PDA

View Full Version : 3 mo old - little or no daytime naps



amldaley
11-07-2008, 09:10 AM
Hi all,

Dd is 14 weeks. She has been sleeping 6 - 9 hours at night since 6 weeks. But she rarely gets real daytime naps. She nurses/naps on me ( naps while nursing, nurses in her sleep), and I have tried to get her to bed then, but she either wakes when I move or, the few times I have gotten her down, she wakes within minutes.

We swaddle at night, but she refuses to be swaddled in daytime.

She is a curious and alert baby, but displays signs of tiredness in afternoon and evening.

How do I get her to nap????

tia!

WatchingThemGrow
11-07-2008, 09:53 AM
IIRC, Weissbluth recommends to be your baby's timekeeper in a sense - to start putting them down drowsy into the crib at certain times of day. I think at that time, my babies were doing three scheduled naps/day. By 5-6 mos, we were moving toward 2 naps/day. If you don't have Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, I would go grab it today. It is wonderful. It has chapters on certain stages your child will go through and how to best meet their needs for sleep. I think sleeping on you initially is fine, but now is when you need to start putting the baby into the crib so she learns to self soothe and fall asleep on her own. She will wake occasionally, then put herself back to sleep if she's learned to do it on her own.

amldaley
11-07-2008, 12:47 PM
Thanks for the rec on that book - I will pick it up asap!
I am a firm believer in good sleep habits as someone who did not develop them as a child and suffered mopst of my life until I made up my mind to fix it myself just a year ago

After posting, dd was still sleep nursing on me, but she had been at the breast about an hour. So, I gently popped her off. She stirred, but I got her to the bassinet. 3 minutes later, she woke - but I left her alone and 5 minutes later she was asleep. And 5 minutes later she was awake. She stayed awake for almost 20 minutes and finally got bored/frustrated watching me napping across from her.

So, I put her on the bed with me. She talked to me for awhile, then got tired-fussy. She fights sleep big-time. After a few minutes of trying to stay awake (both of us), I gave her a paci.....and we fell asleep....me sleeping with my hand on her gently blocking the paci from falling. I know it's not ideal, but it is a huge`step for us!

I think we will try it again this afternoon and aim for more bassinet time. DH is building the crib in her nursery this weekend and we'll try nap time up there then.

Thanks, as always, for your help!!!!!

WatchingThemGrow
11-07-2008, 03:37 PM
Kudos to you for correcting your own sleep issues. That's awesome.

If you're in the mood for reading more about it as the Weissbluth section appropriate for her is only a chapter for right now (I think you'll probably end up reading the 5-12 mo chapter also), I would highly recommend reading the Ferber book also. Some people here go for his approach and some don't. Friends who haven't gone for it and got totally frustrated, have said it changed their lives after they did read his stuff and followed it. I checked it out of the library.

Sleep is precious, and setting up good habits now can only make your life as a parent more enjoyable.

amldaley
11-10-2008, 01:28 PM
In keeping with information on this topic, I found this, tried it yesterday and today and...so far so good! Went down at 8:45 pm and awoke at 5:30 am. Went down for a nap at 9:45 am and slept for 2 + hours!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.supportgroupformothers.com/thoughts11.htm

Think I will look into this book, too.

ETA: This is what I was having alot of trouble with...the "how" to get her down.

amldaley
11-13-2008, 03:16 PM
ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, we have been working on a morning and afternoon nap NOT in my lap.

Mornings have gone well until this a.m. when dd woke at 4:30 instead of 5:30 or 6 and so, we nursed and THEN had a nap and so pushed a.m. nap into early afternoon. She fell asleep on me nursing again, so I went to get her down and she is wide awake, hand in mouth, mumbling and fussing and rubbing her eyes and yawning.

How do I CONVINCE a 15 week old she really wants to sleep??????????????????:help: