No napping

[KatieLily12]

Ok I need some help, I'm fried.

My daughter has never slept readily. It's always been walking in the pram or sling, bouncing, cuddling, on me etc. I've finally got her into a kind of 7-7 with one wake up and she will now transfer onto the bed next to me. Naps wise I stopped all the bouncing and feeding and just lay with her and she's kind of started to nap indoors.

However, over the last week I've watched as her naps got harder, shorter and less predictable. She's coming up to 6 months and wants to stay awake and play but of course can't hack it more than 2 hours but won't sleep. If she does its one sleep cycle and straight up.

Has anyone else had this? She's managed 20 mins today and is on me now, tiredly sucking her thumb but fighting it. I can see she's exhausted.

Growth spurt? Teething? Regression? Help?

My DS was like this. He now has a total of 4hrs in his pram indoors. I think its cos he likes being cosy in his snowsuit. Obviuosly its now getting warmer so looking at sheepskin or lambswool inserts. Could you look at making pram cosier?

Oh the pram has to be moving. Always moving!!

Ds was like this from 6 mo. much worse than 4mo. he's now 8 mo and I really have to bore him to sleep either being closely cuddled in a dark room or staring at the sky in his pram - whilst moving though wakes up as soon as I stop. Mostly now does 2 x1 hr naps a day but its hard work to get those. Doing the naps indoors does mean I get v little done but I quite enjoy reading whilst lying next to him. I try the 234 routine but its a bit touch and go but at least I feel like I have a plan.

What's the 234? I did the NCSS which was working well- she fell asleep independently this evening! But day time? She's like a different child!

234 is a nap routine. You put them down 2 hrs after they wake in the morning, then 3 hrs after they wake for their next nap then 4 hrs after they wake from that its bedtime. It seemed easier than trying to constantly guess the tired signs which never seemed to appear. And kind of works and ds seemed ready to keep mostly.
What bits of the ncss worked best for you?

Oh I've never heard that. We were in a kind if routine as she seemed to start waking around 7 and getting tired around 8.45, 12.30 and 3.45. It was then just a case of going for a long walk or cuddling her on the bed. It's all gone now, she's totally unpredictable.

I managed to wean her from constant rocking and nursing using NCSS. We also now have her falling asleep independently at night. It was a case if slow, patient repetition. She knows the routine and is used to sleeping in the evenings.

I wondered about setting times again but I've found in the past that because she doesn't fall asleep easily, she fights it twice as hard for twice as long.

I'm generally confused. I thought we were getting somewhere. I can't work out why she's just stopped altogether. It's almost scary how little sleep she's getting. Today really upset us both

I also use 2,3,4 and it works for us. Only exception is I never let him have his morning nap before 9 as otherwise he just catches up on night sleep...
Have you tried a completely pitch black room and white noise for naps? It might be that she's so overstimulated she can't switch off. My DS (nearly a year) won't even sleep in the buggy or car seat without his snooze shade over him, he needs the dark. I have doubled up on blackout blinds and covered every chink of light in his bedroom-it's the only way for him!

Just wanted to report back as I often despair when I find threads that never seem to have a resolution.

Turns out she was ready to drop her third nap so we adjusted timings and she's now doing 2 longer naps, more time awake and there's sins of self settling! It's finally happening!

well done! think my dd is getting similar, can I ask what your new timings are please?

We seem to be having the best days when we're up around 7, always have. Then she starts needing nap around 9-9.30 for an hour or two. Then about 1-1.30? If we mistime because of a short nap we can possibly still get in a third but she blew raspberries and laughed at me when I attempted this today and coped pretty well this evening considering so I think she's 'resetting' to these times. Hope that helps!

thanks!