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Join our Sleep forum for tips on creating a sleep routine for your baby or toddler.

Sleep

12 week old refuses to nap

12 replies

Cmccross · 19/10/2017 19:13

My 12 week old refuses to nap in the day which is really starting to get me down as I can't get anything done and I have a toddler. By the time we get to bathtime the baby is beside himself with tiredness and screams all the way through bedtime with toddler and finally is fed to sleep by around 8:30pm. Today I knew he was really tired, I had errands to run so tried to walk him in the pram but he just screamed and screamed. He will nap in the sling but wakes the second I stop walking so it's becoming very tiring. He is EBF and does sleep ok at night though. I'm considering getting a sleep consultant to give me some help getting him in routine as I think it would restore my sanity but she is expensive and I'm not sure whether it would work. Any advice greatly appreciated!

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Lenl · 19/10/2017 19:18

Following as you could have described my 17 week old. We've had several weeks of no naps though the last 2 days have been better.

What helps is my DP puts him in the sling and paces round on Facebook on his phone when he gets back from work to give me a break and time to sort toddlers dinner and bed. Could your partner do this? Also do you bath every night as if he's exhausted it sounds terribly stressful. I'd skip it and feed him to sleep a bit earlier than normal sometimes instead. Feel your pain though. Napless days are long.

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Cmccross · 19/10/2017 19:25

Unfort DH can't help as he doesn't get home from work until 10pm. I have to bath the toddler every night as he's potty training and having heaps of accidents still so I can't put newborn to bed until I've sorted the toddler out. It would be more straightforward without having to work around the toddler's routine but if I can get the newborn into some sort of similar routine I think it would make my life a lot easier!

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Lenl · 19/10/2017 19:33

Ah that's tough. My DP leaves at the crack of dawn before we're up, but is home before 5 which really helps.

Sarah Ockwell-Smith is great for routines and I think she does fairly affordable email sleep consultations (all the way up to in person stuff depending on budget)

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Cmccross · 19/10/2017 19:39

Ooh that's v helpful thank you I will check her out

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FATEdestiny · 20/10/2017 09:23

Cmccross, have you tried a bouncy chair for naps? Very useful for getting baby to sleep while also playing with toddler.

I'd also suggest a dummy, if you gave already introduced one for sleep times.

Then limit awake time to 45-60 minutes. So once baby has been awake for 45 minutes (or sooner if tired signs) put into bouncer with dummy and just be relentless about non stop bouncing with your foot for as long as it takes baby to drop off.

If over tired, it will take more work to get baby to sleep and you may need to keep the bouncing going throughout the nap to keep baby asleep. But as you get out of the over tiredness cycle it should get quicker and easier to get her to sleep and you can just leave baby in the bouncer while you do stuff while asleep.

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crazycatlady5 · 20/10/2017 09:26

Has he always been like this or is it recent? As I found my now 9 month old was like this when going through developmental leaps. It’s hard to get her to nap anyway and it takes effort but I have the luxury of not having a toddler as well would be nap in the prom with a white noise toy? This often works if I’m too busy to make loads of effort to get her to sleep. So a Ewan the Sheep or a MyHummy?

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crazycatlady5 · 20/10/2017 09:27

would he nap in the pram

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Cmccross · 20/10/2017 09:44

He won't nap in the pram sadly. I have tried so many times and walked for miles and miles and all he does is cries so have had to resort to sling but the minute I stop walking he pings back awake. I haven't really given the bouncy chair a go so I shall try that and Ewan the sheep as I have one of those from when the toddler was little. Funny how my 2 boys are totally different. My first would go off in the pram no problem at all but this one has no interest!

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crazycatlady5 · 20/10/2017 09:50

Ugh it’s so tough isn’t it. Re: Ewan, I actually swapped him for my phone - downloaded and app called soundsleeper and play the rain noise as realised she needed it a bit louder and also it can play constantly x

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FucksakeCuntingFuckingTwats · 20/10/2017 09:51

My son was like this I highly recommend reading the baby whisperer book it really turned things around for us!

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Kentnurse2015 · 20/10/2017 09:53

If your toddler is having lots of accidents could you maybe delay potty training for a while? To help with the amount of baths he needs while you crack naps with your baby? Sounds like you have a lot going on at once! I'm all for an easy life and try to just tackle one problem at a time with my children!

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Cmccross · 20/10/2017 10:11

Yeah I've basically done everything they tell you not to do with my toddler. New sibling, moved nurseries and then potty training so now after some initial progress he just has a deliberate accident in protest as I'm spending time trying to sort naps with the baby. Everything feels hard at the moment - don't want to wish their little lives away but sometimes want to fast forward to when they're both a bit more predictable!