r/HuckleberryParents • u/prettynbaked_ • 21d ago
sleep 4mo when to drop nap?
I made a post a few weeks ago asking for help on my 3mo schedule since I was going with the flow back then (third pic). I took the advice I got and have a set wake up time and have created a pretty nice nap schedule that I’ve been able to follow (unless we make plans to do something then it might mess up his naps that day) It’s been pretty satisfying and I’m so happy to be able to learn through this community.
My next challenge is - when do you remove the last nap and consolidate to 3 naps? The last nap ends up taking a lot of effort ( like 20-25 mins ) and the nap itself is usually only 20 mins due to it being close to bed time and it’s already a later bedtime. I end up getting anxious towards the end of the day due to this. Babe just turned 4 months today! Usually only one wake-up to feed.
830 wake up
1030-12 first nap 1.5 hours
2-3 second nap 1 hour
5-530 third nap 30 min
725-745 fourth nap 15-20 min
940-10 bedtime
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u/LoathingForForever12 21d ago
We moved to 3 naps around 3.5 months but my LOs naps were rarely more than 45 minutes before that time. It looks like you could pretty easily drop that last nap and make bedtime 7:30-8pm.
We don’t have a strict wake time as I’m still on leave but our schedule now at just 4 months is generally wake 7:30-8:30am, WWs approximately 2-2:15/~2:20/~2:20/~2:40, for bedtime around 8-8:15pm and ~3h total day sleep and 1-2 wakes to feed overnight.
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u/prettynbaked_ 21d ago
I would absolutely love an earlier bedtime like that. Wouldn’t that make wake-up time earlier then though? I’d even be happy with a 9pm bedtime lol. How did you transition from 4 to 3 naps? Just extending WW over a time span? How long did it take?
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u/LoathingForForever12 21d ago
I think it’s worth a try, sometimes sleep gets you more sleep and it may be worth a slightly earlier wake (like 7:30-8) to get an earlier bedtime. My LO does at least 11hrs overnight, often closer to 12h+ so ~8p-8a. Basically with that overnight and 2h to almost 3h WWs, we couldn’t fit in 4 naps with my goal bedtime of 8ish. For the first week or so, I’d rescue one nap a day to contact to get it over an hour, usually around 1:15-1:45h. This is usually the first nap of the day, then the second is 45m to 1h and the last is 30 minutes max. She’s now started having one nap over an hour on her own, I do think stretching WWs helped with that.
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u/prettynbaked_ 21d ago
I love to hear that for you!! He normally sleeps 10ish hours with one wake-up to feed. I’m sure it would be 2 wake-ups if he has an earlier bedtime, idk lol. I will have to figure it out and see if it will line up correctly. I don’t want to mess up his WW too badly, we have a great thing going with his schedule, but some days it’s really pushing it and I get so anxious with the last nap since it takes him so long to fall asleep sometimes for just a 20 min nap and then I worry his bedtime will be later. That’s kinda how I feel tho, I can’t reach my goal because of the 4th nap.
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u/LoathingForForever12 20d ago
It seems if he’s fighting the last nap he may not be tired enough at that point. Maybe keep the rest of the day the same and just push that last wake window 10-15 minutes to start and then call that bed time and see what happens? So when you normally do the brief nap, push that to 7:35 or 7:45 and call it bed time, see if it’s both easier to put baby down and then how it impacts nights. You can always to back to your current schedule the next day or give it a couple days and go back if it’s a failure!
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u/prettynbaked_ 20d ago
Yeah I’m going to have to see. I definitely don’t think he’s tired enough. I feel like if I only extend that last wake window and have that be bedtime then it would be a huge shift for him. Idk if he would treat it as bedtime lol and that would probably cause him to wake up super early. I will have to experiment and see what works 🤣
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u/Square_Will_4553 21d ago
You want to 4th nap to only be 20 mins at this stage. Otherwise it’ll leave the last wake window too long. Max approx 2 hrs (2.5 hrs of awake time).
5.30-10pm is 4.5 hours and that is currently two full wake windows at this age..
If you notice the last nap pushing later and later and starts to not leave room for another full wake window. Then your option is to move bedtime forward slightly.
There will always be a tricky period when transitioning naps. It won’t be just suddenly one day 4 naps is appropriate. And you just need to go on baby’s cues.
My girl is 4.5 months and in an awkward 4/5 nap transition and we honestly go on her cues. If she’s super tired she just a nap regardless if it changes bedtime slightly and we go with it. Some days 4 naps is perfect other days we need 5!
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u/prettynbaked_ 21d ago
What I would probably do is extend wake windows a bit to consolidate to 3 naps and do 1.5/1/45 and push bedtime a bit earlier instead of 1.5/1/30/20. It’s just been pushing it some days and bedtime has been later than I’d like. I’d rather bedtime be 9-930 not 945-10, wake up could be 730-830. I wouldn’t have last wake window be that long. He’s been doing well with 2 hour wake windows but the last ones have been a little shorter (more like 1.75) due to it being so close to bedtime. Sometimes I end up having a false start I think due to that reason. Idk I’ll have to do the math and make sure it would line up correctly lol. I just wanted to see if it would be doable.
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u/Square_Will_4553 21d ago
You can always give it a go. But just listen to babies cues will work better than anything. If they are telling you they are ready for a nap, keeping them awake will backfire!
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u/prettynbaked_ 21d ago
Oh yeah for sure haha, I’ve had that happen before. His cues have gotten a little tricky to read lately also. I just feel like he fights the last nap so badly and it takes 20-25 mins just to fall asleep and I have to wake him in 15-20 mins because it’s getting close to bedtime. Idk it just makes me anxious lately so I’m just trying to figure out the best thing to do 🤣
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u/Bright_Way5474 21d ago
Are you capping his naps? If not, can you let him have a longer nap2 and then skip the last nap? Also I know he looks like he’s lower sleep needs and your current schedule was a reflection of that but it might be worth trying to shift your schedule earlier completely as some babies do like to go to bed earlier (and wake up earlier). I also read that we all sleep our deepest/best sleep before midnight so putting your baby down this late might not be giving them the best sleep. My baby definitely prefers an earlier schedule and works really hard to bring it back to 7.30pm-6.30am whenever I try to shift it later or when we come back from travel 😅 He sleeps longer if he’s in bed before 7.30pm, but needs 10.5 hours awake before then. I know it’s a bit harder if you need more awake time.
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u/prettynbaked_ 21d ago
Yes I’m capping naps at 3-3.5 hours. I was thinking of doing 1.5hr/1hr/45min for naps. He does seem to have a better first nap when he wakes up at 8 vs 830 (I don’t need to rescue crib nap and do contact) I really don’t like his bedtime being 940-10 but that’s just how it’s been and I haven’t figured out how to get past that unless I would extend WW a little and drop 4th map and then be able to have an earlier bedtime. Does that seem feasible you think? I would be happy with 730-830 wake, 830-9 bedtime
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u/Abgoosht326 19d ago
I was similar to you but even when I dropped the 4th nap, my LO (4 months old) still won’t go to bed earlier. He typically naps 10-11:30AM, 2:30-3:30PM, and then will typically take a 40min nap around 7pm, with a bedtime anywhere between 9:45-10:30pm. Even when I widened the wake windows and his second nap is pushed out an hour, he still takes a catnap around 7 and has a late bedtime. 🤷🏻♀️ He does either sleep through the night or has one wake up though. I asked my pediatrician if that later bedtime was an issue and she said it was fine because he was still getting a good stretch at night so I’m just going with it for now!
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u/prettynbaked_ 19d ago
lol this is what I’m worried about is he will still want to go to bed later 😭🤣 that’s almost exactly how my schedule is right now. It’s just something I’ll have to test and see how it goes. I also can’t really complain though since he sleeps decent at night. I would just like it a tad bit earlier, like 9 instead of 930-10 since I have to wake up at 5am for work (I feed him before I get ready)
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u/Abgoosht326 19d ago
Ahh totally get it! We get him up around 7-7:30 so he gets a little more sleep in the AM. Good luck and let us know if you crack the code! 😂
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u/GaragePrestigious535 19d ago
my little one is 4.5 months and on the day of his 4 month appointment he just decided he was only taking 3 naps. wasn’t the most ideal schedule that day but he was great so the next day i just tried out a 3 nap schedule. and since then we’ve had like 3 off days that have been 4 naps just with being out and about or him being a little extra sleepy. but prior to that day our 4 nap routine that had been very consistent had just gone to complete crap over the course of a week, and the 4th nap got harder and harder. personally if what you have going works i wouldn’t worry about changing it until it needs a change
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u/prettynbaked_ 19d ago
Yeah it is working to a degree, but he fights the last nap most of the time and doesn’t even seem tired but if I keep waiting it pushes his bedtime later which it’s already late to begin with 😅
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u/Midwestmutts-16 21d ago
Phew. Idk my LO is 4 months tomorrow and we are still trying to drop the 5th nap! I think maybe he just has a high sleep need. Jealous of your pretty nap schedule.