mico-napping 7 month old

[Murl]

Hi, my seven month old daughter has three naps a day - about 9am, 12noon and then 3pm - but only ever for 30-45 mins. She is tired again shortly after waking.

She sleeps fairly well at night - bed at 6.30/7pm, wakes a few times in the night (including for a feed)and then up at 6 / 6.30am.

How can I encourage her to sleep longer and then maybe drop one of the naps? Or will this just happen as she gets older?

I do try to settle her when she wakes after a nap but this very rarely results in her going back to sleep.

Any advice / experience apprecaited.

Thanks!

Hi, I'm having a similiar problem with 5.5mo DS. He sleeps brilliantly at night but resists sleep badly during the day (a lot of crying before I can get him to sleep) and will only stay asleep for exactly 40mins. He is often still tired when he wakes up.

I've decided to give up on putting him in the cot during the day (too much of a battle) so I'm using the pram indoors. I've had some success (well, 2 days running!) at getting him to go back to sleep when he stirs by jiggling the pram until he is asleep again, without him seeing me. When this has worked he's slept for another hour! This isn't ideal but I found it impossible to resettle him in the cot so I'm sticking with it for the moment.

thanks Mull - she usually naps in her bouncy chair as getting her to sleep in her cot during the day is a battle I can do without! she does sleep well when we are out and about so perhaps I will try the pram indoors and see if i can catch her at the right time - ie just when she is stirring - and see if she will drop off again. the rare times i have successfully got her to sleep again has resulted in another hour+ sleep as you have experienced!

hope the pram continues to work for you!

my first 2 dc always had one long nap after lunch, 2 to 2.5 hours. dd is 7 months old and naps for about 20 minutes in morning, then maybe 40 mins at lunchtime, and that's it for the day... i have been trying to persuade her to have a long nap by feeding her again when she wakes at lunchtime but nothing doing - think it's just a case of all babies being different

I'm having exactly the same problem with my DD, who is the same age.

I've likewise resorted to the pram, although haven't tried the strategic jiggling (note to self - will give it a go...)

I'm currently pounding the pavements in the afternoon as it's the only way she will sleep longer than about half an hour at a time (and the only way she'll go to sleep without being fed).

I'll be interested in any other tips suggested!!