Nap help!

[dontmesswiththeGC]

In desperate need of some help with naps for my 4.5 month old. She started only taking very short naps about a month ago. I did a webinar with a sleep training therapist who suggested a method for nap extension. This was to be there for when she starts to stir from the sleep cycle and soothe her back into the next one. This worked on and off for the first 2 weeks with some naps lasting 2.5hrs. I was over the moon even though it was hard work and very tome consuming. However it now just doesn't work at all and I am at a complete loss! She just jolts awake instead of stirring slowly and then that's it, she's wide awake and there'a no getting her back. A dummy used to work with the soothing but she's been refusing it for the past 2 weeks, we also introduced a comforter but she pays it no attention. I am now at a complete loss! When she wakes up do I leave her to get herself back to sleep or just accept it's not going to happen and give up? She's doesn't cry as such, just whinges and whines (which is what she does when she's tired!) I'm willing to be persistent and consistent but 2 weeks of failing at this tells me she's not going to miraculously comply. Any suggestions before I pay a fortune for a sleep consultant?!

[PopcornAndWine]

My little girl was very like this at that age. She only started taking longer naps after about 6 months. Even then it was hit and miss for a while. I honestly don't think she took a single nap on her own in her cot before 6 months - it was always either buggy, sling or co-sleeping/breastfeeding with me.

How is her nighttime sleep? If she generally seems happy in herself and not getting obviously overtired, I wouldn't stress too much about the long naps, it will probably come in time.

[dontmesswiththeGC]

Maybe I'm just impatient as she's always been quite a good sleeper in every other sense so this has just thrown me. She settles herself easily at night and usually only wakes once for a feed. Although last week she slept through the night 3 times! We spent a lot of time from the start making sure she has good sleep habits, sleep associations. self settling etc so now I'm stumped! I feel like I've tried every method to get her naps improving but nothing's working.

[PopcornAndWine]

Sounds like you are doing great honestly if she sleeps well at night and seems happy and content, I wouldn't worry too much although I know it is great to have the nap time to relax!

[dontmesswiththeGC]

Thank you! The thing is I know she's tired, I can see it and after the second nap which I guess is 'supposed' to be the long one of the day, she really struggles. Her body knows she should have slept longer but it just won't do it. Then when I give up trying to get her to go back to sleep and put her down for the next one about one and a half hours later she really fights it as she's overtired and it takes ages to get her down. If anyone has a miracle cure for extending that second nap I'd be forever grateful!

[MoorGirl]

Following with interest - my 4.5 month old DD exactly the same 🤦‍♀️🤷‍♀️

[Dexy2020]

Oh gosh my little boy went through this stage we were on x4 30 minute naps a day for soooo long, I literally had to do all naps on a walk (pushing in the house just wouldn't do it for him) or in the car. He's now just about to turn 8 months and he's only just started sleeping for his 1st 2 naps in the cot and he resists the 3rd so that one seems to still be car or pushchair, he does tend to have 1 longer nap in the day now and that seemed to start happening around the 7 month mark. Was very frustrating as he was waking up tired as you describe and I just couldn't understand why he wouldn't sleep more if he was tired. I think it's developmental as I tried everything and I just decided one day to stop stressing over it as I was driving myself mad and all of a sudden its just started getting a bit easier 🤞. Good luck!! Hope it passes soon your doing fab!! Xx

[Zelda93]

My dd has only ever done 45 min nap once a day !! But did sleep through till 8mnths then she'd wake twice a night But she's 17 month now and sleeps through the night but still only 45min nap in morning.

[Loukifre]

Ahhh this is exactly my DD. It’s so hard isn’t it? My brothers DD who is the same age easily does 2 hour naps. And I’m sitting there pulling my hair out with a child who fights naps like I’m trying to torture her (the whole time rubbing her eyes) can take an hour sometimes to get down, and wakes up after 30 mins crying. Then I can either immediately try and put her don again (which rarely works) or have an increasingly overtired, Whitney baby as the day goes on.

But she sleeps amazingly a night. One wake up for milk, or sleeps right through.

The only good news I have is it gets better. My DD is 6 months now, and starting last week she has started having one good hour and a half nap a day. (The other 2 are 30 to 40 mins) I’ve not really done much different, so it seems to be a developmental thing.

[dontmesswiththeGC]

I've just seen a friend who has 3 kids and she said it will all get better once she starts on solids. Anyone else find that correlation?