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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To have given up on naps?

130 replies

redlipstickandtiredeyes · 17/03/2021 19:44

I do feel bad about it because my baby is obviously tired but if you’ve done absolutely everything you can and they still don’t sleep what else can you do?

OP posts:
OverTheRainbow88 · 17/03/2021 19:44

How old?

MaMaD1990 · 17/03/2021 19:44

Leave em' to it - sometimes it really isn't worth the upset!

CreosoteQueen · 17/03/2021 19:45

It depends on how old the baby is really. You have my sympathy because mine is also a bad napper and sometimes it feels like literally the only thing I think about.

MaMaD1990 · 17/03/2021 19:46

When I say upset I mean YOUR upset. Your baby will be fine, you can't spend all day every day trying to get them to sleep. Eventually they will learn (assuming here your baby is under 1!)

Morechocmorechoc · 17/03/2021 19:47

Maybe they are overtired and need to be put down earlier?

Original poster
redlipstickandtiredeyes · 17/03/2021 19:48

Two months. 😩

OP posts:
MaMaD1990 · 17/03/2021 19:50

Ohhh 2 months is so young! It's such a battle OP, I really do sympathise. What have you tried so far? We may be able to rustle up some ideas for you.

TheOneWithTheBigNose · 17/03/2021 19:51

So your 2 month old is staying awake from when they get up in the morning to when they go to bed at night?

Original poster
redlipstickandtiredeyes · 17/03/2021 19:51

Has slept for less than one hour today. Judge away bignose. I’ve tried.

OP posts:
CoffeeandCakeEqualsLove · 17/03/2021 19:54

Oh it is so tough isn't it! But 2months is so little, they definitely need a nap :( it's just finding what works for them. At that age it may literally be sitting in a quiet, dark room and let them sleep on you.

MummyFoxy · 17/03/2021 19:57

Oh I know it is so hard, I remember feeling broken trying to get my DS to nap at that age. Around that time I read that young babies can only stay awake for periods of around 90 minutes, so I started putting him down to settle for naps around an hour and a quarter after he woke up on a morning/after the last nap, and honestly it worked, it was a game changer! I would recommend giving it a try (although I know not everything works for every baby..!)

Original poster
redlipstickandtiredeyes · 17/03/2021 19:57

Tried it 😂

OP posts:
TheOneWithTheBigNose · 17/03/2021 19:58

@redlipstickandtiredeyes

Has slept for less than one hour today. Judge away bignose. I’ve tried.
Confused I’m not judging. It was a question. I was trying to figure out whether the baby was not napping at all/cat napping/having one nap etc to try and tailor my advice. I’ve had three children, all of whom were rubbish sleepers. But I won’t bother.
Original poster
redlipstickandtiredeyes · 17/03/2021 19:58

If you could put your baby down to sleep, you are lucky!

OP posts:
MaMaD1990 · 17/03/2021 20:01

Have you tried one of those little chairs that swing automatically. If they like to held and bounced to sleep this could be a could option.

Original poster
redlipstickandtiredeyes · 17/03/2021 20:02

They don’t really like to be held/bounced to sleep. But yes have one. Cries when he goes in it.

OP posts:
CoffeeandCakeEqualsLove · 17/03/2021 20:04

How long are they awake before you start trying to get them down for a nap? I think overtiredness is the most common culprit for nap refusals. And persistence.

MaMaD1990 · 17/03/2021 20:04

How do they go to sleep at night?

Babyboomtastic · 17/03/2021 20:05

Have you tried putting them in a sling and just getting on with whatever you were going to do in the hope they will eventually drop off?

ShirleyPhallus · 17/03/2021 20:07

How long are they awake for before you try the first nap? Baby might be overtired and needs to be napped before you think, at that age 60-90 mins awake time before next nap is about right

Original poster
redlipstickandtiredeyes · 17/03/2021 20:07

I spend my entire day trying to get naps 😩

At night just passes out. Exhausted I suppose. Sling is a no go - just squirms and fights.

OP posts:
RoseLimeade · 17/03/2021 20:07

@MaMaD1990

Have you tried one of those little chairs that swing automatically. If they like to held and bounced to sleep this could be a could option.
Just want to say it’s not safe to leave a baby to sleep in those, even supervised. It’s a risk factor for positional asphyxiation. Babies should be placed for all sleeps in a flat safe sleep space. Sadly a lot of parents don’t realise this and leave babies to nap in swings, they’ll probably be okay but for some sadly they aren’t.

OP, a two month old definitely needs regular naps. Have you spoken to your health visitor as a first port of call? Baby is still so tiny you can definitely work on this with good results.

MaMaD1990 · 17/03/2021 20:10

Oh yikes, had no idea - I'll stop suggesting those (I only ever heard of them on MN funnily enough). OP can you tell us a bit more about what you do to encourage naps? A bit more info might help us help you.

MaverickDanger · 17/03/2021 20:10

Have you tried the Huckleberry app?

That’s been a game changer for us, we were putting him down way too late. He’s gone from averaging 10 hours sleep in total per day to 14 in three weeks & he was 2 months when we started it.

A dummy too has really helped with the squirming etc, it seems to push the gas out.

Original poster
redlipstickandtiredeyes · 17/03/2021 20:10

No, I’ve given up. He’ll sleep when he’s tired. The days are hard work though.

OP posts: