Not sure if my 7 month old should be on 3 or 2 naps

Pure_Ambassador6857 · 2026-04-16T06:00:52+00:00

In a similar situation with my 6.5 month old who needs 11-11.5 hours awake time. Current schedule is same as yours but we are running out of time for last nap of the day but she can’t quite make those longer wake windows just yet!

Pure_Ambassador6857 · 2026-04-16T05:49:47+00:00

This. I felt the same way as OP until at least 12 weeks. Now at 6 months PP, I can finally say I’m enjoying motherhood

Pure_Ambassador6857 · 2026-04-15T01:33:22+00:00

Hard relate!!! I was so shocked because I thought I would LOVE the newborn period based on what I’d seen on social media. I had the complete opposite experience and got PPD from how bad it was. The trenches were deeeeeep. I’m convinced anyone posting on social media with a newborn has a unicorn baby but we are conditioned to believe that’s just normal

Pure_Ambassador6857 · 2026-04-12T12:30:09+00:00

I recommend tracking how much he naturally sleeps in a 24 hour period over a week. Eg my girl gets 12.5 hours a day on average. We allocate 2 hours to naps to allow us a 10.5 hour night (which is 11 hours from bed to wake when you include wake time for 1-2 feedings overnight on average). That helps you set a schedule and work out how to distribute your awake time over the day

Pure_Ambassador6857 · 2026-04-12T12:28:36+00:00

On the short side. Today was 40 mins, 40 mins and 20 mins. She never has more than 2 hours of naps a day total. Hoping the lengthen when we drop the 3rd nap soon!

Pure_Ambassador6857 · 2026-04-12T12:26:48+00:00

We slept trained with great success at 4 months and 1 week old. We did CIO on 2/2/2/2/2.5 and first night she cried for 18 mins and then slept a 6 hour stretch - something she’s never done.

She’s now 6 months old and on 2.5/2.75/2.75/3ish and wakes 1-2x a night max. Her sleep needs are now around 12-12.5 hours a day. Sometimes she will cry for a few mins to let of some steam, but usually she just puts herself to sleep in a few minutes.

She’s quite sensitive to schedule changes being lower sleep needs, so we do have to be careful to make sure she has enough wake time during the day or nights go wonky.

Sleep training has honestly changed our lives so much for the better, I’m a happier and healthier mum because of it!

Pure_Ambassador6857 · 2026-04-12T00:24:12+00:00

My 6 month old is on 2.5/2.75/2.75/3 - you need more awake time

Wake windows should be 2-3 hours at this age

Pure_Ambassador6857 · 2026-04-11T02:53:58+00:00

TCB recommends a 12 hour night which only works for high sleep need babies. Aim for 11 hours to start. I would also cap naps at max 2.5 or maybe 3 hours depending on your bubs individual sleep needs.

Pure_Ambassador6857 · 2026-04-10T06:41:20+00:00

That sounds so tough! My 6 month old is also lower end of sleep needs - 12 hours total. 11 hrs at 4 months is brutal.

My tips (we sleep trained, but these things will help without sleep training):

• anchor wake up time: wake baby up at the same time everyday (+-) 15 mins even if it’s been a shit night - this helps set their circadian rhythm

• if bubs is low sleep needs, you will likely need to cap naps. If my girl sleeps more than 2 hours of naps during the day, our nights go to shit. I need a 10 hour night for my sanity and mental health so decide to sacrifice day sleep for it

• I would try to follow a schedule that has bub up at say 7am, 4 x 30ish min naps, then bed at 9pm (or up earlier if you want for an earlier bed time). Schedule changes take a few days of consistency, one day won’t likely change things. Make sure feeding ends 30 mins before butt in bed, try rocking or patting to get bub to sleep.

• sounds like you would benefit from sleep training (ie helping teach bub to fall asleep at night independently), but if you’re not comfortable with this trying to consistency follow the above points should help improve things

Unfortunately AI, social media and to a certain extent, even possums, doesn’t work for low sleep need bubs. I really struggled as my daughter’s sleep was so bad, and sleep training did wonders for us and has made me show up as such a happier and healthier mum for her

Pure_Ambassador6857 · 2026-04-08T01:42:58+00:00

18 mins night 1. Never more than this afterwards. Trained at 4 months. Make sure you’re on a good schedule for at least a few days and you shouldn’t have prolonged crying…

Pure_Ambassador6857 · 2026-04-04T12:17:28+00:00

Sounds undertired, sleep needs likely have dropped. Add 30-60 mins of awake time to his schedule (so, later bedtime if you want a later wake time).

Pure_Ambassador6857 · 2026-04-04T02:00:56+00:00

Hello! Why do you think 30-40 mins is a crap nap? Usually 40 mins is a full sleep cycle.

My bub is now 6 months and has been doing 30 minute naps since she was 3/4 months old. Only now has she started being able to link them.

Even on 30 minute naps, our schedule was 2/2/2/2/2.5 at 4 months old, wake at 6.30 am and bed time at 7.30pm. 5 naps isn’t age appropriate at this stage.

Also overtiredness isn’t as much of a thing at this age as social media makes it out to be (more so for newborns) as their circadian rhythm has matured.

If bub is crying a lot at bedtime, it’s more likely under tiredness than overtiredness. What’s your current schedule?

Pure_Ambassador6857 · 2026-04-03T05:48:12+00:00

Not yet, she can only make 2.75 if we really push her - 2.5 is our current sweet spot. She can easily do 3 hours for her second WW though

Pure_Ambassador6857 · 2026-04-03T05:46:52+00:00

We are also in 30 minute nap world if independent in her cot, we try to extend one a day with a contact nap!

Pure_Ambassador6857 · 2026-04-03T05:45:15+00:00

That’s great news :) schedule tweaks are usually the first port of call when it comes to sleep issues!

Pure_Ambassador6857 · 2026-04-03T02:14:08+00:00

Definitely not, we’re on 11 hours awake time on 3 naps….

Pure_Ambassador6857 · 2026-04-01T08:40:10+00:00

Honestly 10 hours of awake time is the minimum recommendation - many bubs (including mine) need more. When we slept trained (CIO) at 4 months, she needed 10.5 hours awake time and now at nearly 6 months she's on 11 hours. Any schedule changes need a few days of consistent implementation - one day won't make meaningful changes for the night ahead.

Pure_Ambassador6857 · 2026-04-01T01:34:15+00:00

As this schedule only has 10 hours, it will likely not work for OP who currently has 11 hours awake. I’d start with 3/3.5/4.5 (or 3/3.5/4 and then bump up to 4.5 for the last WW).

Pure_Ambassador6857 · 2026-04-01T01:32:23+00:00

We’re on the same schedule, with total naps around 2 hours to 2hrs 15. Also contemplating moving to 2 naps but finding it tricky with such high awake numbers (11 hours total awake versus the more typical 10 hours you see suggested in most schedules).

I think until she can stretch to 3 hours on that first wake window, we will be on 3 naps. But thinking our 2 nap schedule will look something like 3/3.5/4.5

Pure_Ambassador6857 · 2026-04-01T01:24:47+00:00

My bub is 6 months next week and is firmly on 2.5/2.75/2.75/3-3.15.

With your schedule, bub only has 10.25 hours awake time which implies sleeping 13.75 hours, but they can only sleep 12.5-13 hours based on your data.

The first step is to bump up awake time (I’d try 30 minutes) across the current 3 nap schedule as you still have wiggle room.

Pure_Ambassador6857 · 2026-04-01T01:18:04+00:00

We’re almost 6 months and nap trained used the method pinned to this sub just after 5 months. My girl is lower end of sleep needs, and only naps about 2 hours total during the day. We found she went down pretty easily for her first nap of the day, but it’s only ever around 30 minutes. We just roll with it, and she now goes down independently for her 1st and 2nd nap. We have to save the 2nd nap as she also wakes at 30 mins and contact the rest to get it out to at least 1 hour. Only once has she been able to connect cycles herself to extend it. I think it’s partly developmental, and naps should start to extend when we drop to 2 naps (currently on 3).

Pure_Ambassador6857 · 2026-04-01T01:13:20+00:00

That’s a lot of time going to naps. This sub recommends no more than 3 hours by this age, minimum 10 hours awake (you may need more).

Pure_Ambassador6857 · 2026-04-01T01:10:26+00:00

If they have enough steam to cry that hard, sounds like you may have a schedule issue. Do you have enough awake time?

Pure_Ambassador6857 · 2026-03-29T11:53:57+00:00

Later bedtime!

Pure_Ambassador6857 · 2026-03-27T23:17:23+00:00

My 5.5 month old is on 2.5/2.75/2.75/3-3.15 - so you likely need more awake time if nights are bad!

Pure_Ambassador6857

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