How to get my 10.5 month old napping in the cot? Please help.

[cedartree12]

DS (10.5 months) will not nap for more than 30 mins unless in the car. At home, he usually naps in the stroller. He has 2 x 30 min naps a day but this is not enough for him. Therefore after one of his naps I usually feed to sleep and he will sleep on me for another 30 mins.

He is now fighting naps in the stroller to the extent where he is climbing out. I'm desperate for him to nap in his cot as the only other option now is the car. I have tried several times over the last few months to get him to sleep in the cot (tried for a few days each time). Usually he does eventually, but it takes at least an hour to get him to fall asleep. This is soul destroying when I know he only sleeps for 30 mins. I have tried a dark room, a naptime routine, musical toys, relaxing music, lying with him, leaving him on his own, giving him a dummy.....I'm running out of ideas. He goes down fine at night. If he doesn't nap, he is so grumpy. If I delay the nap and leave him to literally fall asleep from sheer exhaustion (sitting up in the stroller or something), he will nap for 30 mins, then it will be too late in the day for a second nap, he will be grumpy all day, and it impacts on his night sleep.

Desperate to hear from anyone who may have any ideas. Thanks.

I have a bad sleeper/ napper too so I am no expert but do you have a bed time routine ? It he’s going down well at night maybe a similar routine for naps ? Make the room dark have some white noise or whatever you use to make him know it’s bedtime ? I feel your pain it’s a huge amount of effort getting my baby to nap for a very small reward ie 30 minute nap

I’m so sorry I posted hastily without reading all of your post I see you have tried these things , hope someone else can help

Thanks Firsttimemum. The bedtime routine is bath, story, feed, into sleeping bag, then bed. It's the feeding part that really makes him drowsy. I fed him to sleep just now (after an hour of trying to get him to go down) but am reluctant to feed him to sleep for all naps......maybe I should just accept that this is what I have to do?

I would honestly just feed until drowsy and then put him down for a nap. My DS is 21mo and a great sleeper but he still has a bottle of milk for every nap and bedtime. Appreciate it's less convenient if breastfeeding but if he's having a short nap and then you are feeding back to sleep anyway, you might find that he naps for longer in the first place if he's fed to sleep before the nap anyway.

Thanks Purple, I think I will have to do that. All the sleep advice online says dissociate feeding and sleeping but I think I have reached the stage where I have no choice!

yeah I would as Pp advises also feed until drowsy for naps too x

I'm not dropping DS's bedtime milk until he's 18 it's hard going against official advice because you feel like you're letting them down, but honestly everyone is so much happier when a baby sleeps. I would just be hyper alert of dental hygiene in every other respect as I know it's not great for their teeth.

Mine only napped for 20-30 mins at a time until over a year and then magically the naps became 2-2.5 hours long.

Thanks crazycatlady, that gives me hope!

Just a wave to say no advice but you are not alone!!!!
Same here!

Hi Cupcakey