Sleep training naps

[goodmorningsunny]

Please no hate, I've come to sleep training through exhaustion!

10mo DD sleeps well at night and sleep training has worked well. But in the past week she has refused to nap. As soon as she goes in her cot, she screams and screams and screams. She stands up and smacks her head on the wall repeatedly. I've decided to nap train her because she is getting no day time sleep. I do her bedtime routine, put her in her cot, say good night and she immediately stands and screams and smashes her head on the wall and cot. I leave her there for an hour while she hysterically screams and come and get her after an hour. She just won't sleep! I've tried the graduates method where you go in for checks but that makes her even more hysterical.

Her wake windows are appropriate and she sleeps well at night but spends the whole day rubbing her eyes and screaming because she just isn't getting those naps. I used to always do contact naps but I just cannot any more for the sake of my mental health. Help me, please!

Just let her fall asleep on you then transfer to a bed.

An hour screaming and banging her head suggest she needs your support to sleep, she’s a baby and that’s normal. Or she’s not tired. Mine was on 1 nap by then most the time, she went to nursery at 11 months and they cuddle to sleep then transfer.

Rather than leaving her alone cry, I would suggest you stay with her to comfort her - but do it in the cot.

• baby stands
• lie back down
• repeat a mantra (eg sleep time now, lie down. Nan night)
• hand on chest to keep baby still

Then stay still, quiet, calm, patient. Zen like.

• baby wriggles to try and stand up
• repeat
• repeat
• repeat
• repeat
• repeat
• repeat
• repeat
• repeat

and so on...

She won't think if she screams she'll get her way. She will think if she communicates with you you'll respond she will be solidly attached and feel you are reliable.
if you respond she'll do better at nursery
im all for sleep training, but this isn't it.

if you need help reach out to the HV or a nursery nurse in the perinatal team

By the way you're doing a good job and we al fee lost and overwhelmed from time to time
motherhood is largely the blind leading the blind:
I hope you pnd feels better soon xxx

@Isahlo 🥰

What if you lay down with her as she falls asleep and then slowly sneak away when she's in a deep sleep?

Put a mattress on the floor and lay next to her there. That way her environment of sleep doesn't change.

That's how I got my baby to sleep independently without sleep training.

Sleep next to her. White noise in cot. Hand on her in cot. Talking to her calmly in cot. Rocking her quite fast while in cot. Patting bum while in cot. There are lots of ways to help her fall asleep without being trapped. And I would agree 3 hours may be too much. You need to gradually change how you are doing things, even though you are at the end if your tether. Try a different approach for a week but be there for her, regularly. Good luck. Sorry it's hard x