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6.5mth old sleeps at night but refuses to nap

7 replies

spendingagain · 01/06/2021 14:39

I'm keen to know if anyone has had/is having this experience or if anyone has any advice. After a very rough few months due to regression my 6.5mth old now sleeps 8pm-6am in his cot and wakes once to feed and some nights has to be resettled 1/2 times before 11pm. This is a massive step forward so very glad but he won't nap during the day. I've tried putting him down earlier/later but he still physically fights being put down making his body go stiff,wriggling and groaning. If I do manage to get him down he only sleeps for 30mins. At the moment he's averaging 1.5hrs max during day and that's with a lot of persistence on my part. He doesn't show any tiredness signs so very difficult to read him. We've had odd days when he has slept 1.5hrs in one go but it's rare. We rock him to sleep for naps as there's no way he'll self settle. Got white noise, blackout etc. I'm wondering if as he sleeps ok at night the bad napping is just something we have to put up with or is there something else going on? I'm beating myself up about his lack of day sleep and it's really stressing me out fighting all day with him and never knowing if or when he'll sleep.
Would love to know if you've had experiences like this? Or any tips?

OP posts:
Moonshine11 · 01/06/2021 14:40

Please don’t stress! We’ve all been there.
How does he sleep in the pram?
I used to have to sometimes take my LO out on a walk if he was fighting a nap.

Moonshine11 · 01/06/2021 14:41

Also what time are you trying to get him down?
Have you sussed out awake windows?

InpatientGardener · 01/06/2021 14:48

My DD is 9 months now and has only just started doing longer naps, she has religiously only ever done 30 mins on the dot until now. Also is a terror to get down, lots of soothing required. But like yours she sleeps pretty well at night. I think for her 1.5 hours a day was all she needed at that age. Sorry that isn't much help but hopefully a little reassuring!

InpatientGardener · 01/06/2021 14:50

Just to add once I stopped stressing about it and getting caught up worrying about what she should be doing, it became a non issue.

spendingagain · 01/06/2021 14:53

@moonshine11 he's actually just moved to a pushchair as he's long and the pram was getting small, so far he's too busy looking at everything to sleep! He used to snooze for 30 mins in pram occasionally.
I feel like I've tried every possible awake window available Confused from 2/2.5hrs up to 3.5/4hrs and no joy. Today he woke at 6, I managed to get him down at 8.40 for 30 mins then he wouldn't go down again until 1 and woke after 20mins then got him down again at 2.30 for 30mins. I've tried resettling by rocking him back to sleep after 30mins it rarely works... He's EBF and I find he falls asleep feeding during the day but if I try to then move him to cot he either wakes or only lasts 20mins.
I know friends with 3 nap schedules that work & baby sleeps for total of 3/4hrs a day but we're no way near that.

OP posts:
spendingagain · 01/06/2021 14:58

@InpatientGardener thanks! Yes that is reassuring!! I've been starting to get really anxious about it and realise that's making things worse.

OP posts:
Moonshine11 · 01/06/2021 15:04

He’s obv getting a good amount on the night so I would maybe just go with it for now.
If your trying to put him down in cot try waiting 20 mins so he’s in a deeper sleep.
Once he’s crawling etc he’ll be more tired so probs go longer!
Is he happy enough in himself with the short naps etc?
Also, I know it’s very hard, but don’t compare! This used to make me ill with anxiety and I snapped out of it. You have your own routine😊

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