Need nap help!

[firemama]

My 5 1/2 month old sleeps great at night. An average of 12 hours. But her naps are very random. If we're home and she falls asleep on my husband or I, she will sleep up to 2 hours or more. I really don't like this habit and want her to sleep in her crib. She sleeps just fine in her crib at night. I have tried endless times to lay her down after she falls asleep in my arms (for a nap), and she always wakes up. I have tried waiting 15 minutes all the way up to 1 hour, and she still wakes up. I feel horrible because she's missing much needed naps, and I am missing the freedom during the day :( And if we are out and about she either doesn't sleep or has a horrible car seat nap.

Crl, I noticed you said in another thread your baby didn't take regular naps until they were 5 1/2 months. How did you get on a schedule?

I feel totally helpless and don't know what to do! Everyone I talk to says I should be happy she's sleeping 12 hours at night and that's enough. Even my pediatrician said it's okay. I just don't believe it and feel she needs naps too. And I don't want to be stuck holding her for naps for the next 3 + years!!

Please help!! I'll take any advice!

[BabyBearsMom]

DD is 8 months old and has always been a great night time sleeper but a horrible napper. She now will take 2 naps a day but they are short (like 30 minutes) but she still sleeps 11 hours straight at night. I've just learned to accept it. A few ideas to try:

1) Have you tried putting her down for a nap on something besides you or DH? Like a nap nanny or in a swing?
2) If your DD likes to sleep at night, you may just need some black out shades to make her room really nice and dark, those helped my DD a lot.
3) Develop a routine for nap time. For my DD, we put her in a sleep sack, I rock her in a chair and give her a bottle and hum softly until she is 90% asleep, but not completely asleep. Then I lay her down in her crib with a pacifier and stroke her hair while humming until she falls asleep (usually takes 5 or 10 minutes)

[firemama]

Thanks for the advice! I will try a nap routine.

I also forgot to mention she sleeps while she is eating (she is exclusively breastfed with an occasional bm bottle). But can that really count for sleep? Is it okay that I'm letting her do that?

We have also noticed the sleep cues and lay her down (by the way she sleeps on her stomach, I know a lot of people don't do this), but she just props herself up on her hands and always rolls over. So since she sleeps on her stomach she won't fall asleep on her back. I've tried going in and flipping her back over, but she just rolls over again. I don't want her to get in this habit and think it's a game. Ugh! What to do?!

[BabyBearsMom]

Thanks for the advice! I will try a nap routine.

I also forgot to mention she sleeps while she is eating (she is exclusively breastfed with an occasional bm bottle). But can that really count for sleep? Is it okay that I'm letting her do that?

We have also noticed the sleep cues and lay her down (by the way she sleeps on her stomach, I know a lot of people don't do this), but she just props herself up on her hands and always rolls over. So since she sleeps on her stomach she won't fall asleep on her back. I've tried going in and flipping her back over, but she just rolls over again. I don't want her to get in this habit and think it's a game. Ugh! What to do?!

When DD was nursed she would frequently doze off while she was eating (she still does with the bottle). But usually the process of taking her off and putting her to bed would wake her up again. I don't think there is anythign wrong with letting her do that. She needs to sleep and you are doing what you can to get it for her.

DD also sleeps on her tummy and has since she was 3 months old. She started rolling over at that point, and there was no stopping her. Usually we put her down on her back and she just rolls onto her tummy. If she is having trouble going to sleep, I will stroke her back while she falls asleep as well and that seems to help.