5.5 month old with nap probs.......any suggestions please

[vnmum]

my ds is 5.5 months old and until now i have let him nap on me after feeds and co sleep for naps when im having one. i am trying to change his routine so i can get some me time back but he will only nap for 1/2 hr at a time and is shattered by bedtime. he wakes in morn at 5.30 and i try to get him to bed between 6 and 7pm depending on when he shows tiredness. Should i change his routine or let him nap when he wants and for how long he wants?

the thing is i think he is teething badly at mo, lots of drool, chewing, grumpy, occasional reluctance to feed etc, so i dont know wether to carry on with the change of routine or wait till he's feeling better. also i am goin on holiday in 2 weeks and dont know wether to wait till after then either as i know it will upset any routine i have in place.

any suggestions and advice please

Hi vnmum

Afraid I can't offer much advice but you sound exactly the same as me! My dd is nearly 5 months & just catnaps all day with no real routine. I'd love her to have 2 proper sleeps a day so I could get things done! Have yopu started solids yet??

xx

Am not exactly an expert but we did have the same problem with ds now 8.5 months. Started to drive me mad as I couldn't get anything done. Ds like yours would only nap for half an hour in cot so never getting into a deep sleep. We bought a "white noise" CD off ebay and it worked a treat for us (and has to others we've lent it to)It seemed to enable him to make the transition from light to deeper sleep. Personally for us it was worth getting him into a proper nap routine as not only did it give me a break but made for a much happier baby! HTH

vnmum, I don't know if I'll be of any help because my DS was in a routine of naps from about a month old, therefore I never had to 'introduce' it if you know what I mean.

But what I did was put him down at regular times - if I waited until he looked or seemed tired I would have waited for ever! So I put him in his cot, in his room with the curtains shut, at 9amish and he would sleep for about three quarters of an hour.

I then gave him another nap (after feed) at about mid-day. He would sleep till 2pm ish and then go through till bed time at 6 - 7am.

All I can suggest is try these timings? Try him in his cot in a dark room. Be confident when you do it, if you don't believe it will work in a month of sundays then I'm sure he won't either!

It's worth a go - why not try it before your holiday, as if it works it means you might get time for a break yourself and it will feel more of a holiday for you! and if it doesn't work, then you haven't lost anything by trying...

thanks for all your suggestions, i have been trying to get 2 set naptimes going but he is so stubborn sometimes he just cries for the whole time he should be asleep, i try pu/pd but to no avail. ive got a cd of music he goes to sleep with at night that i use but i might try the white noise one too. i started im on solids about 3 weeks ago when he started waking during the night again but it is a slow process, he doesnt take more than 1 teaspoon per feed and is on 2 feeds aday till he starts to take more. i also have to feed him to sleep so he doesnt wake too early out of hunger although i do put him in his cot drowsy and not fully asleep. he seems to wake himself when he rolls from side to back and sometimes he is so fidgety he wakes himself

Hi VN, sorry not to be more use about this, there must be someone out there who introduced naps!!

the only thing I can think of is to ask whether you get any 'hands free' time - is he basically being fed, being carried or falling asleep on you? Does he like kicking about on a playmat or under playgym? This might help him get used to laying around 'on his own' which might help him accept naps on his own?

he does have time on his playmat, in his door bouncer etc but he is clingy and he starts crying as soon as i leave the room. i do try and leave him for a few mins as i have to otherwise id never get to go to the loo or eat but he is very demanding. i am persevering at the moment but its not easy as when hes only had 30mins nap he wakes up still tired

Not at all qualified in this area but do you talk to him when your leaving the room. DH son was a nightmare as a baby (we got together when he was 5months) so a little insecure too but whenever i left the room i would still keep talking to almost shouting if i had to bomb it up the stairs..also when your putting them down for a nap don't have any eye contact! I know it sounds harsh but just get in there and back out again as soon as possible...maybe putting him down in his cot and you go to the bathroom and sing or run the tap, just so they know your about but nomessing at nap times. Little one had naps at about 9am and then again in the afternoon. 3 now and still has lunch time nap and still cries when we put him down but we don't make any eye contact and now he's older we just sit at the edge of the bed with our back to him stroking his hand (otherwise he would get up)

My DD (8 months)is amazing at napping. She has about 40 mins at 9am. 1 1/2 to 2 hours between 12.30 and 2.30 and sometimes another 30 mins between 4.00 and 5.00. I know people hate her but I've followed Gina Fords routines since 3 months and have never looked back. I haven't found her feeding advice so helpful but I have followed the times she feeds at. All morning or lunch time naps are usually in cot with curtains shut but if we go out for the day she copes well with the naps in her pram. It was hard to get DD to sleep at first but I used the tips in the book re controlled crying and within a few days she'd got the hang of it. I know controlled crying isn't for everyone though. She goes to bed at 7pm and I don't hear from her again until around 6.30. These times are very similar to Sparklemagic's. I think all babies tend to be tired around these times - good luck!!