Nap Schedule For My 10-Month-Old Baby

I have been testing out a nap schedule for my 10-month-old baby girl and it has so far been really helpful.

I have found naps at this age to be really tricky.

My baby girl is in that stage where she doesn’t really need that third nap in the afternoon anymore and it shows.

Before, I was able to lay her down in the early part of the evening for about 30-45 minutes for a cat nap that would hold her over until bedtime.

But now she fights it and would much rather stay up.

And I get why she would want to stay up.

She is crawling everywhere, pulling up on everything, and exploring everything around her so, of course, she would rather stay up than take a nap.

But we all know how important naps are for babies and for us too.

You all know that I do the majority of my blog work when my baby is napping so I need her to take good naps throughout the day so that I’m able to get things done and be a productive mom.

So coming up with a nap schedule for my baby is what I did and I want to share it with you all in case anyone is looking for a sample nap schedule that they can use with their 10-month-old.

Here is what my 10-month-old nap schedule looks like.

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Why Is My Baby Struggling To Take A Nap?

Before I dive into my nap schedule for my 10-month-old, let’s talk about this.

Why is my baby struggling to take a nap?

A lot of people really wonder about this when their little ones were good nappers prior to the naptime struggles.

I know my baby girl was a good napper before the awful 4-month sleep regression.

She wouldn’t nap more than 15 minutes at a time during that regression.

It was awful.

The only way I managed to get her to take a decent nap through that regression was to babywear.

But now that we have gotten past the 4-month sleep regression, the nap struggles are back.

So what could be the reason behind the struggles now?

According to The Baby Sleep Site, there are several reasons why your baby may be struggling to take a nap.

Some of the reasons they give are:

• Baby is not tired enough to nap (under-tired)
• Baby is too tired to nap (over-tired)
• Baby doesn’t know it’s time for nap
• Baby isn’t in a environment meant for sleep
• Baby is in the midst of a nap transition or sleep regression
• Baby is too hungry to nap

I know that some of these reasons are why my baby was struggling with nap time.

The main reasons that my baby is struggling are because she is not tired enough and she is currently going through another sleep regression.

Another common reason that wasn’t mentioned on why your baby may be struggling to nap is teething.

That is also something that my baby is currently going through.

So as you can see, naptime struggles are common and they happen for a number of different reasons.

With that being said, I created a naptime schedule that I like to follow that helps make sure my baby girl takes good naps during the day.

You can check out that routine down below.

Nap Schedule For My 10-Month-Old Baby

8:00 AM: Wake Up For Day

If you all are familiar with my daily routine with my baby and toddler, then you know that both of my kids get up at 8:00 AM.

My baby girl typically nurses when she wakes up and then she will be up for the next 2 hours.

My 10-month-old is currently taking solids and her feeding schedule consists of getting solids 3 times a day.

During this time, she will have her first solid of the day which usually consists of purees and baby cereal.

As it gets closer to her first nap, she will nurse right before, then I will put her down for a short nap.

10:00-11:00 AM: 1st Nap

This nap is the shorter nap that she will take during the day and ranges from 45 minutes to a little over an hour.

And it is usually because we are on the go during this time so the majority of this nap is in the car seat.

During this time of day, I normally run any errands that I need to get done or I will take the girls to a fun place where they can play before lunchtime.

If we are not out during this time, then my baby will nap in her crib.

After she has had a nap, she will be up for the next 3 to 3 and a half hours.

2:30-5:00 PM: 2nd Nap

I had mentioned above that my baby is crawling everywhere and pulling up on everything which are skills that she loves to practice.

So she gets a lot of practice during this wake window prior to this nap.

This is also when I will engage in some floor activities that allow her to crawl and pull up as much as she pleases.

During this wake window before her nap, my baby will nurse around 12:30 PM followed by lunch around 1:00 PM which normally consists of purées and baby puffs.

She will nurse again around 2:30 PM before going down for her second nap which lasts anywhere between 2 to 2 and a half hours.

This is her long nap of the day and I am able to get a good chunk of work done during this time.

I try not to let her sleep past 5:00 PM so that she will still go to bed at a decent time.

Bedtime is usually 3 to 3 and a half hours after she wakes up from her second nap.

8:30 PM: Bedtime

This leads me to bedtime.

After following my 10-month-old’s nap schedule all day, it is time to put my little one to bed.

Bedtime is usually anywhere between 8:30 to 9:00 PM.

Her bedtime routine usually starts with her bathtime routine and then we follow up with a nursing session before bed.

We are currently trying to transition her from bedsharing to crib sleeping so she starts in the crib every night and then halfway through the night when she wakes up, she will often come back to our bed.

And then we get to start it all over again tomorrow.

So my baby’s nap schedule goes as follows:

• 8:00 AM: Wake Up
• 10:00-11:00 AM: 1st Nap
• 2:30-5:00 PM: 2nd Nap
• 8:30 PM: Bedtime

Your Turn

Well, that is the nap schedule that my 10-month-old is currently following. As you can see, her daytime naps total anywhere between 3 to 3 and a half hours which is what most 10-month-old average. I want to hear from you all now. What do your nap schedule looks like for your baby? Let me know in the comments and while you are still here, check out my previous post below. Until next time!

• Read More: Keeping My Home Clean With A Baby And Toddler

Love,

Just Jass