8 month refuses nap times

[KatieDunne]

My 8 month old daughter is an absolute nightmare when it comes to nap time. She screams bloody murder when I try her, she cries so hard she makes herself sick. I try to get her down before i know she's over tired but by the time she's finished screaming and kicking she's over tired anyway! It's a vicious circle and I'm at my whits end. It's making me feel very angry towards her, I have to just put her down and ignore her until I'm calm and ready to try it all again. Any help or advice is really appreciated.

A very exhausted and angry mother!

Has she always been like this? Because my 8 month old, previously okay napper seems to be regressing. She's a nightmare to get off and wakes after 30 minutes - having begun to look like she might start extending her naps. It's a recent change for us so just wondering if it's similar for you or you've always had difficulties?

It's not a nice place to be when you know what they need but can't make it happen. for you. I sympathise.

She's always been one to put up a fight for a nap, even when she was teeny. But she gave up after a couple of minutes and slept. But in the last week or so she will scream for 30-45 minutes before dropping off because she exhausted from screaming. It's such a struggle, she knows she's tired but really puts up a fight.

If you are getting angry, the best possible thing you can do is out her safely in the cot and walk away. If this hapiens often, could you seek some support from friends or family, to give you some time off? Or maybe speak to your GP and discuss possible post natal depression.

The easiest possible way I have found for daytime napping is bouncy chair and dummy.

The idea is you put baby in bouncer on the floor in front of the sofa. You sit yourself in the sofa with a cuppa and the TV remote. Place yoyr foot on the bouncer and rhythmically bounce constantly, reinsertibg dummy as needed.

Just be utterly relentless and ceaseless about it. Keep on going through all protests continually until asleep. Don't stress about the crying, just watch TV, drink tea and bounce bounce bounce that bouncy chair.

My other tip would be to limit awake time. Start at 90 minutes. So 90m from last waking, put into bouncer regardless of tired-signs or not, and just keep going.

Thank you for your advice FATEdestiny. I always put her safely in her bed when she has got to me to much, I know she is much better in the comfort of her own bed than in my arms at that point. I am considering talking to someone about PND, it's something I've been questioning for a long time.

She is my first child so I can't compare but she really is hard work. I think I've got my work cut out,m. It's only going to get more and more interesting 😂 She's a determined little madam.