11 month old DD with disturbed sleep - is the problem naps?

[fallingandlaughing]

My DD's sleep is atrocious, and has been since she was about 4 months.

Typical day:

Wake for day 8.30
Nap in pram for 40 mins at 1pm
Bed 7.00. Spend 1 hours (minimum) breastfeeding to sleep.
Wake 9.30, 11.30, 1.00, 3.00, 5.00. Usually needs to be breastfed to sleep but sometimes will go to sleep being walked in a darkened room. We often co-sleep from early morning onwards.

Have not been able to get her to nap in cot ever, sometimes she will nap in my arms.

I feel I am letting her down. Have tried some No Cry Sleep Solution Techniques but maybe need to try harder. But where to start? I am returning to work in a few weeks!

I think she maybe over tired. Could you try waking her earlier so she needs a longer lunchtime nap or the same lunchtime nap and a short morning nap?

My DTs are 11 months and day goes like this:

6-7am wake
9-945am nap
1230ish-1330ish nap
1830-1845 bed

They generally sleep through. I will wake them at 7 if they haven't woken otherwise it throws out the whole day. They also don't sleep in their cots in the day, working on that! I also don't think they'll ever be the sort of babies that have a big 2 hour sleep at lunchtime (jealous of those that do!). Good luck:)

We had the same with our DD and tried the technique described on here under the 'What worked for us - hope it helps' thread....currently showing at the bottom of the first page on this forum. I went cold turkey on the breastfeeds during the night and DH did all the settling. Think he started by offering a bottle if I recall correctly. DD's sleep dramatically improved for a while, 6:30pm till 6am with just 1 early morning wake up around 4ish but a quick insert of dummy would usually settle her till 6. Its all gone to pot now (see my Someone help....thread!) but then my DD likes to keep us on our toes!

My 11 month old is having real problems sleeping during the night at the moment so am not really the best person to offer advice! However, looking at your daily routine I would say that more sleep
Is required during the day, DS still two or three naps, depending on how long the lunchtime nap it.
Could you try rocking back to sleep after the 40 minute lunchtime nap?

Agree with silverangel - I think the nap is too short & she is overtired at bedtime. You say she takes an hour to bf to sleep so is she falling asleep at 7pm or nearer to 8pm ???

IIWM I would do a couple of things.

1. offer her 2 naps (you may need to gradually shift her wakeup time earlier in order to achieve this though)
2. if she completely refuses 2 naps, I would pull the nap earlier to 11.30/12 as a starting point & see if she naps for longer. If she still only naps for 40mins do a much earlier bedtime & she may sleep more soundly.

I think the bigger issue here though is the bf to sleep. if she doesn't know how to fall asleep by herself i.e. independently, then when she wakes in the night, she will need the same help from you every single time. babies wake frequently during the night, every couple of hours & this may be why you are up with her so much. If you can help her to learn how to fall asleep independently (sleep training - which doesn't necessarily have to be CC/CIO yk) you will likely find that the number of nightwakings really reduces, and you may find you CAN put her in her cot for a nap & some 'you' time!

thanks all
can't reply properly right now but appreciate responses