Aaaagh! How can I get my 6mo to sleep in the day?

[olivo]

I am absolutely at my wit's end. DD is 6 mo and will not sleep. she wakes around 6.30 (she wakes about 4 times during the night too) and some days, she does not sleep between then and her 6pm bedtime. From after lunch, she is a total nightmare. i have tried pram, buggy, car, her cot, v cushion, feeding to sleep on my bed, mat on floor, noise/no noise. she will sometimes fall asleep on me but never for more than about 20mins. both of us are exhausted.
any ideas please? 0

Sling and out for a walk - will help with feeling tired to get some fresh air even if she does not sleep.

Not all babies need a sleep during the day. Is she a total nightmare after lunch because she is overtired? Or is it you need her to sleep so you can do something yourself and get a break?

i can't manage her in the sling anymore, she's too heavy . and when we walk with her in the pram/buggy, she doesnt sleep. i think she's a nightmare because she's overtired. i don't get time to do anything much anyway as i have a 3 year old as well!

You need to put her down to sleep before she is overtired. Also how is her feeding / eating going? Is the night waking due to hunger?

At 6 months esp if she's awake by 6.30am, probably needs both morning sleep (10am-10.30am?)and longer after lunch sleep.

I disagree with the last poster - she needs some daytime sleep, she's obviously a nightmare after lunch as she's so tired.

generally easier to start of with car seat/pram (but make sure she can't see you at all or she won't sleep - I have flat carseat though not sure upright car seat is good for this, and even then best on fast journeys without lots of stops!) and then once you have got her sleeping at the right times for a week need to get her to sleep in cot. also if you are talking to 3 YO might distract baby so perhaps better to do controlled crying in cot?

from what you have said, either you need lots of will power and be prepared to let her cry a bit OR you need to take professional advice from a sleep clinic.

at 6 months with DS changed to formula, upped the amount of food, and did controlled crying, within a couple of weeks had him sleeping 12 hours a night and 2 daytime sleep. Also we bought him a comforter which he associated with sleep. The night waking was partially because he was hungry.

thanks MNWL, I'm impressed at your DS sleeping for 12 hours! DD did 7 or 8 hours from about 10 weeks for a couple of months. I agree she does need some day time sleep. I generally try and put her down between 9.30 and 10, that's generally when she shows her sleep cues. unfortunately, car and pram dont work, althoughas you say, eggs, i find at least the drive or the walk gets me out!

i'm afraid I'm not prepared to do controlled crying (each to their own )
She's not ready for full on weaning yet, but she gummed a slice of melon and some broccoli today when given them. i'll see how she goes, you're right,she's definitely hungrier, especially at night, so i cant blame her for that!

My ultimate aim would be like your DS; 2 naps and a good night ( although DD1 didnt sleep through regularly till she was 2ish so I'm no stranger to broken nights )
i will work hard on trying to get a sleep established this week, maybe a regular walk or drive is the way to start.

Also, sometimes I find I am really sleepy after a really warm bath. Could you bathe with her then go to sleep skin to skin in bed maybe?

Babies that will not go to sleep when you know they are really tired are a nightmare. I feel for you and hope things ease.

I'm so sorry for you, it sounds like you have a baby who just doesn't need or want to sleep as much as most.
My son only slept 12 hours a night from maybe 6m or a year, now he's 3 and he only needs as much sleep as me (10 hours) so I have to go to bed at the same time as him 8pm, in order to physically be able to get up in the morning at 6am. Have absolutely no time to myself.
I don't think there's anything you can do hun, I'm sorry, you could encourage quiet time to get a break where you close curtains in afternoon and play soothing music and lay him/her down on a quilt to play with some toys.
I actually put 'in the night garden' on on dvd just so I can snooze a little bit extra in the morning, I'm 8 months pregnant though so I actually think I'd sleep more than him with half the chance.

bath and skin to skin is a good idea, eggs, thanks.
mof2, i did the lying down thing this afternoon - woke up after a 10 min doze to find dd2 grinning at me!! I know what you mean about your dcs only needing the same as you - DD1 has only recently gone to needing 12 hours agin - yippee! good luck with your baby!

right, off for a bath and early bed....

I'd say the 12 hours at night much more likely if they are properly weaned - by this I mean two meals a day including protein at 6 months - moving to three meals by 7 months - otherwise she will need night time feeding. Why is she not ready to be properly weaned at 6 months?

I exclusively bf until 5 months, but he was waking up 2 hourly for feeding and I was at wits end... he also did 8 hours from 10 weeks... am convinced the nighttime sleeping backtracked as he got bigger and more hungry....I was going back to work at 6 months. I stopped bfeeding, introduced formula and solids (v. quickly) 4 weeks later he was a changed baby!

re: controlled crying, I'm not keen either but I was going back to work and had to sort sleeping out and it was only for a few days.

Also both successful day sleeps and night sleeps require your DD to find a way to settle herself - all babies and children wake up during the night, they need to learn how to settle themselves. My DD sucks her finger, DS sucks on a comforter (pretty yuk but at least he sleeps well). Othr children learn to settle themselves without props.

Lots of kids do not get enough sleep - I am lucky now as both DC great sleepers - my DS aged 3 has 12 hours a night 7.30pm-7.30am. His 6 YO sister sleeps 8pm-7am, although we put her to bed at 7.30pm - she reads in bed for a bit.