its the 30 minute naps again - driving me insane - any tips?

[mumtocuddlebundle]

I went through this with DS1 between 2 and 7 months. My days were spent with a permanently sleep deprived baby who I spent ages trying to get to sleep, only for him to wake 30 minutes later, still tired and grumpy.

DS2 is now starting to do the same thing. Afetr 8 weeks of him sleeping brilliantly. He is now starting to cat nap. Although this time it seems worse. His awake time before he gets really grumpy is shorter. Only about 30 minutes after waking. And this time I have a toddler to contend with. I can jiggle him to sleep in a sling. But I basically spend all day doing this and its wearing me out. I don't know how I can handle another 5 months of it.

Any advice, or words of wisdom much appreciated???

Will pay attention as my DS rarely sleeps for more than 30 min at a time during the day (and often at night). Has been doing this since 4m and is now 8m.

Hi candr
Well done on managing so far! It really does drive you a little bit insane! I think you will soon find he starts sleeping longer stretches. From what I can gather most babies outgrow this at about 7 or 8 months.
How do you get your ds to go to sleep normally?

Hi mumtcb, I bf him an put him face down in cot or pram (not face down ) and he goes to sleep really quickly most of the time. Night is a different matter. We do dinner, quiet time then bath, bottle, story, milk upstairs and into cot generally awake. I leave him (he usually starts crying) for a few min then cuddle, calm down back in cot. I often have to do this 2-3 times then he sleeps - for half an hour and back to square 1. Can take 5 min to 2 hours to get him asleep again. This is the same for the 3-4 other times he often wakes during the night. Really not sure how I have not had a proper melt down but as you say hopefully he will sleep for longer soon.

How old is he? When I had DD do this I started putting her down 90 mins from when she woke up regardless of how many times a day she napped and it got her through the over-tired phase. It did mean that some days she was having 5 naps but to be honest, whatever works! Then finally she started sleeping longer and longer. Most days now, (she's 18 months) she still only does 90 mins but that from 35 mins is brilliant, that said today she's been asleep for nearly 2 hours!!!! It does get easier. Both of mine did the short-nap thing and it's a total pain in the backside.

Exactly the same here as meggy. though our wee toddlers seem to have other things in common than nap habits!! (namely they are both early risers). I found things were much less bad when I just accepted that 30mins was just how it was. TBH it is quite convenient in some respects (you can walk to shops or whatever, drive somewhere nice, etc, without disturbing their pattern). Oh, and if you give up on the idea of doing chores, that also helps!

Mine were like this too. With DD1 I thought she or I were getting everything 'wrong' and drove myself mad trying to sort it out. She naturally lengthhened her nap when she went to one a day at around 12 months then they shortened and stopped altogether by 2.

DD2 was the same and I just did what meggy did and she was often on 5 naps a day. She went to one long nap for a few months then dropped her naps at 18mo.

Try 'wake to sleep'? You rouse them just before you know they are due to wake up and let them drop off again rocking or whatever is necessary...I think that is it, try googling it to be sure. They should then go into another cycle and they get used to sleeping longer and start doing it regularly.

Just wanted to offer my absolute sympathy. My DD is the same, and I am just about to create a very similar thread, as didn't want to hijack yours!