, then his bedtime is 10..... How do I arrange it so that his bedtime can be 8 every night??? Withouth forcing him to eat if he's not hungry???

Laura - posted on 01/20/2009

Kadey has been EBF since birth but just started rice cereal 3 times a day on the 5th of January and since then she goes to bed at 10pm and wakes around 4am to feed and goes right back to sleep until about 8:30 to feed again and does not wake up completely for the day until 9:30am. During the day she has short naps (less than an hour long) at 11:30, 2:30, 5 and again at 7:30...but I think that the fact that she eats cereal at 10, 1:30 and 9 makes a big difference in when she sleeps and for how long.

Anna - posted on 01/20/2009

My little girl (just turned 4 months) Goes to sleep around 7:00-7:30pm And wakes between 8:00-9:00am (with 1 night feed at 04:00 that we have to wake up to give her otherwise she doesnt eat enough!) she generally has 3 naps a day between 30min - 2hours, 10am, 2pm, 5:30pm. Was very lucky though, she started sleeping through (12hrs) at about 8 weeks

Melissa - posted on 01/20/2009

How do I get my 4 month old to stop waking up 2 times a night to feed? He sleeps from 8pm to 7:30am and only naps about 1 1/2 hours total all day. That doesn't seem like enough!

Jennifer - posted on 01/20/2009

Alison, I'm sorry if my post offended you. The schedule we're on is the babywise schedule, and the reason I said what I did about MON feedings being habit, is because I know that my son gets enough calories during the day, so he doesn't need the MON feeding. Everyone I know who's done babywise has had the same experience as we did. It's not just my son. If you don't mind getting up in the middle of the night, that's great. But what I'm saying is that, if he gets the calories during the day, he is capable of sleeping all night.

Alison - posted on 01/20/2009

Jennifer, your parenting style is different than mine. Neither is wrong, both are right for our individual children, and your statement that "babies don't really need" overnight feedings at this age is correct for your child, but not for mine and not for the women who posted above. I know that these overnight feedings will diminish as he gets older, but right now, my son's belly isn't big enough to enable him to sleep more than 6 hours overnight. If I were to try putting him to bed at 7pm, he'd be up again at 2 in the morning (that is, if we were lucky and he didn't wake up earlier than that!). Every baby is different, and this one still needs his overnight feeding.

Jennifer - posted on 01/19/2009

My son will be 18 weeks on Thursday, and he sleeps from 9:30pm to 8am. No night feedings. We dropped those at 8 weeks. At this age, babies don't really need a MON feeding. They just do it out of habit. He takes a 2 hour morning nap, 2 hour afternoon nap, and 1.5-2 hour early evening nap. The schedule is rigid, but he does really well on it. It's worth it for me to know what to expect everyday, despite the loss of some personal freedoms.

Leslie - posted on 01/19/2009

Our little guy is almost 4 months (will be next week), he goes to sleep around 7/7:30 as well and sleeps straight through to about 5 or 6.  Once every few days he'll wake for a feeding around 1 but those occurences are getting less and less.  He sleeps through the night really well.  During the day, he takes little 1/2 hour naps every couple hours and sometimes takes a 2 to 3 hour nap in the middle of the day.  As I'm typing here he is ona 3 hour mid-day nap right now.  He loves the cat naps during the day though, keeps him smiling!

Allana - posted on 01/19/2009

I looked it up recently because I was afraid my 4 month old was sleeping too much! The books say 16-20 hours is healthy right now, so you doing great. My Zoey is in bed between 7 and 9 pm and sleeps until 6:30 or so. She goes down about the same times for naps as your little guy but the afternoon one is 2-3 hrs long.

Emma - posted on 01/19/2009

You are all very lucky, I also thought my bubs was good and she is perfect for me, she usually goes to sleep between 9:30 - 10:00 wakes twice during the night and I get up by 7 am she has a small nap for about 45 mins to an hour at 9 am and after that she only naps 10 mins at a time all day.

Alison - posted on 01/18/2009

WOW, am I jealous. Our 3 and 1/2 month old goes to bed between 9-10pm, and usually doesn't sleep much past 5:30am. I thought we had it good (friends of ours have a colicky kid, so we're comparing ours to theirs)! Guess not... During the day, he takes a morning nap, an afternoon nap and an early evening nap (usually between 2-3 hours long, each).

Ellen - posted on 01/18/2009

No schedules, babies will tell you what they need, It is different at different times (teething, sick, etc). My first was like clock work, my second has 3 hour long naps and 1 that is longer, random times...

Tara Lee - posted on 01/18/2009

HI everyone ! My P. is 4 1/2 months old...she goes to bed about 9pm and sleeps until about 9am with one wake up feeding at about 4/5am. Has a 30min nap about 11am, and a 1 - 2 hour nap at about 2pm, than a quick 10 - 20min catnap about 6pm, than she's good until bedtime after a bath (if she doesn't get her bath, she sleeps badly!) at 9pm.

Emma - posted on 01/18/2009

hiya. my daughter is almost 17 weeks.. she sleeps from 7-7:30pm (depending on how behind bedtime routine we are. lol) and she wakes up between 6:30-7:30am.. has daytime naps 9:30ish..and..2:30-3ish then usually stays awake till bed xx

Chivell - posted on 01/18/2009

My boys a a good sleeper from 7/8 til 8/8:30 only stirs for his dummy doesnt wake up.. He sleeps when he feels like it. But i do try to get him to sleep around 12 but rarely happens..

Lee - posted on 01/17/2009

Thats a good sleep overnight for your wee boy. Very Jealous you get to sleep in :)

My girl is 4 months and she goes to sleep round 7pm and wakes anywhere between 6.30-7am. Sometimes she wakes during the night for a feed but not very often. She is always up for an hour or so then goes down for an hour or so and thats her routine for the day.