Yawning after 30 minutes of being awake

I am waking them up after 2 - 2 and 1/2 hour naps right now. I used to let them nap for 3 hours but I have been waking them up sooner lately. They are 3.5 months and looking tired after only 1/2 hour sometimes. They used to go at least an hour awake, maybe an hour and a half. Do I put them back down after 30mintues? It seems like they spend the entire day asleep if I do that.

Amy

 

My guys sometimes yawn after a nap. It's like their bodies are trying to get going again?

 

Maybe they're tired because you've been waking them up early, especially if they used to be happy to stay awake longer when they were getting the longer naps. If it works, don't fix it! Let them have those long naps. It is really mind-boggling how many hours babies need to sleep. (Almost as many as I needed to when I was pregnant with them!!! :lol: )

 

I just wish mine would nap that good. I don't think I would wake them, but whatever works for you.. they are your babies.

Good luck
Missy

 

But the books all say not to let them sleep longer than 2 hours. They are currently working their way through their 2nd 2 and a half hour nap after sleeping striaght through from 7:30pm to 6:30 am last night. I would love to let them sleep but I guess I am afraid they are not going to sleep tonight.

I guess whomever said sleep begets sleep is correct!

Amy

 

I've never heard that you should wake a baby during a regular daytime nap (unless they are newborns and need to eat sooner) if it's over 2 hours. I would be THRILLED with that kind of nap! I'm so glad your little ones slept through the night last night! It sounds like you're worried about all the fantastic sleeping your kids are doing. Enjoy it! You're doing great....

Reyna

 

QUOTE
But the books all say not to let them sleep longer than 2 hours.


If this weren't a forum for family eyes, I'd have some good "French" to say my opinion of most baby books and what to do with them...

Seriously, the authors of those books have never met your kids. YOU are the expert on your babies, nobody knows them better - they will let you know exactly what they need. If they are calm, alert, and mostly cheerful, they are getting enough sleep. If they are cranky, wired, dozey, and/or hyper, they probably need to sleep more. If they are happy napping more than 2 hrs at a stretch, just enjoy! I wish mine would nap that long - I'd get to read a lot more books.

I doubt it will interfere with their night sleep - no matter how much mine nap, they sleep the same at night.

And remember, you are the mama, you are the boss! Don't let any silly author boss you around!

 

Amy from my experience the longer and better they nap the better they sleep. My biggest problem is being able to comprehend that they could possibly sleep that much. They really do though. In the morning one of my little guys always goes back to sleep with in a half hour to an hour of waking up and sometimes it will be for 3 hours. I would just let them sleep, you'll love the extra time. The better they nap usually the better they sleep. The only things I really try to stick to is not being awake for more than 2 hours, putting them down at the first signs of sleepiness, and the bedtime routine. Sometimes it goes really smooth other times not so much. Hopefully the more you do these things the more regular their nap schedule will become.

 

Our current schedule with Dax is to let him sleep as long as he wants and then put him back down again when he starts to get tired, usually after 1.5-2 hours awake. We did the same with the twins once I figured out that they need to sleep every 2 hours or so. I'd ignore the books on this one if I were you and stop waking them up. If the babies are sleeping, they need the sleep. The only time I would wake them up is if you are getting within 1.5 hours of bedtime and you don't want to push bedtime back. When I wake up Dax early it takes him a while to get fully awake and he looks pretty tired for 30-45 minutes but there is no way he'd go back to sleep. Good luck!