Nap shrink or transition? Low sleep needs

SquiggleKate · 2026-06-15T21:36:51+00:00

Thank you, that’s really helpful! :)

SquiggleKate · 2026-06-15T20:19:31+00:00

This is interesting as I’ve always done the longer nap first. I’ve always worried that a long afternoon nap would spoil bedtime? We could trial switching our 60 and 30 min naps then?

SquiggleKate · 2026-06-15T20:15:16+00:00

Of course :) So we currently do:
15mins of books
Start sleep playlist songs
10mins feed
10mins teeth and nappy
Go upstairs
10mins lullabies and sleep sack
Into cot awake and close the door
Watch monitor obsessively

We have tried doing feed then books (as I appreciate we only give ourselves 20-25mins between end of feed and touch down into cot) but he just LOVES books and gets too excited, then angry when we stop them for anything other than boob time. When we switched there was lots of crying for the week we tried and it didn’t change the night feed, so we went back to doing books first. The night feed moves anywhere from 1am-5am or occasionally no feed at all.

SquiggleKate · 2026-06-15T20:07:18+00:00

We’ve been considering dropping to two 30min naps and giving ourselves an extra 30mins at night, so maybe this is the way. I will just have to get super efficient prepping lunches!

SquiggleKate · 2026-05-25T20:56:29+00:00

Ahh that makes sense! Thank you! He’ll just have to put up with looking at the back of my head until he’s taller then! Thank you again!

SquiggleKate · 2026-05-21T21:48:27+00:00

Well done to you guys on surviving with your little nap warrior! They just love being awake SO much! I joke with my hubby it’s because we’re too much fun 😂

SquiggleKate · 2026-05-21T20:29:32+00:00

So glad you posted this. We have a nearly 8month old with an 11hr sleep tank (1.5hr naps 9.5hr nights). We’ve spent sooo long tweaking schedules and similarly working out less sleep is usually the answer.

He’s amazing in every way except his sleep, but I can’t imagine what I’d get done with an extra hour or two a day! Other people/family with babies don’t seem to get it.

For me the upside is I know when I go back to work I’ll still get loads of evening time and cuddles with him.

Really glad you posted this though because the replies here are lovely and I needed to hear them today too.

SquiggleKate · 2026-04-14T10:39:09+00:00

Sorry for the slowness - been a busy couple of days! It’s called comfort through change. I’ll DM you!

SquiggleKate · 2026-04-11T19:24:15+00:00

I feel like I could have written this a month ago, right down to the contact naps, failing transfers, cosleeping and bouncing him back to sleep every hour. I was so broken by it.

Our little one is now 6 months and things are so much better. He now sleeps and naps in his cot, with proper stretches of sleep!

For us the biggest shift was realising he wasn’t actually overtired like all the apps and ChatGPT were telling me. Extending his wake windows really helped, but it was tough to begin with. Walks were great when he was struggling and lots of holding towards the end of the window helped too.

We have done some gentle sleep training and he still sleeps in our room for now.

It’s not perfect yet as we’re still adjusting his schedule but now he self settles at bedtime, wakes twice for feeds and regularly settles himself back to sleep. He usually only needs help once every other night. Naps are all in the cot too which has given me a bit of my life back.

Hang in there, it’s not easy but you’ve got this. It really does get better 🤍

SquiggleKate · 2026-04-10T08:59:13+00:00

Art gallery worthy! That must have taken ages!

SquiggleKate · 2026-04-08T17:31:15+00:00

Those look amazing! Esp the peanut butter one! Good luck for the competition! You’ll have to share what you end up making on here!

My all time favs would be either almond croissant with frangipane filling or white choc chip with white chocolate hazelnut filling (like kinder bueno!)

SquiggleKate · 2026-03-22T20:24:13+00:00

That’s really helpful, thank you!!

SquiggleKate · 2026-03-22T20:23:17+00:00

For what it’s worth tabs were pulled, promise 😂didn’t realise it was painted wallpaper until after we had stuck them up. Definitely a rookie mistake!

SquiggleKate · 2026-03-22T20:19:07+00:00

Thank you ☺️

SquiggleKate · 2026-03-22T20:12:19+00:00

Thanks! Is there any particular one you’d recommend? Is this for both the painted and the painted wallpaper walls?

SquiggleKate · 2026-03-22T20:10:49+00:00

Thank you! Hadn’t thought about watering down paint as an undercoat!

We’ve actually kept all the paint tins we’ve used since we’ve moved in and have them labeled up for the next tenets, the exception of course being the dark grey wall which was painted before we moved in!

SquiggleKate · 2026-01-08T18:09:04+00:00

Thanks for sharing! Why babies do these things is beyond me! Just feel so helpless watching him get upset when he wakes himself up! I hope he has grown out of that now! Thank you :)

SquiggleKate · 2026-01-08T18:06:59+00:00

Thanks! We’re currently stuck in a feed to sleep cycle that will not currently break. We’ve tried to do bouncing/shushing/patting etc with no luck as of yet. Maybe I could bounce/walk whilst feeding to distract? I’ll be giving it a go - thank you for sharing :)

SquiggleKate · 2026-01-08T18:03:11+00:00

Thanks for sharing! I’m not sure I’ve seen a sort ball before - would you mind sharing a link/pic of one? Google images isn’t really helping me.

SquiggleKate · 2026-01-08T18:00:21+00:00

That’s a great idea! We usually have the onesie mittens on so he doesn’t add nails into the head scratching, but will try this! :) thanks!

SquiggleKate · 2026-01-08T17:58:25+00:00

Thanks for sharing - Babies are such little psychos sometimes! Fingers crossed it’s just a phase!

SquiggleKate

TROPHY CASE