the 45 minute nap

It seems so common that babies only want to take a 45 minute nap ... what is with 45 minutes? Does it correlate to their sleep cycle or something?

I am TRYING to go to the 9 and 1 nap per HSHHC but my girls woke (as they always do) at 9:45 and now they aren't rested enough to make it to 1 which is fine ... I have been doing 9 and 12 or 12:30 but even that is a struggle b/c they will fuss from 10:30 until then b/c they are still tired from their 30-45 minute morning nap being insufficient. ARGH! I feel like this nap training thing is just fighting a losing battle! So now one is quiet and one is happy squealing in her crib. I usually just leave them in there until they cry ... hoping against hope that they will go back to sleep. HSHHC says to either rock them back (if they have slept longer than 45 minutes) or let them cry for 30-60 minutes and I am just not up for listening to them cry for 30-60 minutes every day and I don't want to get into the habit of having to rock them back to sleep for every nap. I know my girls and once they are to the crying point, there is no going back to sleep. Believe me, we have tried and they have some quite impressive crying stamina. What do others with 45 minute nappers do?

They are almost 7 months old ... I thought for sure they would lengthen naps by now! I guess I just have what Weissbluth calls "short nappers" ... lucky me

 

I've got 45 min nappers too! Unless they're sick or the moon is in the right alignment, that's all I usually get. I'm also trying the 9 & 1 nap, but usually they're down by 12-12:30, which is fine with me. That gives me time to put the 3rd nap in that they're so desperately trying to drop...but in my eyes, not ready to. If only they'd sleep LONGER during those 2 naps, then MAYBE we'd only need two! If they're in the swing, or in bed with me, then they sleep longer. I also have attempted the rocking back to sleep, but to me...it's a step backwards. I usually only do that if it's less than 45 mins & I KNOW they're still tired. Yesterday I was unable to get my little guy out at 45 mins when he woke b/c I was dealing with my other one (who's sick) & by the time I got to him, he was asleep again! He ended up taking a 2 1/2 hr nap! That's a big time FLUKE!!! But I'm with you...why let them scream for 30-60 mins when that pushes them to almost be ready for their next nap & me behind on feeding solids & such. I don't know....maybe I'm 'blessed' with 45 min nappers too!

 

I had a 30 minute napper! I'd get him down, then got his sister down. By the time I got her down, he'd be rousing! It was not a happy time! but, it was survivable! Now if I could get past this toddler bed stage! :crazy:

 

I was stuck in the 45-minute nap trap until about 9 months. Now we're up to 90 minutes sometimes!! I think it's developmental. Just continue to be consistent, you'll get there. I had to spend a few weeks extended Evan's naps by going in at the 45-minute mark and soothing him back to sleep. This never worked with James, he just started to sleep longer on his own. Once they got moving (crawling, cruising, walking) they tired themselves out more and naps improved. Of course there are always hiccups. Now it's much harder to get them down for naps in the first place.

 

Oh my. I would be thrilled with 45 mins. I'm doing good to get 15-20. I do hope it goes better for you though. I've done this before with my middle son and it's no fun. Here's to hoping they get to longer naps really soon! :drinks:

 

30 minute nappers here too. They still have to take at least 3, sometimes 4 naps a day because their danged naps are so short! I have decided that after their 9 month birthday I am going to try harder to enforce ye olde 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. routine from HSHHC, with fingers crossed.

 

Thirty minute nappers here....like freaking clockwork!!! They are SO tired ALL DAY LONG...ugh!!! They currently take 6 -- yes I said SIX 30-min naps a day.... (sigh).... I long for the days they'd take 2 hour naps in their swings.....

 

mine took 5 or 6 20-30 naps a day for a long time ... the "new" 3 45 min. naps has been for about a month ... since they were about 6 months ... I guess, I see now that I shouldn't be complaining

 

Yup. Two 30 min naps a day. When they were 7 months I couldnt get a schedule for the life of me. They would cat nap, then up till cranky, then back to bed. Now, they are almost like clockwork, and most of the time, they are happy, even though they hardly nap. Oh well. Just try to follow their cues, and try to build a schedule around that.??? It may take another month or so to really make sense of it... did for me anyway. Good luck!

 

I read somewhere (typical - can't remember where) that babies sleep cycles are 45 minutes long, so after 45 minutes of sleep, they kind of go into that light sleep period and wake up EASILY! But, it they don't fully wake up, they can get back into the deep sleep phase. I have watched the clock before when mine are napping and if they make it past the 45 minute mark from when they actually fell asleep, then I know we'll get a good nap. If there is noise coming from a crib after 45 minutes, then I know someone is up and NOT going back to sleep. FWIW, I leave them in their crib until the nap is supposed to be finished. I have found that naps get better with age and increased activity.

 

QUOTE
I read somewhere (typical - can't remember where) that babies sleep cycles are 45 minutes long, so after 45 minutes of sleep, they kind of go into that light sleep period and wake up EASILY!


I've read that too - probably in HSHHC. I also have 45-min nappers most of the time. I've tried both CIO and soothing back to sleep, and if they're awake after 45 min, that's it. I don't go to them if it's under 45, though (unless it sounds like something's really wrong, like somebody pooped).

FWIW, I've never bothered with a by the clock nap schedule, because it just wouldn't work for my babies. That's one of those little contradictions in HSHHC: don't let your babies be awake longer than 2 hrs, but nap them at 9 and 1. So that works great - if you have perfect little robots who always sleep 2 hrs at a nap! I put mine down 2-2.5 hrs after waking (though a few months ago it was more like 1.5-2 hrs), and we still do 3 naps./day. I think that's probably a better system for short nappers.

 

QUOTE(Vikki+2 @ Feb 6 2008, 12:39 PM) [snapback]608559[/snapback]
Thirty minute nappers here....like freaking clockwork!!! They are SO tired ALL DAY LONG...ugh!!! They currently take 6 -- yes I said SIX 30-min naps a day.... (sigh).... I long for the days they'd take 2 hour naps in their swings.....


This is my Maia! You could set a watch by her! 30 min nap then up for 1.5hrs!

 

I have two little cat nappers too! Mostly 45 minutes...if I'm lucky ONE WHOLE HOUR!! Here is my question to you ladies...is it as hard for you as it is for me to get them down for their naps?? I read their cues and my DD is always so ready to sleep...long blinks, takes her thumb...then when I take her to her cirb...she screams bloody murder. I just don't get it. It is so upsetting to know how tired they are and to not know how to help them fall asleep.

It's extra hard considering how many naps they take a day. I can't wait until the naps are down to two a day.....where is the light at the end of the tunnel???