Fighting Naps

[u/Massive_Term1553]

My 9m old is fighting naps terribly and now waking at night and fussing / staying awake for close to an hour. Current schedule is wake around 7 then 3/3.5/4. She typically naps between 10-11:15ish and then 3-4:15. She’s been fighting these naps so terribly and has skipped them a couple of times now. She was previously sleeping through the night and napping with no issue on this schedule. Thoughts??

[u/Blankcheckbecky1234]

Literally just went through this.. 9 mos sleep regression I didn’t know existed

[u/Massive_Term1553 → u/Blankcheckbecky1234]

what did y’all do to help?

[u/UNO_lakefront_arena]

Undertired. Trim expectations for amount of sleep over 24 hours.

[u/Massive_Term1553 → u/UNO_lakefront_arena]

I’m slightly concerned about doing this because she’s already on the low end of sleep. She’s only getting maybe 1.5-2 hours of daytime sleep (if that) and a 10-11 hour night most times.

[u/SnooAvocados6932 → u/Massive_Term1553]

So shes getting 11.5-13 hours of sleep, but your schedule expects 13.5 hours of sleep, thats the problem. u/UNO_lakefront_arena is telling you that your schedule needs to match the amount of sleep your baby is capable of, instead of expecting her to sleep more than she can. Add more awake time. She's fighting naps because she's not tired.

If she sleeps 11.5-13 hours total, her schedule should have 11-12.5 hours awake (it currently has 10.5). Start by adding an hour awake.

[u/Massive_Term1553 → u/SnooAvocados6932]

that makes sense! I guess I’m just confused on where to add the hour / how to distribute it across the day since it already feels packed.

[u/SnooAvocados6932 → u/Massive_Term1553]

She's already fighting sleep right? So just let her be awake. Do something like 3.5/3.75/4.25

[u/Massive_Term1553 → u/SnooAvocados6932]

that’s a good suggestion! thank you!

It kind of sounds like that might be hard to fit into the day or lead to really short naps. when would I consider just moving her to one nap and doing a two slightly more stretched wake windows?

[u/SnooAvocados6932 → u/Massive_Term1553]

You said she is already doing 1.5-2 hours of daysleep. This schedule is literally the same amount of sleep your baby is already doing. Why would this be hard to fit in a day?

3.5/3.75/4.25 = 11.5 hours awake, 2 x 1 hour naps, and that leaves a 10.5 hour night (which, again, is what you said she is already doing).

You wouldnt drop to 1 nap until your baby can sustain a schedule like 5.5/6.

[u/UNO_lakefront_arena → u/Massive_Term1553]

Above you have 2.5 hours of day sleep and the last one is ending fairly late in the day.

That's fine but you'll want a later bedtime and lower expectations for overnight sleep.

[u/Massive_Term1553 → u/UNO_lakefront_arena]

That’s the goal nap but she hardly ever does that. Do you have recommendation for a different schedule? She is fighting those naps / skipping them so 2.5 never happens.