My baby is 8 months old and still not napping!

[beatie]

I don't know what to try to help her nap for longer during the day. She has a morning nap which lasts 20 minutes and if I am really lucky, she'll repeat that in the afternoon. She sleeps from 7pm to 7am without a fuss.

She is laid down for a nap in a darkened room, in her gro-bag. She's never laid down hungry. I look for her sleep cues and I know she is tired when I put her down. I also try at all other times of the day. I have tried leaving her to cry when she's woken after 20 minutes and I have tried soothing her back to sleep when she wakes after 20 minutes. Neither work. In fact, she mostly wakes up after 20 minutes looking happy and refreshed!

But, tiredness sets in again after an hour or two of being up.

Is there anything else I could try? I'm finding it very wearing not having a set part of the day where I can rely on the baby sleeping for one hour plus.

DD1 spoilt me as she had 2 X 2 hour naps from 4 months to 2 years old.

Hi Beatie - knew it'd be you from the thread title. Sorry no advice but bumping....

Really no idea what to do about cat-napping - you must be at end of tether.

Thanks Pooka. Yes I'm getting to the end of my tether. I feel like I must be doing something wrong or there must be something I have not tried that has worked for someone else.

Have you tried putting her down for her nap when she is less tired? ie sooner and not a darkened room

I've tried all times of the day but haven't tried putting her in her room with her blinds open.

I take DS (8 and a half months) out in the pram round the block if I really need him to have a sleep in the day (like today). Only takes about half an hour and he's usually asleep. Then I head home and leave him sleeping flat in the pram.

He doesn't seem to need that much sleep in the day either tho. Sometimes he'll manage on just a 20 min nap.

They do say an alert baby is an intelligent baby! :)

i think some babies just don't need a nap during the day. my dd didn't. she was awake for 3 days solid after she was born. 3 weeks later i saw our hv and she said, you might notice the baby being more awake during the day now, i said 'what do you mean more awake!'

dd shocked the childminder when i went back to work, she couldn't believe a 6mths old that just didn't nap. she also didn't sleep through the night til she was 2 .

not much help am i . some people on mn have recommended the fisher price aquarium as a get them off to sleep gadget.

piannomummy - 'They do say an alert baby is an intelligent baby! '

my dd must be a genious (sp?) then

(unlike her mum who can't spell!)

I agree that it is a good idea to take her out when she seems sleepy either in the pushchair or in the car. Then at least you know she will have got some sleep even if it's tricky for you to get anything else done. hat is she like for the rest of the day if she has only had a 20 munute nap? Have you tried a dummy?

I had a similar problem with my 6 mnth DS. Until he discovered the joys of a dummy! He can now settle himself off with the dummy which he seems to know is only for nap times. He doesn't even need it at night. Good luck!