are naps the answer?

[BronwenC]

my 7 month old DD has been waking in the night again 3 - 4 times, when he used to sleep through. he only sleeps about 25 minutes a day, so i read somewhere on here about babies need proper daytime sleep or they wake at night? i cant think it would be anything else, and yesterday he actually had a couple of hours of naps in the day, and he settled much easier and slept more in the night. is this a mad coincidence or is it really the answer??

From my understanding if children are over tired when they go to bed they do into too deep asleep at the beginning of the night so don't sleep properly. I have certainly found this true. At 7 months I think they say about 3hours of naps in the day - 2 of 1 1/2 hours - 1 in the morning 1 in the afternoon waking up before 3.30pm if you want them to go to sleep at about 7pm.

hmm, thats what i was thinking. my only problem now is how the hell do i get the baby to have a nap? he used to only sleep in the pram, but he doesnt even do that now. i have started putting him in the cot at 10am and 2pm in the vain hope that he will go to sleep.. but he doesnt.

Yes that is a really big problem. I do the school run in the am and pm so DS3 sleeps then in the pushchair.

To get babies to nap - DS1 I bf to sleep initially then taught him to go to sleep by himself by first rocking him to sleep for a couple of days, then holding him, then lying with him then sitting with him, then sitting in the room, then sitting outside the room! Took a while but worked!

You could try CC but does not seem to work for your LO, you could try The Baby Whisperer's 'pick up / put down', or you could try taking him for a walk / drive.

My DS3 needs a first sleep about 2 1/2 hours after he wakes and a second sleep about 3 hours after he wakes. He has quite a short 'window' when I can get him to sleep and likes his routine. I have to look out for 'sleepy signs' for example rubbing eyes and yawning and if I ignore them he goes past the window and is difficult to get to sleep.

I thought my 5 mo wouldn't nap in the cot but we have been working hard at it and he is having approx1.5 hrs at lunchtime now. it sometimes takes me an hour to get him to sleep but it's worth it!

just to say i bought the book 'teach your child to sleep' by the millpond clinic and it was the best sleep book i have read (ds1 was a nightmare so i read every sleep book in our library!)

I've come to the conclusion that good day naps = good nights!!

For the last 2 days, DS (6months) has been sleeping all through the night and I think this is down to daytime naps. No naps after 4:30pm. He's literally exhausted after dinner, bath, play that he's been a sleep from 7pm and waking at 7am. One wake up last night but just for dummy, He was waking 4-5 times a night! Have a look at this.

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/sleep/1154093-The-my-baby-wont-nap-sign-here-thread

I've been through a bad patch with naps but have turned it around, do look at the thread Imisssleep suggests, there are some really good suggestions and success stories, my nights are not yet sorted but avoiding overtiredness ahead of bedtime, I feel is a good start and I think I'm starting to see improvements at night now.

i had a bit of success again today, i put him in his cot at about 1pm and he went to sleep by himself after ten minutes of cooing etc. only stayed asleep for half hour though. and he was having none of the morning nap at all! but i guess maybe i put him down too late for that?

I read that too, joined the nap thread, got dd napping 3-4 times a day. have a very happy dd now but nights are no better for all the napping. at least I get to take naps with her.