Enforcing A Nap Schedule For Infants?

[leeloo]

As a provider do you think it is a good idea to put infants on a nap schedule? At what age do you try and put them on the schedule?

Thanks!

[MarinaVanessa]

I follow the cues of an infant and follow their bodies own natural routine. Here infants eat and sleep on demand.

[cheerfuldom]

We follow a routine till four or five months meaning that I follow their natural cues but I do put them down for naps and most kids will start falling into a pattern. It is usually three naps a day. After that, I put them on a schedule of two naps a day at the same time that fits into my schedule, regardless of what mom and dad do at home. I used to try and let the parents take the lead but to be honest, most of them dont know what to do but they will follow my lead with naps. Usually works out.

[Maria2013]

my infants are on their own clock, but they still somehow manage to fit the schedule by 10 to 11 mos

[craftymissbeth]

Until they're around 3-4 months I mostly follow their cues and they eat and sleep on demand... especially itty bitty newborns. I do suggest to them a routine and gently start prepping them towards our generic sleep schedule of 9ish morning nap until 10 and then 12:30ish afternoon nap until whenever they wake up. I of course would never deny them a nap if they needed it or force them to nap if they didn't need it.

[Crazy8]

my "schedule" for infants is really just eat, play, sleep, repeat. I don't follow a clock but I do try to follow that routine. I find the younger ones will be back asleep about 2 hours after waking, then it starts to extend to 2.5, 3, 3.5 hrs. I have always found this type of scheduling to work for me with babies.

[leeloo]

We follow a routine till four or five months meaning that I follow their natural cues but I do put them down for naps and most kids will start falling into a pattern. It is usually three naps a day. After that, I put them on a schedule of two naps a day at the same time that fits into my schedule, regardless of what mom and dad do at home. I used to try and let the parents take the lead but to be honest, most of them dont know what to do but they will follow my lead with naps. Usually works out.

At what age do you start doing two naps?