How Does Your 6 Month Old Nap/sleep?

Updated on January 22, 2007
K.B. asks from Manville, NJ
10 answers

My daughter is about 6 1/2 mos old. She was a bad napper in the very beginning but has recently gotten better, but still is difficult. Some days she'll go down easy for a nap & others she'll fight & fight & fight. Up until recently she needed a nap every 2 hours or so but now I think they are starting to space a little better. How often does your baby nap & about what times or how long in between naps? I'm just trying to figure out if she is refusing to nap b/c I'm trying at the wrong times/too often or if she is just stubborn! Thanks for any help :)

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C.B.

answers from Albany on

All babies are different, My Daughter is 8 months now, but has been on the same schedule for sometime now, She takes 3 naps...one in the AM about 2hrs after she gets up, for usually about 1hr or so, then a 1 1/2hr nap at about 130, then a short cat nap at 5 just before dinner but not always and she is in bed at 8-830PM...But if she is not tired she is not tired, I do not try to put her down for a nap unless she is rubbing her eyes or is getting cranky, otherwise it is a losing battle.

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J.G.

answers from New York on

Every 2 hours seems like a little too much for an almost 7 month baby. My daughter who is now almost 21 months was taking 2 naps a day at that point. One in the morning about 2 1/2 hours after she woke up and then one in the afternoon. Both for an hour and a half. Now she takes one nap after lunch for roughly 2-3 hours. It sounds like you may be putting her down too often and that may be why she's fighting you so much. Hope this helps. Good luck!

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C.B.

answers from New York on

my 6.5 month old son sleeps on a very regular pattern. At about 3 months I started him in a routine and he has kept it going...but I also have to make sure I stick to it otherwise it throws him off! But he goes to sleep about 8-8:15 pm, sleeps straight through the night until 7 am. wakes, eats play until 9:30 am and then goes down for his am nap. he sleeps till 11 am. eats lunch, plays till 2pm, then goes down for pm nap, sleeps till 5pm, then wakes up and eats dinner, plays and gets ready for his bath at 7:45pm, then gets his final bottle and is done for the count! works great! good luck! C.

C.S.

answers from New York on

My daughter will be 5 months next week. She is up at 8:00. Cat naps at 10:00 for about 20 minutes or so. Naps 1-3, and then another cat nap around 5:00 for another 20 minutes or so. And she is to bed by 9:00. I'm lucky that she is flexible. We try to keep to a routine, but the times are sometimes a little off.
My daughter is also breastfed and was a having a terrible time sleeping, and nursing around the clock. So at 4 1/2 months I gave in and started rice cereal, in a bowl, not a bottle. After I started that, she has been sleeping great. Have you started solids yet?

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A.K.

answers from New York on

Hi K.,

My daughter is 6 months old (today!) and her day usually goes like this...she wakes up anywhere in between 5 and 7 am, and normally goes back to sleep at the two hour mark. More often than not, she'll sleep atleast another hour to a hour and a half. She'll wake up for another 2 - 3 hours and go back down for sometimes as much as 3 hours!! (Of course by this time I know I have alot of stuff I can get done, and everyday I argue with my self about whether or not I do something productive or do I take a nap?) Then she'll wake up for a while and then either take an evening nap for about a half an hour, or if she doesn't take a nap in the evening she'll go down around anywhere between 7 an 9 pm for the night. All I can say is if your daughter is tired, she'll sleep....right? I'm not sure but I remember feeling the same way you did not too long ago. I hope my breakdown helped.

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G.D.

answers from Philadelphia on

My daughter is 7 months old and this is her schedule: she wakes up about 8 and then takes about an hour nap sometime between 10 and 12, sometimes she will cat nap in the afternoon, but she usually takes and a 1-2 hour nap around 4. She will also cat nap in the evening before going to bed around 9. She also fights sleep as much as possible, she hates to miss a moment. Don't forget every baby is different, you just have to watch for her cues. My daughter will rub her eyes or pull her ears when she gets tired. At that age most babies take a morning nap and an afternoon nap, but there are always exceptions. Good luck!

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D.S.

answers from Rochester on

I have a 1 year old and she's been on the same schedule for the past 5 months. She goes to bed around 8 sleeps til 8 in the morning, she wakes up and usually goes down for her nap around 1130, she'll usually sleep for an hour and a half to two hours and then sometimes if she's being really fussy she'll have an hour nap around 4 then plays, eats dinner gets her bath and is ready for bed.

Does she have a favorite stuffed animal or blankie? I found that it was very helpful with my daughter. She slept through the night in her crib from 6 weeks.

Good luck I hope this was helpful!

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L.D.

answers from Burlington on

my little girl did the same thing, she fought and fought, i had to try all different positions and keep feeding her..i too am breastfeeding, now she gets up at 8am and takes a nap by 11 or so, for about 30 min. and then she takes a long one around 2 for about an hour and a half. she is 7 mos old now.

my guess is your daughter is just stubborn!

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M.N.

answers from New York on

You're the perfect person to read Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child by Marc Weissbluth. This was my bible with all 3 of my kids and it will answer your question perfectly!

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D.

answers from New York on

By the time my son was her age he was napping twice a day. Once in the morning and once in the afternoon after lunch. We learned to watch his cues and he would tell us when he was tired. My son used to get very rigid when he was tired and fusy. We'd put him down and no problem. She is getting older now and is wanting to explore more. She really doesn't need to sleep every 2 hrs anymore. Just follow her cues, she'll tell you what she needs. If she starts rubbing her eyes and yawning it's time for a nap. Otherwise, just let her play.

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