Sleeping FAQ: 4-6 Months – Lunchtime Nap

My 5.5mth son has never slept well at lunchtime. He is now waking up after 20-25minutes

My son has never slept well at the lunchtime nap and is now waking up after 20-25 mins and screaming. Nothing will get him back to sleep. It is driving me utterly insane. I have tried everything in the books and case studies. It is now affecting my whole day and I have come to dread lunchtimes. It is also affecting my older child who misses out on having any time at all with me on our own during the day. We used to at least sit down to lunch together but now don’t even manage that.
What can I do?

My son feeds at 6.15am 5-6ozs, 7.30am baby cereal mixed with 1oz formula, 10.30am 4ozs, 11.15am 3 cubes of vegetables[ with a struggle] consisting of 2 sweet potato and one other vegetable. 12midday 2oz top up. 2.15pm 3-4ozs, 5pm 4ozs, 2 cubes of fruit mixed with 1oz formula and baby rice, 6.15pm 2-3ozs and 11pm 5ozs. He weighs 15.5lbs.

He naps at 9.15-9.45am, 12.15-12.45pm and 3-3.30pm. He settles at 6.30pm.

You feel that you have tried everything that has been suggested for the lunchtime nap. Have you given each and every method a fair trial? This means at least two weeks of trying something, such as walking him in his pram during this nap or holding him for the whole two hour stretch, which will reset his sleep cycles. Neither of these methods is easy when you are caring for another child but it does take both consistency and persistence to get this nap into place.

Hunger is often at the root of the problem and many mothers on the site will say their baby only slept through well through the lunchtime nape once protein was introduced into the baby’s diet.

You say that your son does struggle with his lunchtime solids and he is only drinking 6ozs of milk at this time, 4ozs before the solids and 2ozs at the top up. How long has he been having breakfast cereal? Was he really showing all the signs of needing breakfast? Was he was really hungry long before the 11am feed? Try cutting back on his breakfast solids and see if he is able to take 5ozs before his lunchtime vegetables and at least another 2ozs before going down to nap at lunchtime. Although he was weaned at 17 weeks his solid intake is still quite small for this stage. His lunchtime solids should really be a little higher before beginning to introduce too much breakfast. When breakfast cereal is given in the weaning plan it is assumed a baby is taking 4-5 cubes at lunchtime. [Page25 onwards in the Weaning Guide]. His milk intake could possibly increase a little as well. Was he having full feeds of 8ozs before he started to wean?

Being over tired is another problem which can cause a restless sleep. Many babies of this age are ready to sleep by midday. Moving his lunch and naptime to 15 minutes earlier may help him to settle better.

You may feel that you have tried both giving him more milk and an earlier naptime and still see no results. If you have tried both of these for at least two weeks, and there seems to be no improvement at all, then accept that your son may be one of the few who don’t manage this longer sleep. If he naps and wakes, unable to settle again within a reasonable time, get him up and let him sit with you in his chair. If he really does not need to nap at this time he will be content to do this. Allow him to have another nap of 45 minutes straight after his 2.15pm feed. Some babies who do this may need another catnap of 15minutes just before 5pm to get them through tea, bath and bedtime without becoming exhausted.

It is difficult when you want to spend some time alone with your older child but try to find a way to make this time more acceptable to you all than listening to a crying baby. If that means your youngest son joins you at lunchtime, happy to watch you both, it will be far less stressful than listening to him cry.