Hi all. I have a 11 week old ds who I have major problems in getting to sleep. Bed time is not so bad - I think because of the routine we started form birth but nap time can be a nightmare. Every day he will cry for up to 2 hour before falling asleep - sometimes for only 30mins. It is heart breaking and really stressing me out. I get him to his cot at the first yawn - give him a cuddle, shut curtains etc. Have even bought a music sleep cd from the nct. I then go back and forth trying to calm him. I have yet to get him to sleep right through his long nap at lunchtime. I often give up and go out with the pram because he is screaming so much. I am shattered. He is also still up twice for a feed after the 10.30 feed - so I am not getting much sleep at night.
Does anyone have any other suggestions? I thought it would have started to get better by now.
:(
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scobby · 12/05/2006 09:25
My DS is and was the same. He's now 9 months and rarely sleeps during the day unless he's in the pushchair or car. I take a lot of walks! He usually only sleeps for 45 mins at a time too. Sometimes I think he's getting better but generally not.
We've given up fighting it and trying to get a routine or daytime indoor naps going. So we just go with it. If I want to do things around the house I often push him round the block until he is asleep and then sneak in with the pushchair.
The other thing is that your DS might not be emotionally ready to go for a daytime nap on his own. 11wks is quite young to expect that. It's also quite young to expect sleeping through - something that's happened to us a handful of times but no more! Our DS has settled a lot lately at night and will almost sleep through. But it's something that he's done naturally rather than us sleep training in any way. You may want to try putting your DS down for a nap 15mins before the first yawn is expected - I know that's worked for a lot of people.
Don't stress that your friends have good sleeper babies. Their next one will be a wakeful one 
and then they'll know all about it! 
Just go with the flow for the time being.
At 11 weeks DS had his daytime naps in teh pushchair, in the car, in his car seat, or in his bouncy chair.
If he didn;t go to sleep while "in motion", he would fall asleep on the breast.
He wouldn;t sleep lying down flat eitehr in his cot or anywhere else.
He slept for a maximum of 45 mins for most naps, sometimes a bit longer in teh afternoon.
I kind of fell into a routine where I would plan to leave the house at a certain time each day - say 9.30 - whetehr to walk to the local shops, or go further afield. he would nap during that time. Then he would sleep again around 12pm, in his chair, and anotehr late nap around 4.30pm, again in his chair.
At teh time I stressed about it loads but looking back it's not caused any problems at all.
He started napping in his cot around 5-6 months, and was fed to sleep for naps until he was about 12 months.
From 13 months he slept for 2 hours after lunch in his cot, in teh dark - and still does at 2.2.
I would say, go with teh flow. Do what seems to suit you both at this stage.
Plenty of time for him to sleep alone and settle himslef when he's a bit older 
haven't had time to read all this thread, but my ds was just the same. slept well at night but was a nightmare to settle during the day. Eventually, I swaddled him and held him, writhing and struggling, red inthe face and angry, until after about 5 mintues he would succumb. Then, for a few days I held him for the entire nap, then I put him in his moses basket (after which he would wake after about 1/2 hour), after which time I would rock him back to sleep and let him continue to sleep in my arms. After about a week, I put him back to sleep in his m/b after I had got him back off, and within a couple of weeks, he was having two, 2 hour naps a day and has continued that to this day, is 6 months old now and goes down awake for all his naps/sleep. hth. .
Hi Scobby
Please dont be offended by this post, but i am a little 
. 11 weeks is really so wee. You do sound tired, i know its exhausting at first - DD is now 7 months old, but i remember the early days so well. The trouble is, leaving babes to cry at this age is really no good for them, there's lots of evidence to show it can lead to behaviour problems and long term difficulties with managing anxiety and stress. I have struggled with whether to write this post, but figured it better that i do and then of course you can make up your own mind. All babies are different - some have a long nap at lunctime, some don't. most babies don't sleep longer than 45 mins at a time at this age, its just how babies are. Some will, but often only because they have learn't that there is no point crying because no one will come to comfort them, and so 'give up'. Its normal for a baby not to sleep through the night at this age too, they might not 'need' feeding, but they need comfort and love when they wake up all alone at night. (And they might need feeding too, but that isn't something i know a lot about, although DD still does sometimes)
But yes, mums need sleep and rest too. Is there anyone you can ask for help? can someone push ds round the park a couple of times a week for you? Someone else mentioned a sling - i used this all the time when DD was tiny - she nodded off as i wandered round the house and then i could sit down.
Some babies are definitly born a bit more cranky than others. But it will pass, baby will get better, he just needs a bit more help than some others to get to sleep just now.
And some of those mums are not telling you the truth about their own babies, honest . Or have very short memories.
My DD is now nearly 10 months old... And I do remember very well that until she was 4 months old, we had HUGE trouble to get her to have a day naps.. Everybody else baby seemed to have their long day naps and NOT MINE
... I remember to feel so upset about it... So I used to put her in the pushchair(she would fall asleep straight away) and then come back home when she was waking up. I couldn't leave her to cry in her cot so that's why I use to take her out. My mother suggested that I should start to give her solid food(DD was 16 weeks) because maybe she wasn't getting enough and a baby sleep better whith a full stomach... So I did, and within 2 weeks, she was eating baby rice + milk (then sleeping 1 hour in the morning in her cot) and lunch was puree + milk (then sleeping 2 hours).. it was wonderful, I was breastfeeding at the time and obviously not getting enough to be able to fall asleep... Scobby, I wouldn't leave him crying for a day nap, some babies are more active than others... Nowadays, DD goes to nursery, she doesn't nap much there (no more than 1 hour a day!!!), and she is full of beans when I pick her up in the evening. But then over the week end, she naps for at least 5 hours a day... I am sure you are exausted, I use to feel like it until DD was 4 months old, you could try to sleep at the same time she goes to bed in the evening maybe??? Good luck and I am sure you are a wonderful mummy
I think marytee's post is spot on.
I am also a bit and at your post.
Please don't let your baby cry this long.
bumbleweed & marytee... that's kind of what I was trying to say too - but I was being less commital!
It's really hard to see it, but things will improve and you will be less knackered. I just wish that I didn't waste the little energy I had on trying to implement some kind of pattern or 'good sleeping habits' when my DS was so young. If there is someone who can help you out by taking your DS for a couple of hours then take them up on that offer. And go to your bed for a nap (don't do the housework!).
Hope it all settles down, I'm sure it will in its own time.
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