DS won't nap during the day - Advice Needed

[Flowerydems]

Well my DS is now 3 and a half months and is sleeping really well during the night (it's actually worrying cause I've heard this can change around this time so touch wood I've not jinxed it)

The problem is he will not go down for more than 10 mins to half an hour at a time during the day. He usually does this about 3 times but he's now rejecting his swinging chair (which was the only place he could be put down for a snooze)
Because of this it's getting to 4pm and if he's not had a solid half hour by 2 he is virtually impossible to settle cause he's so overtired. I really don't know what to do about this as like I say he's been good during the night but daytime naps are impossible and the screaming when he's overtired is starting to scare me quite a bit

My HV pointed out he should be having more daytime naps (as though I was depriving him of sleep for my own amusement) and told me it should be in his cot. I tried this for about a week but it took nearly 2 and a half hours to finally get him semi settled and by this point his next feed was nearly due and I had pretty much wasted all that time and had got no further.

Does anyone have any advice about this particular problem? I know I shouldn't complain as he's sleeping through the night but I really need him to sleep just a bit during the day.

Oh and I should probably point out pram and car aren't an option it seems (believe me I've tried) cause I seem to have the nosiest baby who just wants to see everything that's going on... :(

xx

Your HV is sort of right - you can start going with his natural rhythms which at this age generally settle down to about 90 minutes awake, 45 minutes asleep from first thing. You may need to start putting him down a lot earlier than you would have thought. I would have expected him to be sleeping in his cot for daytime naps by now too. Have you tried feeding him to sleep? Works a treat!

And really don't expect him to keep sleeping through the night. It's not essential - for him or you - and will probably go to pot in the next month or so anyway. If it doesn't, count yourself as very very lucky!

I think you'll have to 'create' situations so that he goes to sleep whether her really wants to or not Take him for regular long walks in the pram throughout the day perhaps.. fresh air often knocks babies out. If he struggles to settle when you lie him down flat, lots of extra winding might help there. If you can find something that works that you do regularly, it'll eventually turn into a bit of a habit that you can build on and he'll be a lot more cheerful

Hi, my 3 month old DS doesn't like to nap either and never has daytime naps in his cot. Even when I fed to sleep and put him down he woke straight up.

He will nap in his pram but not for long and wakes as soon as we get home but for the last couple of days I have clipped a muslin over the pram once he fallen asleep and he has slept for 3 hours like this! Plus he will stay asleep once I get home so I get some time to myself in the house. I have found I need to walk him for at least 30 mins or he will wake up once I stop moving at home.

I don't think him having all his daytime sleep in one chunk is ideal but better than no sleep. He used to sleep really well at night but not any more... Good luck.

" I would have expected him to be sleeping in his cot for daytime naps by now too".

DS didn't regularly nap in a cot until 8 months (I tried), with sporadic ones in the for before that.

Day sleep is more important than how you get it. I cannot imagine DS or DD (who's 3 months) going for that long without sleep. They'd be unbearable!

You can try getting a snooze shade for the car/pram but as already said, you need to put him down sooner than you think - aim for an hour after he first wakes and take from there. Also get some black out blinds for his/your room and a light show. Watch for tired signs and stick in the cot and see what happens. On rare ocassions ds would fall asleep like that.

But most of his naps were in the sling with his head covered with a hood/muslin so he couldn't see. Same for DD (more so as I have no time for cot naps just yet). Or Id rock/feed to sleep and let him sleep on me.

Thanks for all your advice, I have successfully managed to get DS to lie down in his cot after much picking up and putting down... He's been snoozing for 5 mins so don't know how long that'll last.
Have put 2 duvet covers on his curtain pole to block the worst of the light but he needed an hour of pick up, put down cuddles and rocking to get him to this point.

It's just such a buggar cause he just won't sleep in the pram or the car any more. We went out for an hour and a half walking yesterday and nothing.... Was really frustrating and he was tired cause he was rubbing his eyes and that the whole time.

Just trying to think of more ways to get him to snooze during the day cause he's just inconsolable by about 5 at the moment and if he naps after that he takes ages to get down at night. :(

Feel like it's such a stupid thing to complain about seeing as he does sleep through the night (for the time being, am now decking myself about when this ends as I've heard from several people it usually does)

xx

Have you got one of blackout shades for your pram