Anyone else's LO refuse to nap????

[JadeyB]

Do you have any tips in encouraging them to sleep? The last few days we have spent about 50 mins to an hour trying to nap. Only to end up wide awake ready for play to be absolutly exhausted 30 mins to an hour later but still refusing to sleep...

Until finally falling asleep around 6pm just before its time for the bedtime routine!!!

xx

 

[aliss]

How long is baby awake in between naps? Should be around 2-2.5hr max at that age

 

[NuKe]

poppys sleeping has gone haywire this last week, some days ive literally been rocking her for 3+ hours!! my arm is guna be soo buff! joking aside though, its very draining. pops gets soo crabby, rubbing her eyes, yawning and playing with her ears but still refuses to nap. i feel your pain. does your lo take a dummy??

 

[JadeyB]

How long is baby awake in between naps? Should be around 2-2.5hr max at that age

Thanks hon. He tends to have a good nap (in his cot) about 1 1/2 - 2 hours after waking but then doesn't nap properly until about 5.30/6pm but by this point he is way beyond tired.

He cat naps in the car or out for a walk but not for very long and he really needs more than this. I just don't know how to get him to sleep.

Fortunately he is not like this every single day but I'd say 4 out of 7 days a week.

It does get quite draining. He goes down brilliantly in the night and sleeps between 11 and 12 hours.

x

p.s. the only thing that is guaranteed to get him off is a walk (either in the baby carrier or pram). Unfortunately the weather is rubbish at the mo. I try to get out when it is not pooring down. I don't want to have to resort to a walk though, I'd like to get him in good habits (Maybe this will just happen).

 

[JadeyB]

poppys sleeping has gone haywire this last week, some days ive literally been rocking her for 3+ hours!! my arm is guna be soo buff! joking aside though, its very draining. pops gets soo crabby, rubbing her eyes, yawning and playing with her ears but still refuses to nap. i feel your pain. does your lo take a dummy??

Sounds very very familiar. Maybe there is something in the air as Ethan has definitely been worse the last 3 days.

He takes a dummy but when he goes into one, it doesn't help. He cries with it in his mouth xx

 

[aliss]

Oh, I feel your pain, up until last month LO would only sleep swaddled in a stroller with me jogging (good thing I was an athlete before 'cause I would jog 1-2 hours during a colic freakout!)

I still swaddle my guy at 5.5 months, it's the only way to get him to sleep. Sounds you have a 'motion man'. Try rocking him, swinging him, every 2 hours or when you see any tired signs - that's what we did. It took 2 weeks of consistent attempts (including many screaming matches) but it was the only way.

 

[JadeyB]

Oh, I feel your pain, up until last month LO would only sleep swaddled in a stroller with me jogging (good thing I was an athlete before 'cause I would jog 1-2 hours during a colic freakout!)

I still swaddle my guy at 5.5 months, it's the only way to get him to sleep. Sounds you have a 'motion man'. Try rocking him, swinging him, every 2 hours or when you see any tired signs - that's what we did. It took 2 weeks of consistent attempts (including many screaming matches) but it was the only way.

Thanks hon.

I must admit I leave rocking him to the very last thing I try. By this point he has worked himself up into a state. I don't want to get him into bad habits. I know he can self soothe, as he does it all by himself at night.

If I do rock him to sleep every 2 hours, will he just grow out of needing to be rocked??

xx

 

[aliss]

^^I started rocking him down for a nap at 3 months and now at 5.5 months, he no longer needs it. Here's the problem - when they work themelves up into such a state, they seem to associate sleep with bad things (ie being upset). After rocking him for several weeks/months, I believe I have taught him that sleep is pleasurable and welcomed. More often than not now, I can feed him and put him in his crib to settle and sleep.

It had the opposite effect of him needing it each time. My baby never slept well from day 1 and always seemed to associate sleep with pain (babies really don't get this from the beginning that sleep is good for them). Maybe he needs to learn to associate sleep with pleasure. JMO, but rocking actually paved teh way to self settling!

 

[JadeyB]

^^I started rocking him down for a nap at 3 months and now at 5.5 months, he no longer needs it. Here's the problem - when they work themelves up into such a state, they seem to associate sleep with bad things (ie being upset). After rocking him for several weeks/months, I believe I have taught him that sleep is pleasurable and welcomed. More often than not now, I can feed him and put him in his crib to settle and sleep.

It had the opposite effect of him needing it each time. My baby never slept well from day 1 and always seemed to associate sleep with pain (babies really don't get this from the beginning that sleep is good for them). Maybe he needs to learn to associate sleep with pleasure. JMO, but rocking actually paved teh way to self settling!

Thanks hun, that actually does make sense to me.

If I'm honest, that is probably what we did with his nightime routine and he goes down in his cot awake and falls asleep by himself. He also wakes up in the morning just chatting happily to himself - albeit very loudly - lol!!

He struggles to go for a nap and he wakes up screaming from a nap.

I will try that from tomorrow. xx

 

[aliss]

Good luck!!