Short Naps and Waking

[CHoll251601]

Hi All

Help or advice required.

Baby will not sleep past 30 mins during a nap on his own (I either have to make him go back back to sleep or that's the nap over).

Yet can go a full 10 hours overnight????

Is there normally a reason for this?

He was ill so wasn't sleeping at all really. Then he went back to sleeping all night for 4 days now he has started waking up once or twice in the night crying (he isn't hungry as on the few occasions I try to feed he isn't interested).

He is 6 months (+1 week) could this be a growth spurt? Or developmental leap.

( his naps have always been bad but he did get better and was going 45 mins to 1 hour but all messed up when was sick and back to short naps)

Any advice? I try not to rock him at all if necessary but he still needs me to pat or cuddle to sleep I'm trying to sleep train but honestly he just isn't taking and gets so upset.

Any advice or simply let me know I'm not alone and other people have this and there baby is fine (just lower sleep needs) :)

Thanks!

(Just want to know I'm not doing anything wrong :( )

You’re absolutely not doing anything wrong. Short naps can be developmental and as frustrating as they are, problems last forever. You can guarantee someone will be along who had a child that napped for 2 hours 3 times a day and still slept three the night….

My DS1 was a cat-napper on and off and o drove myself CRAZY trying to lengthen naps (when they did lengthen, night time sleep then went to pot!!) Black out blinds and a full nap routine (story, sleep sack etc) did help but not sure it was worth it! I’d rush back from baby groups so he would nap in his cot…what a waste of time!

With DS2 he mostly napped in the sling, pushchair or car as I had DS1 to take to things. He turned out fine!

Thanks!! It's nice to know I'm not alone :)

ANother thing however (within the first hour of being put to sleep he will wake up crying/screaming (not as in bloody murder screaming but more then a cry) like 3/4 times then finally sleeps after being soothed

And then does the same when he wakes up in the night (will wake so I will feed or help soothe back to sleep- he will wake again within the hour and then i have to soothe again - then he will go back to sleep till the morning) I don't know if this is normal i'm a FTM so I have nothing to compare it to.

What should I do? Should I get him checked?

It started happening around 4months+ and I read it can be caused by sleep regression but he has done it ever since

It's exhausting tbh lol- what with napping being short I'm not sure when I sleep or get time to myself haha

Naps like that can be normal, one of mine never napped more than 30 minutes, just go with it

The short naps are usually just developmental (although frustrating for sure!) - my DD did short naps until around 6.5/7 months when a switch flipped and she started doing up to 2 hours at a time. This is really common!

Following this thread . My baby is 6 months also and naps are a SHAMBLES. Every single nap she refuses and she's often awake 8/9/10 hours and just doesn't nap!? When she does nap it's maximum 30 minutes. She's become very whiny and hard to deal with . The only way she naps is on me in a dark room. But I have a 3 Yo so this can't always be done. She won't nap in her cot or in the pram. She also fights bed time and can take 2 plus hours to get her to sleep so sometimes not going to bed till 10. Even if she's been awake 10 hours in the day? She sleeps ok at night generally and in her cot which I find bizarre. She's a very alert baby and not a sleepy baby which I get but the no naps is really unsettling her. She is teething but this issue has gone on for a while now.

My two honestly went through every sleep regression going! I still pinch myself now they just go to bed fine and sleep well (and even quite like a lie in now!) as I was certain the torture of swell was nights would be forever!!

They are 4 and 7 now but I would say from 2.5 things gradually got lots easier then by 3.5 they just sleep well. Same routine. Same parenting.

Needing to be resettled 45mins-60mins into nighttime sleep is also definitely common (unfortunately!) It’s their sleep cycle coming to an end and they need help getting to the next cycle.

There is lots of information out there and often people sleep train at this point BUT it’s not the only option. I found advice from Lyndsey Hookway and Kathryn Stagg really valuable about what is normal for each age and stage and felt reassured that even if I chose to keep feeding/rocking to sleep, all children eventually do sleep and whilst they are so little just choose whatever works best for you as a family.

You’ll hear lots of ‘making a rod for your own back’ etc but children are only little for such a short time. You can adjust and change your methods if you wish as they get bigger. At the moment you are meeting their needs for love and comfort.

Thanks so much it's reassuring that there's nothing wrong and sometimes some babies just don't sleep well and they will eventually grow out of it :) I do keep trying with the sleep training but it's really hard when he just gets so upset so glad not everyone is pushing (it's always so easy said then done) and all anyone says is they will never sleep well of you don't sleep train (which is never helpful tbh)
This has actually really made me feel better so thank you so much for the reassurance and just that there are others that go through it :)
I will defo have a look into what you suggested :)!!!

Thanks for the advice abd reassurance:)

Haha nightmare ain't it :( x

Awww I absolutely feel your pain as when baby was ill recently he just would not sleep at all so I can see how exhausting that can be)

All I can say is I hope for both of us things do get easier/better with babies sleep and sending all the love :)

Being a mum is the most rewarding/amazing and beautiful but hardest thing I've ever done.

If things change/ get better or I actually manage to do some sleep training I will try and share.

Your doing amazing and keep going (should take my own advice aye? Lol)

Thanks that helps! Haha nightmare tho