Daytime naps - Help!

[Mezby]

This is the first time I've ever posted anything on MN so please forgive the lack of acronyms used! I have three children; DS is nearly 4, DD1 is 2 and DD2 is 12 weeks. DD2 has been a very good baby, she sleeps well at night but for the last few weeks she only cat naps during the day, sometimes as little as 20 mins at a time and it's really starting to get me down. At first she wouldn't go down to sleep at all but I've cracked that now which is one thing. She really does need to sleep for longer as soon after she wakes up she wants to go to sleep again. I have tried several methods, staying with her and holding her hand/ stroking her face, leaving her to cry (for no more than ten mins did this with DD1 and worked very quickly), going in, putting her dummy in and leaving again. Nothing seems to work. She is very good at sleeping in the car and when we're out and about but I can't put her and my other two children in the car every time I want her to sleep, it's not fair on them. They're getting fed up of me spending so much time trying to settle DD2, and I'm very reluctant to have her sleep on me during the day, it creates a rod for your own back. Does anyone have any ideas? I'm reaching the end of my tether as by the time 4 pm comes she is so tired, her eyes are red, she's deathly white and the last few days she's screamed with tiredness which is something she's never done before. TYIA.

[MrsWobbleTheWaitress]

Won't she feed to sleep?

FWIW, my 2nd, 3rd and 4th babies all had to manage with snatched catnaps here and there. They'd fall asleep on the way to places in the buggy and I'd just leave them to sleep when we got there. Or in the car and I'd put them in a sling when we got where we were going and they'd usually stay asleep a while then.

I never even bothered trying to put them down once they were asleep, for a nap until they were much older. Way too stressful with trying to keep the older ones quiet etc. And mine have always fed/been driven/slinged to sleep until they were quite old - far less stress that way!

[trixie123]

how about a bit of very quiet music or a light and sound type mobile that she can watch in her cot so she is quiet and asborbed - the tomy star shaped one is great. It doesn't exactly lull DS to sleep but sort of amuses him long enough for him to calm down and relax and then drop off

[Igglybuff]

Can you put her in a sling for some naps? Also can you catch her earlier for naps? At that age, my DS would only stay awake for very short periods (45 mins sometimes) before needing to sleep and if I left it too long he'd catnap and get massively overtired.

Also she's so young, I think you probably need to try rocking her or feeding to sleep - she probably needs a bit more comforting. I know that my DS would need more help at that age. Once she's asleep, after 5/10 mins you can put her down.

I don't think you're creating a rod by letting her sleep on you - she's only 12 weeks old. Again, my DS slept on me for the first 3/4 months and he currently goes into his cot with no fuss at 8 months.

[preggarschick]

hi, i seem to have a similar problem with my baby, she is only 9 weeks old though, but from 6pm onwards she just screams she is so tired. she wont feed because she is tired and it can quite often take alot of time to comfort her then she will fall asleep i put her in basket then she will wake up! this can happen several times!