Need help. The girl just *wont* nap! LOL

[chlobo]

My dd is almost 5 months old and exclusively breastfed. For the last month or so she has been doing pretty good at night so I have no issue there (usually gets 11-12 hrs).

The problem is that the girl will *NOT* nap (never mind napping on a regular routine). I have tried: nursing, bouncing, putting her in the crib sleepy but alert, nursing in bed, using a sling, swing, bouncy seat, car ride. We added room darkening blinds to her room and I also use white noise. We used to swaddle but now it makes her MORE annoyed so we stopped that. I have also strived to put her down less than two hours after she wakes up in the morning (sometimes as little as an hour and a half) and tried extending her awake time. When she is overtired she will not even lie peacefully in her crib. She'll just cry and cry and cry until I pick her up (ok, I don't actually know how long she'll cry b/c I usually pick her up after a few minutes when she starts escalating).

I know she's tired because she looks sleepy and also will start to rub her eyes and get VERY irritated. In the afternoon she will get so cranky that the only cure is for me to walk around holding her. It is VERY exhausting.

Is there something else I can try to help my baby sleep? She is so much more cheerful when she does manage a nap. Its just infrequent and a lot of work on mine & dh's part to get her down. Or do I just have to tough it out until she "develops" naps. I can't help but feel like there is something more I could do.

Carren

[jubilee]

I had the same problem with my son. It resolved after I read Dr. Marc Weissbluth's book "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child". It gave me info on what the typical sleep schedule is for each age. Then I learned my baby's sleep cues, so I was following his natural schedule- which happened to be exactly what the book said. Now, my little guy naps twice a day- they aren't long naps, but at least they are regular! And his attitude and life in general got SO MUCH better after we figured the nap thing out!

[HelenD]

I just want to tell you...you are not alone. My child is not a napper either (almost 6 months).

The only way I have been successful in developing any kind of nap is to BF her lying down in our bed. She goes to sleep, sometimes I do too. Sometimes I can slip away and get a whole 20 minutes or so in nap time.

I'm always on a quest to figure out how people get their children to nap. My little one just resists the heck out of it! And a schedule of naps - It's a dream of ours.

One book that did help me, and it's available via the netlibrary is _The No-Cry Sleep Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Baby Sleep Through the Night_ by Elizabeth Pantley. It has some pretty good tips and tricks. Worth picking up at the library or reading online if your library belongs to netlibrary.

Good Luck

[Vajrastorm]

My 6 month old will nap - but only ON me. Even then, it can take some work. Her naps are very short too -usually 30 minutes.

One thing that has helped here is consistency on my part. I found the most soothing thing for her and stick with it. We nurse in a specific room, with the same white noise, to go to sleep. If she won't nurse down, I bounce her on an exercise ball on the pillow she naps on (in the same room, with the white noise).

I started a log of when she went to sleep. how long it lasted, and the way on which she went to sleep. (Or notes on resistence if she refused to sleep). I now have a few months of data, lol. It helped me see what worked and didn't.

I'd say her naps are the most important thing in my day. I'm not rigid or obsessed (really!) but except for special occasions I organize my day around her nap needs. This has, over time, helped her relax into a pattern. It isn't set in stone, she is still a choatic beastie :p

For example, by all reasonings she should be napping right now but instead she's screeching happily next to me. Maybe because we went out to dinner last night and disrupted her rhythm? I don't know. In any event, rather than give up on her nap, I placed her in a non-stimulating vibrating seat next to me. The white noise is still on and while I'm not ignoring her, I'm remaining very low key. She actually seems happy. (Odd, but like I said, chaotic beastie). If she were to get really unhappy I'd bounce her, because it would be clear she was tired and needed the sleep. As it stands right now, I'm attempting to allow her to wind down by herself. She is not a self soother by any means - this ability to sit in her seat once in a while is relatively new. In 5-10 min. I'll try nursing her again and see what happens.

All of this detail may not apply to your situation, but the reason I gave it was that I had to learn what worked for her. It was trial and error, and required me to take notes.

Aine is so much happier when she naps, even her little 30 min. power naps. Therefore, I am so much happier when she naps.

Okay, Ive written a novel and I don't even know if anything in it is helpful! Naps are something I think about all the time though, so I had to answer! Time to nruse my little wakey bird.