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Sleep

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Original poster

Yet another nap question!

14 replies

bubbles12 · 16/07/2010 13:16

Hi there,
Am hoping that someone my have some advice for me. My 9 week old DD only seems to nap for 30 mins at a time. Somethimes she wakes up and seems rested after this but most of the time she is still grumpy and clearly still tired. Does anyone have any suggestions about how to help her to stay asleep for a bit longer?
I hold her and gently rock her to sleep and then try to pop her down when she is asleep, she does have a dummy which she spits out when she is asleep.

Do you think there is anything I can do or will she just stay asleep longer as she gets a bit older (I say hopefully!!)

Thanks.

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Anjelika · 16/07/2010 21:07

Hi Bubbles

I often have the same thing with my 14 week old DD and the only way I can get the nap extended is to get her up and put her in a sling. If she needs moere sleep she will fall asleep in it and, if not, at least it keeps her happy-ish until the next feed time. My DS1 only ever slept for 45 mins at a time until he was about 8 months old so I totally feel your pain.

Let me assure you it's nothing to do with you as a parent - my DD is a twin and her brother slept for 3 hours this afternoon. DS1 woke him at one point but he just resettled himself and went back to sleep.

Original poster

bubbles12 · 17/07/2010 08:43

Thanks Anjelika

Good tip about popping I the sling - I will try that.

It is also really reassuring to say that its nothing about me as a parent.. that is always your first thought isn't it - that somehow you have done something wrong to make this happen!

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lazzaroo · 17/07/2010 19:14

Same with me. My now 7.5 month old only sleeps 45 mins at a time. Has slept longer on very odd occassions with no apparent reason. Have tried writing patterns down, settling earlier, later, feeding before, feeding after etc etc. In fact, driven myself quite mad!

have tried a little nap-blending recently. basically loiter at the 20-45 minute mark and re-settle when she stirs. Sometimes this means alittle feed, others just rocking will do. 9 times out of 10 she will settle back down. The day after i tried this for the first time she slept herself for 2 hours!!! that appears to have been a fluke.

People tell me that suddenly one day she will start to sleep longer....am waiting for that day!!

AngelDog · 17/07/2010 20:31

It's very normal.

It's likely she is unable to settle herself back to sleep once she wakes up as she needs your help to get back off when she rouses from the first sleep cycle. If you are putting her down once she's asleep, she will wake up in a different place from where she went to sleep, so this is likely to stop her going back off IYSWIM.

There's nothing wrong in holding onto her and putting her down asleep, though, if that's what you need to do to get her to take a nap! You could try putting her gently down when she's very drowsy and almost asleep, but not quite - although she may be too young for this yet.

As lazaroo says, nap blending may work - this is why a sling / pushchair / car works, as when she rouses, everything is the same as when she went to sleep.

However, nap blending doesn't work for all babies. My DS was a 30-45 min napper until 5 months and nothing I could do - including sling / pushchair / rocking / feeding - would get him off for another sleep cycle. At 5 months he started doing longer naps by himself. Then he started self-settling and the long naps stopped. [confusion]

Your first is such a learning curve, but there actually isn't very much you can do 'wrong', despite what all the books will tell you! Congratulations on your DD.

Original poster

bubbles12 · 17/07/2010 20:44

Thanks lazzaroo and AngelDog.

I do generally put her down what she is completely sparked out but do agree it would be better if she could at some point learn to go down before this stage. Can't hurt to try this!

Nap blending sounds like a good plan too... will report back if I have some success!

Thanks again - great to know that many others are in the same boat and not ALL other babies are napping for hours and hours!

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lazzaroo · 18/07/2010 16:17

Just to update. Today my leiitle one slept for 1 hour and 10 mins at her first nap and 1 hour and half at second nap. No blending, re-settling or feeding. She just did! Nothing different to any other day.

Would like to say the magic day has arrived but tomorrow will probably be another day! Think she is wearing herself out today practising her crawling!

Original poster

bubbles12 · 18/07/2010 17:11

Wow.. You must be so chuffed. I have been out and about today so have not been so lucky. Fingers crossed you have another good day tomorow!

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bippyhippy · 18/07/2010 21:26

naps are so hard. I have always been a bit up and down with them with my two. You might find this info on naps useful ...

lazzaroo · 19/07/2010 18:17

Today was another good day. First nap was 45 mins as normal, 11.30am napped for 1 hour and half! She stil needs an other nap before bedtime but is so much happier after a decent snooze. Especially after we had a terrible evening with teething last night.

I think it is something that she will just grow out of and as she is getting more mobile she is needing more sleep. We'll see.

Hope things improve soon for you too

Original poster

bubbles12 · 19/07/2010 18:55

Sounds like things are on the up for you lazzaroo. My DD had a reasonable day today with a shortish first nap and then a good long one at lunch - this was mainly because she was out in the buggy for most of it but still, it all counts!

Thanks also bippyhippy for the link - interesting reading.

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Paperbag · 20/07/2010 20:57

(First post on mumsnet!)

I'd persevere with putting your DD down before she goes to sleep. My DS is 11 weeks and will never actually sleep on me because I always put him down (he's a heavy boy and I was too lazy to carry him round to get him to sleep!). He does shout for a few minutes before he goes to sleep (I rock and shush) but then I don't have to worry about putting him down and waking him! Then I can get on with housework/watching Friends/muck around on internet).

We're just about to move DS to his cot rather than his moses basket at night so I'm sure I will be posting to ask advice about the move soon!

Athrawes · 22/07/2010 02:27

It's hell! All the "sleep when baby sleeps" advice is based on baby being one who sleeps in 3 hr chunks - who can sleep for 20 minutes! Maybe I am not yet sufficiently chronicly exhausted.

AngelDog · 22/07/2010 10:03

Athrawes, yes, and it is based on having a baby you can put down, not having a toddler to look after, and being able to go to sleep during the day yourself (I can't, even if chronically exhausted...)

Paperbag, welcome to Mumsnet!

Original poster

bubbles12 · 23/07/2010 19:32

Paperbag - you are probably right that I should be more persistant about putting her down but I keep putting if off for another day! Actually she is now quite happy with her 30 min sleeps and not so grumpy so I am even less inclined to start! And welcome to mumsnet - Enjoy!

Athrawes - I agree, it's rubbish!!

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