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Sleep

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Original poster

30 min naps - help!

16 replies

mrshope · 05/12/2014 11:11

I think this is a common one but help me out mumsnet!
My DS is nearly 5 months -has always been a dreadful sleeper (we couldn't put him down for first 3 weeks), would only sleep in sling until 8 weeks, then had to be rocked to sleep in swaddle etc
I worked really hard at getting him to self settle and now he will go to sleep independently in his cot at night (has just started only waking once - what a miracle!) and he self settles for naps but will only stay asleep for 30mins!
It's driving me bonkers as by the afternoon he is a screaming mess and will then refuse to nap (I'm guessing because he's overtired?!)

I'm losing my mind rapidly - 5 months of hard graft with his sleep and he is still a little pickle!

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mrsmugoo · 05/12/2014 19:56

No real advice I'm afraid but I was in your exact situation 4 months ago - only ever 30-40 minute naps (from birth!) and it was exhausting. More or less on the dot of him turning 6 months he just started sleeping for 1hr10. I didn't really do anything different, except it happened to coincide with dropping to two naps.

He's 9 months now and he's been pulling some 1.5-2hr naps recently!

So probably not the most helpful reply but everyone told me at the time that it was a developmental thing, he would get there in his own time and I didn't believe them, but it almost certainly is.

Highlove · 05/12/2014 20:06

Exactly the same as Mrsmugoo - I had a chronic 30-min-max napper. I tried everything you could imagine to extend naps, short of CC, and nothing worked. All of a sudden, around the 6-7 month mark, she started napping longer and at nine month often now does an hour in the morning and 90 mins in the afternoon. I think something just clicked for her. If our little routine gets disrupted she reverts to her 30 min naps but quickly reverts to decent naps when we're back to normal. You have my sympathy though - it is exhausting and frustrating.

Hedgehogging · 05/12/2014 20:12

Agree with mrsmugoo- my catnapper is finally starting to stretch out her naps at 7 month of age. We're even getting the odd hour/hour and a half. Night time is another story (and another thread) but at least the days are improving.

It is such a pain in the arse having to settle them four or five times a day when everyone around you is getting loads done during their DC's epic 2 hour long naps .

So, chin up! Things got better for us eventually; even if that was mainly because DD started dropping naps so at least she was happily awake bouncing in her jumperoo for longer while I tried to wipe surfaces and get dressed [grin}.

Hedgehogging · 05/12/2014 20:13

Dammit! !

Heatherbell1978 · 05/12/2014 20:36

Same here. DS1 is 15 wks and during the day naps for 30 mins every 90 mins. I can actually set my watch by him. He settles well and sleeps longer at night but I'm craving a rest during the day. Hoping he just grows out of it one day..

Dizzywhore · 05/12/2014 21:01

Same here! It's such a pain as he needs at least 2 hours bless him. By the afternoon he is so unhappy and with a toddler running around too I really hate being me from 4pm! So following this to see if anyone comes up with something helpful!

Original poster

mrshope · 06/12/2014 08:11

Gah! I feared this was going to be the answer.
Oh well. At least he self settles right?!?

OP posts:

moomin35 · 07/12/2014 23:02

Why do you need him to nap in the day if he's sleeping well at night?

mrsmugoo · 08/12/2014 06:25

Moomin do you have children?

All kids under about the age of 2 need to nap in the day to a greater or lesser extent - in addition to their night time sleep!

Original poster

mrshope · 08/12/2014 06:41

Ummm why do I need him to nap?!? Are you serious?!

OP posts:

Eminybob · 08/12/2014 07:27

Can I ask how you got him to self settle?

My DS is also 5 months and sounds like yours, will self settle at night but only sleep for half an hour at a time during the day, but only on me and has to be rocked or fed.

Original poster

mrshope · 08/12/2014 09:32

Hi eminybob,

They do sound very similar! Which is reassuring I guess!

I started the process of teaching him to self settle a long time ago - it has been a labour of love. I did a sort of gradual retreat type thing.
He was rocked to sleep for naps (I only fed to sleep at night and once I had sussed naps I started rousing him a bit before I put him down at night)

So for naps - I would rock him until he was really sleepy ( he would start to stare off into the distance and go really still) and then I would put him in the Moses basket, keep my hands on him and Rock until totally asleep. Sometimes I would have to start again. Then I started to put him down and not rock just keep my hands on him. And just kept putting him down earlier and earlier.
Then I put him down and would just keep my hands on him. Sometimes I was sat there for a long time!
Then I would put him down and leave the room. Sometimes I would have to go back in - if he started crying hard.
I do let him cry a bit (only grizzling/and when the cries are getting quieter not louder) especially now I know he can get himself to sleep. Obviously I'm not leaving him to cry for hrs but a little grizzle (and I have come to learn the difference) I personally am ok with.

This took me weeks and weeks from around week 14 to week 21 and sometimes it still doesn't work and maybe he would have just learnt anyway as he got older but I am proud of him! (And me) now if only he would stay asleep for more than 30mins!!

PM me if you have any questions!!

Oh and I used white noise but have now stopped that as well

OP posts:

moomin35 · 08/12/2014 10:22

I'm a new mum, DS is 5 months. I'm lucky that he sleeps through the night. If I'm lucky he might have 2 naps a day of say 30 mins each but I never know when these will be and if he doesn't nap then he still sleeps at night. I'm just interested that lots of people seem to get hung up on daytime naps which maybe I understand as they get older but at such a young age I feel we just have to work with them. I'm not trying to be confrontational in any way I'm just genuinely interested.

mrsvilliers · 09/12/2014 14:50

Moomin they can get overtired and go bonkers without naps e.g. lots of screaming at the end of the day, waking up loads at night. My DS only had 30min naps but didn't seem to actually need more than that. DD (ten months) however is a totally different story, won't sleep for more than 30 mins but desperately needs to. Any advice on older babies very welcome!

Velvetbunny · 09/12/2014 15:08

I think it's developmental, they'll nap longer when they're ready & physically able too! I made no changes with my DS & he just started napping for 1hr30 by himself at 6 months. This was followed by dropping naps - he went from 4 to 2 in a week!

Original poster

mrshope · 09/12/2014 17:12

Thanks all - he seems ok on 30mins but I have to do 4/5 of them!
Every now and then (normally for my husband) he will chuck in an HR or an HR and a half.
Hopefully he will get there soon as it is tough on your day if they need to constantly be settled for naps!!

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