6 mo, overtired, won't nap, HELP ME!!!

[LaTristesse]

Please!

DD is 6 mo, struggles to fall asleep at bedtime as she's chronically overtired. She has an older brother so I'm trying to fit their routines together which is tough enough, but Im aiming for bed at 7 for her.

The things causing it all is that her daytime sleep is practically non existent, she fights every nap, unless we're in a moving car or a moving Pushchair. She used to feed to sleep nicely but that's stopped working, she just bites me or pushes me away. Often she's windy or needs a poo whih can keep her awake for hours, I'm assuming there's nothing I can do about that?!

I'm stuck. DH wants to just leave her to cry, but I'm not keen. I've tried PUPD and Shush Pat but nothing really works, if she does nod off it's only for 30 mins. I have dream sheep and comforters and white noise, nothing helps.

What can I do? Any help gratefully received before I go mad. Thank you

[Seriouslysleepdeprived]

Have you tried her in a baby carrier? I bought an ergo & it works like a dream

[LaTristesse]

Yes I have, we use one all the time for walks etc. Sometimes it works for sleeping, sometimes not... Thanks for the suggestion.

[Seriouslysleepdeprived]

May be obvious but DS is 6 months too & needs to sleep every 2hours I discovered. I pop him in the ergo 20 mins before he's due a nap & he'll drift off.

Is she getting enough wind down time? I wasn't doing this & he would never nap.

[LaTristesse]

No I dont think she is. She has a rowdy older brother who won't leave us time to do a wind down routine! We snatch what we can get...
The last couple of days I've watched her like a hawk and persevered with getting her to sleep in her bed as much as possible. She skipped one nap, had a teeny catnap on another occasion, but did have a lovely 2 hour lunch time nap today. It seems true that sleep breeds sleep as she's gone down fine tonight. I think I was so anti her crying, but after grizzling for a minute or so she did drop off for several of the naps over the last couple of days. Still hurt me to hear her but I guess She's learning a skill...

[Iggly]

Can you stick the tv on while you nap her? I do that with ds if I need to put dd down with him about.

Other thing is using the pushchair for a nap is not bad thing as gets you out of the house. We all go out in the morning so dd can nap and it gets us out too. I use a snooze shade to block her view and she falls asleep quickly.

Aim for a morning nap two hours after waking and a lunch time nap about three hours after waking from the morning nap. Then a cat nap in the pm if you can.

[LaTristesse]

Those timings are good Iggly, thanks. I'll try and work to that...

Yes I've tried CBeebies but he just wants to see what we're up to, especially if she cries (he wants to come and hold her hand which is adorable but not too helpful at this point!).

Yes she is quite good in the pushchair so we also tend to go out in the mornings. It's the other naps we're struggling with most. However we are making progress, I think today was the first day of her life she had the 'recommended' amount of sleep!

[Iggly]

Can you give him a snack too? Maybe that'll keep him quiet! I would tell ds I was putting dd in her cot while he watches tv. Luckily she settled quite quickly after a feed though.