Baby won’t nap - any help please!

[AliCanTea]

Our 3.5 months old won’t nap... I know she’s still very little but I mean AT ALL. I can sometimes settle her by pushing her for long stretches in the pram or by driving around in the car, but even then she fights it! We have a sling which she loves but it’s too warm for that at the moment.
I try watching like a hawk for signs of tiredness and put her straight (calmly) into her crib or Sleepyhead but she just cries - the more sleepy she gets, the more she cries, and the more she can’t sleep. I turn her on her side sometimes, I rub her back... nothing. I generally end up feeding her to sleep, but then if I put her down she’ll onlu stay asleep 10 mins tops. I saw a thread from someone else saying that naps for their baby were ‘only 45 mins’ and I cried! She sleeps better st night - will feed to sleep then she does 5ish hours filled by little 30min ones unless she wakes for good - but I’m so tired from the days...

Some babies just won’t nap without being held. It’s annoying while it lasts and they do grow out of it, but it’s not really unusual. Can you try the sling again if you strip her down to just a nappy first so she doesn’t get too hot? Or will she stay asleep in the pram once you stop moving, so you can just walk her round until she drops off?

It is easier if they’ll just go to sleep themselves when put down in their cot, but that’s not as common as you’d think! Fighting sleep and needing to be moving/held are normal. I would just focus on getting the naps by any means necessary first and then once she’s getting decent sleep, work on gradually getting her to nap in the cot if that’s where you want her.

Exactly what @53rdWay says. Forget what other people say they're doing or their babies are doing, don't worry about 'bad habits' and nonsense like that. Just do whatever your baby needs to start napping. This is all very, very normal and it won't be forever. At that age my baby used to have three 45 minute naps a day, on me. I thought she'd never sleep any longer or in her cot but she did. It'll pass. Hang in there.

what happens if you feed her to sleep then let her stay on your nap? that's what both mine did most of the time for the first few months.

Thank you - this makes me feel better. Yes she will nap on me post-feed but she stirs a lot as if she’s uncomfortable (too hot perhaps?) and wakes after about 30mins. My worry is that she is so much happier if I manage somehow to keep the order to sleep-feed-play, if we’ve been in the car for example, and if we do feed-sleep-play then she’ll already be cranky and tired before she’ll settle to feed without fussing.

Sorry above post doesn’t read very well (tired!). Imagine a full stop after ‘if we’ve been in the car for example’.

And no, she won’t stay asleep when the pram stops moving... or if I stop walking when she’s in the sling! At least it burns cals...

Try a summer weight sling - there's some really light woven wraps, and some of the buckle carriers have uv mesh backs as well.

Mine only napped for 30 minutes at a time for ages. He'd sleep when we were out and about so used to try and time walks or trips in the car with nap time but if we were at home I could never get him in the cot for a nap. I used to sit on the sofa and watch something while he slept on me - loved it! I tried the awake but drowsy thing countless times and concluded it must be a lie.

He's 1 now, naps in his cot for 2 hours and settles himself at nap and bedtime. Does like to wake up at 5am though so you can't win them all.

30 minute naps are fine at her age providing they're regular. She'll probably grow into slightly longer naps as she links sleep cycles.

Does she nap if you're both lying in bed? I'd feed to sleep lying in your bed and let her fall asleep there. It's the putting her down part that's waking her up when you feed and try to put her down so it might help if you don't have to put her down!

Does the buggy work? I made a little nest in ours like the Sleepyhead and used to push her around for each nap. Then gradually I was able to stop pushing and come home once asleep, and now she goes after a few mins pushing back and forth in the kitchen.

She self settles in her cot no issues at bedtime, and sleeps around 11 hours with one or two small bottles.

Still only does 3 x 30 min naps a day at 6 months mind.....