5 month old won't nap!

[Cattia]

My 5 month old has always slept OK when we are out and about. She will take naps in her buggy, in her bouncer, in her car seat, even on her play mat... until now! Her night time sleep has suddenly got worse - she has slept through from 7 weeks but is now waking one or twice a night. As for daytime sleep - forget it! She takes about three naps a day, these can be anything between 10 minutes to half an hour. I really don't think this is enough sleep. I spent about half an hour trying to get her to sleep yesterday and she eventually fell asleep in her car seat - for about 15 minutes then she was awake again!

I would like to be able to put her down in her cot for an afternoon nap, but she seems to take her afternoon nap just before we have to leave for the school run so then I would have to get her up again. Because she has to fit around the older two, it is harder for her to have a routine.

 

[LilFooshFoosh]

Have you tried putting a blanket over the seat? I have some muslin blankets so when DD falls asleep or when she gets tired we put a cloth to block her view. If she wakes up she might grump for a minute or two but then she gets bored and falls back asleep. You can create the same effect but pointing the car seat/cot/held baby at a blank wall.

Otherwise, hopefully it is a phase and she will get back to her regular routine soon!

 

[Cattia]

I hadn't thought of that. I know that if I move her at all she seems to wake up, so if I know we are going out, then I put her to nap in car seat, but then when I pick the car seat up she wakes up! I like the idea of facing a blank wall. I will try that!

 

[rwhite]

I feel your pain! My little miss is the exact same. She's started being quite difficult to put to bed at night, too. And I'll get her to sleep but as soon as I go to put her down her eyes snap open and it's party time :\ Even the swing is seldom working if I've exhausted every other avenue. She will gladly fall asleep on me after a boob, but even then it's not for very long.

 

[Cattia]

Dammit, last night she woke up every two hours, having slept through the night since 7 weeks. She also only had two 30 minute naps today. What to do with this girl?

 

[kellyc1987]

I feel your pain!! My 5 month old has recently started being a right pain to get down for a nap! I used to be able to rock him to sleep but that doesn't work anymore and when I somehow manage to get him to sleep he only sleeps for 30 mins... He also woke up twice in the night where he used to sleep through?! Not sure what is going on with these 5 month olds but if anything works for you please let me know

 

[rwhite]

It must be their age, every two hours must have been so rough Lots of coffee for you then today?

Clem was up at 3.30 and then proceeded to stay awake even after feeding her...finally she went to sleep after a little grizzle at 6.30...and because it's getting lighter out in the mornings (just gone in to Spring here) it had just become daylight. I feel like death warmed up today... x She, too, was sleeping right through from about the same age as your girly, but her sleep this past month has been going backwards!

 

[Cattia]

I smugly thought that we had avoided the four months sleep regression as well! When they don't settle after a feed is the worst! Last night I left her to fuss when she first woke up (I never leave her to cry but a few minutes fussing I think is ok) and she did go back to sleep. She then woke up two more times for a feed (well I don't know if that was the reason but I fed her anyway). So less bad than the night before, but still not great. She was never even like this as a newborn!