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Help, 11 months old won't nap anymore

9 replies

OliveandJim · 13/03/2012 11:43

It's been a few weeks now that my DS is no longer napping during the day. He fights the sleep and ends up so shattered that he collapses around 5pm but nothing works anymore to get him to nap either in the morning or in the afternoon. Has anyone experienced the same thing? How long did this phase last and how did they get over it? I'm a wreck and get this nasty headache now when ever he cries. I know it's only because I'm tired, but so is he, he can't be happy being constantly shattered the way he is. How do I get the bugger to sleep during the day?

OP posts:
omama · 13/03/2012 22:04

Hiya

(((hugs))) it sounds like you are both shattered so I'll see if I can come up with anything. Firstly, a few questions

What was his routine before everything went wonky?

Are you still trying to put him down for a nap at the same times as before? How long are you spending trying to settle him before getting him back up?

If he refuses his morning nap, what time would you try putting him down again?

What time is his bedtime?

Is he an independent sleeper or does he need help from you to go to sleep? Where does he usually nap - cot/pushchair/car?
Where does he usually sleep at night - cot/cosleeping?
Does he usually sleep well at night?

Sorry for all the questions it just might help give a clearer picture of what's going on.

I am wondering if he might be starting the 2-1 transition and so isn't tired at the times when you are trying to put him down. He might need a slightly later nap, or he might need to completely drop the AM nap & have a single nap at around lunchtime (although he is still on the young side for this).

xx

OliveandJim · 14/03/2012 09:16

Thanks for getting back Omama, I'll try and answer as best I can...
we're co-sleeping and this is his routine in a nutshell:
he has usually his bath with his daddy around 7pm, then I prepare him for bed, a little rub, into his pjs and a sing-song (a cd of Lullaby playing softly in the background, night light on). He's still BF but falls asleep on his own, usually after a tumble in the bed for a few minutes, then just lays flat and is gone within minutes (we're lucky with that)...He wakes up twice during the night but briefly except when he's ill).
But during the day he never really had a steady routine, he doesn't sleep in his cot at all, so is either BF to nap or walked in the park for hours... He used to fall asleep around 9AM and then again after 1PM but it was always hit and miss as would sometimes not fall asleep either on boob or in buggy but would collapse a few hours later or around 5PM. At the childminder he sleeps just after arriving there (around 8.30AM) and then she also tries to put him down after lunch and he does sleep in a cot at hers....arghhh) but she also mentioned that he has stopped sleeping in the morning because too excited to play with toddlers and in the afternoon now she also struggles and he just waits until I pick him up at 5 and then falls asleep whilst being BF.... Trying to keep him up until 7PM just makes him grumpy and he struggles then even more.

OP posts:
omama · 14/03/2012 14:01

Hiya

It sounds to me like there are a few issues going on here.

Firstly there is the matter of him not falling asleep independently at home. He can clearly do it since he does at the CM's. Its just a matter of what he is used to. Now is this something that you are wanting to change? Do you want him to sleep independently at nap & bedtime and in his own cot or are you wanting the co-sleeping / BFing to sleep to continue? In all honestly, while they continue, you are more likely to have NW's b/c DS will not know how to put himself back to sleep without your help. But obviously this is a very personal decision and one that I'm not going to push. So let me know your thoughts on this & we'll work out an approach to suit you.

Secondly I would really recommend that you implement a regular routine for him. Babies thrive on routine, it helps them feel secure to know what's coming next. And of course a well rested baby will be a happier baby.

He sounds like his sleep needs are changing if he is no longer wanting to nap at his old nap times, but I'm not entirely convinced the answer is to completely skip his morning nap yet as he is still quite young (most babies do this at 15-18 months) & it sounds to me like the reason you/CM are struggling to settle him in the morning is because he isn't tired enough at 8.30/9am, and the reason you are struggling to settle him in the afternoon (even when he hasn't had a morning nap) is because he's overtired. An overtired baby is always very difficult to settle because they get so wired they simply can't switch off until the point of exhaustion.

I wonder if you could first of all try getting him down for a nap in the morning at 9.30am, instead of 9am, and see what happens. Try for a few days & if it doesn't work, then perhaps try at 10am for a few days. What you need to do is see if you can catch him when he's nicely sleepy, before he gets overtired, as he will be much easier to settle. Let him nap for 30mins and then wake him, and then try and get him down for a PM nap around 2.5hrs later. So your routine might look like:

Wake: 7am
Nap: 9.30 - 10
Nap: 12.30 - 2.30 (let him sleep for 2hrs max)
BT: 7pm

If you want to get him sleeping in his cot, we can talk about different sleep training approaches you can use. If you want to continue BFing to sleep then I would just do that for now. I think its key to get a sleep routine established first and then if you want to, we can address the independent sleeping issues.

If he still refuses to nap even at say 10 or 10.30am, then I think I would just try for the 1 nap, at around 11/11.30am. At his age, keeping him up until after lunch without him getting overtired will be a struggle. If he does settle, let him sleep as long as he wants, and then do an early bedtime. Then over a period of weeks/months, you can very gradually shift the nap later until its after lunch. My DS only started napping after 12 at around 16 months, up til then it was always before.

Oh & finally, I would try & have the CM do naps at the same time as you, so the routine is consistent.

Epic post but I hope its given you some ideas to chew over!xx

ShowOfHands · 14/03/2012 14:05

DD stopped napping at 12 months and never restarted.

omama · 14/03/2012 14:19

show of hands that would be the exception though rather than the rule. Most LO's don't completely drop naps until the age of 2-3. Not to say of course that he couldn't be one of those who has dropped his naps very early - but more that it is unlikely. IIWM I would certainly attempt to find a new routine that works for him before writing off the naps completely. Of course if nothing works then a super early bedtime is the way to go.

ShowOfHands · 14/03/2012 14:21

Nope, but it's worth mentioning that sometimes it never corrects itself even if you try for months and months. That's the beauty of MN, you get the full spectrum.

OliveandJim · 15/03/2012 09:13

Thanks Omama (loved the epic post) and ShowOfHands (I was fearing that!),

I'd love for DS to be more independent in his sleep but he just hates the cotbed at home and has started identifying it as his place of punishment. When he drives me nuts I put him in there while I go blow a fuse in the kitchen. I also tried previously ( around 8 months a couple of times) a soft version of cc, leaving him in his cotbed and checking on him every few minutes but he just cries (for hours literally). He's a determined little chap and won't give up. He also knows I'll give up before him and DP is even more of a softy.
Moreover, I'll be back at work full time from next Wednesday onwards so will only see him on week ends properly. The co-sleeping was an idea of DP as he only saw DS half an hour per day and wanted to spend more time with him. It has helped them to bond and DS sometimes naps with DP now (yoohoo) when he does nap.

I have to say that I look forwards to our nighttimes and I'm knackered at 8 anyway ( when DP comes around 8.30PM to give me a break I'm usually fast asleep) but it would be good to be able to let him nap independently during the day so any tips are welcome!

Thanks ladies!

OP posts:
haloflo · 15/03/2012 09:31

Have you tried lying down with him during day? Rocking him? Patting him to sleep? Feeding him to sleep?

I've heard that babies often need to be "made" to nap and once they are used to to napping to a routine you can work on them self settling.

FWIW my 11.5 month old was being a nightmare to get to sleep a couple of weeks ago so we were actively patted her to sleep (and sometimes just gave her one nap if the am one failed). This week she is napping a bit too much (bad nights) but is back to self settling.

Good luck x

larimirica · 30/07/2018 17:28

Hello, I have the same issue, except that my baby does have a routine. Can you please help me?

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