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Nap Time Woes

12 replies

Intotheforest · 20/08/2017 18:23

Hi everyone, looking for some advice about nap times. My DC is ten weeks and I'm having a really tough time with her. One of the main issues I'm having is getting her to sleep. She just won't go down at all for naps. At the minute, DH and I end up using the white noise from an electric device and cuddling her with her dummy in until she falls asleep. She then sleeps on us as she wakes the moment we put her down. At night, I usually feed her to sleep and then she goes down in her crib and usually wakes twice through the night for feeds and goes straight back in her crib. She gets extremely grumpy through the day when she's tired and seems to have the worst times on an evening where she will literally cry for hours. I try to look for her first cues of tiredness and try to wind her down. I take her for walks in her pram and she won't fall asleep. We go out in the car but the moment it stops she's awake. I feel like I can't establish any kind of routine and I'm anxious to take her out as she just cries. Every evening is awful as my DH and I can't eat dinner or even have a chat as we are trying to pacify and settle her. Not sure if the evenings are worse due to her being overtired from lack of good naps through the day? Is it colic? Another thing she does is she will eventually settle but then all of a sudden wake up crying? Just looking for any advice or anyone who has experienced anything similar? Thank you.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
HT85 · 20/08/2017 18:57

It's really normal at this stage for them to just what to sleep on you. Mine did for the first 3-4 months. Now she is 6 months I feed her lying down and sneak off and she stays put. It's hard but it's not forever - just do what works for now and let her sleep where she is most comfortable - on mummy or daddy xx

Intotheforest · 20/08/2017 19:26

Thank you for your reply. I'm just worried about bad habits forming and also conscious that we don't really have any kind of routine. Not sure if it is colic, reflux, overtiredness or a combination. I suppose I'm just wondering when it's going to get any easier and what I can do to help her x

OP posts:
Mountainviewloo · 20/08/2017 19:30

At 10 weeks this is totally normal. My DS didn't get any semblance of a nap routine until he was 6 months.

HT85 · 20/08/2017 19:33

You really don't need to worry about bad habits honestly. Just cuddle your babe!

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/sarahockwell-smith.com/2015/08/26/lets-talk-about-bad-habits-and-baby-and-child-sleep/amp/

HT85 · 20/08/2017 19:38

I personally am all for child led, so feeding on demand, reading sleepy cues. Baby will be happier and you'd be surprised how much easier you find it! They tend to form their own pattern.

FATEdestiny · 20/08/2017 20:05

Have you tried swaddling her Intotheforest? It makes putting down easier.

If you seek naps not on you, you could also try getting her to sleep in something that moves. I liked a bouncy chair for this.

In terms of routine, that comes in the form of a cycle at this age. So a series of things you do from when baby wakes. For example, one idea would be:

  • wake
  • feed
  • wind
  • check nappy
  • floor play time
  • at first grumble see if extra milk is wanted, into bouncy chair with dummy
  • bounce, bounce, bounce until asleep.
NameChange30 · 20/08/2017 20:10

Hi OP,
I recently discovered this website/blog thanks to another thread - sharing this post in case it's helpful to you:
childsleepscience.wordpress.com/2014/03/20/nap-101-post-1-does-my-baby-have-a-nap-problem/

LillyLollyLandy · 20/08/2017 20:21

Read "The 90 minute baby sleep program" by Polly Moore. It works.

Intotheforest · 20/08/2017 21:30

Thanks so much everyone for your replies. Those blog posts are interesting Namechange30. I've tried to swaddle Fate but she just screams. HT85 I'm happy to go baby led but it's just getting her to nap when she's tired. She really fights it. I'll look into that book lillylolly thank you. She's gone down fine tonight, it's the daytime sleeping that seems to be the problem which then leads to a very cranky and tired baby. Thanks so much again for your replies x

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NameChange30 · 20/08/2017 21:51

You're welcome - best of luck!

Rarotonga · 21/08/2017 07:13

Do you have a sling? My -velcro baby- ds would often go to sleep in the sling at that stage. It meant I was hands free and could get on with things, some of the time!

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