How much sleep?

Hi Ladies,

How much sleep should a 6mth old baby be getting through daytime naps and nighttime please? I keep reading lots of different things?

At the moment the girls seem to be getting a 1hr-1hr30min nap1, nap2 2-2hr30min nap2 (i wake them at 2m30) 0-1hr nap3 then they sleep about 12/13hrs usually waking once to eat and straight back down. More recently i heard they should be getting 3hr day sleep and just 10hr night sleep?

We have been working on lengthening the girls naps and it seems to be happening for us with the exception of nap 3 that is very hit an miss. I'm now worried that they will be getting too much day sleep? Is 2 2hr naps too much at this age? Do you all wake them up if a nap is becoming too long. Sorry for all the questions just very confused on what they should be getting :blink:

 

As a baby, I slept about 20 hrs a day, probably 15-17hrs at 6 months. My mom likes to brag about it. And NO my kids didn't do anything close! I really think a baby sleeps as much as they need. They are probably going through a growth spurt and need the extra rest.

 

Every baby is different, so I don't think there is a solid answer on how many hours per day. I think all that you have been reading is quite a broad generalization. My girls take 3 - 1.5 hour naps and sleep 12.5 hours through the night. I think as long as they are sleeping let them sleep and just go with it. It could be worse.

 

If they are willing to sleep that much it sounds good to me! I don't think there is a steadfast rule, it's just however much your baby needs. At 6 months old mine also slept 12 hours and did 3 naps.

 

Thanx ladies!

Sounds like that old rule, never wake a sleeping baby as they probably need it! Mommymeg, what a shame our sleeping habits arent hereditary, you would of had it made lol

So don't any of you wake your babies from naps? Yesterday i was sure they would never wake up - not knocking it at all, i have been on the otherside when they refused to nap and there is nothing worse!

 

I don't wake them from their naps. The only time that I would (and I haven't had to yet) is if on their third nap they slept over an hour and a half which would run them too close to their bedtime.

 

i think at 6 months we were taking 3 naps and sleeping 12-13 hours at night for a total sleep time of probably 16-17 hours.. if the babies are happy sleeping if would not intentionally shorten their sleeptime, especially at night.. i have taken everything i read about amounts of sleep with a grain of salt...

i do wake from naps, but usually only the first one, and only if one wakes early i'll wake the other to keep everyone on the same schedule. we are down to 2 naps now so i let them sleep as long as they like on the second one.

 

It sounds like they are sleeping really well. I don't think 2 2 hour naps is too much, I think that's about what mine were sleeping at that age. I'm really not sure a baby at that age can sleep too much, most of them are going to sleep as much as they need to given the opportunity.

 

Sounds similar to what mine did at that age.

I still don't wake them from a nap, even if it puts them on different schedules. My son likes to take a longer afternoon nap up to 3 hours, and I just leave him be.

 

Thanx ladies, they say that knowledge is power but sometimes you can have far too much of a good thing! My head hurts lol

I'm finding that nap2 can run on forever, which in turn effects nap3 if i don't wake them and then pushes our early bedtime bacl too late. Maybe i will try and leave them tommorow and see if it is late enough to eliminate nap3 and give us an earlier bedtime, being ak they fight that nap 3 anyway.

Thanx again, you've cleared a few worries up for me!

 

i think seeing if they can go without their 3rd nap sounds like a good idea - many (although, of course, not all) babies drop their 3rd nap between 6 - 7 months old. i found when we dropped the 3rd nap we just had to move their bedtime earlier by about an hour. GL!

 

I never wake my babies from naps, unless we have to go somewhere. I am just so happy that they are sleeping well that I will let then get sync with the other twin. 2 two-hour naps sounds great! Maybe see if they will take a long 2nd nap and move up bedtime, like PP said. Good luck!

 

I leave my guys. I've found even if their afternoon naps run a little long they still like to goto bed around the same time within an hour.

 

My girls are 5 months and they sleep 10 hours at night (usually waking up once to eat) and during the week while they are with the babysitter, they take 30 min nap in the morning and one 3-3,5 hour nap in the afternoon so only 2 naps. During the weekend with me, they take three shorter naps during the day. I don't know how the babysitter does it but it is working!

 

Thanx, unfortunately it would seem that i have a DD that is trying to drop it and a DD that still really wants it :huh: Great, just typical! I knew them being on the same eat and sleep schedule was to good to be true, my luck seems to of run out! lol