need tips on how to get dd (6.5 mo) sleeping a long stretch at naps on her own pls!

[IHeartIona]

My dd takes short naps usually of around half an hour. Last few days though she has had a longer lunchtime nap (1-2 hours) when I have gone in when she has woken after say 20-30 mins (and she's still looking tired/crying) and helped her back to sleep. I did this either by rocking or feeding. Then though I couldn't put her down or she would wake straight away so I would end up with her on me...
How on earth do I get her to sleep for longer and without me?
Occasionally she will go to sleep on her own for naps, but those naps aren't particularly longer than naps when I rock her or feed her to sleep.
ps if I leave her to cry she tends to get hysterical and wake herself up totally which defeats the object, and I don't like to hear her cry.
thanks for any tips/experiences!

I had the same problem and to be honest I just went with the flow and he grew out of it at about 10 months. When they start getting more mobile they get more physically tired and sleep better. DS is now 16 months and I sometimes have to wake him up after 2 hours otherwise he won't sleep at night!

So no constructive answers really I'm afraid!

My ds was just the same (he's 6months). He would wake after 40mins all upset cos he was still tired but would not go back to sleep. I found a few things helped - I put up a blackout blind in his room, I put him into his grobag for naps, and to begin with I'd loiter around at the 40min mark and rush in and settle him (still in his cot) before he woke up fully. What made a big difference though was when he started rolling onto his front and staying that way for sleep, he seems to sleep much better like that and now usually has 1.5hr naps twice a day.

Hope this helps...good luck I know how frustrating it is to try and get them to nap!

thanks giddykipper - good to know naps get better when they get more mobile.

thanks ellibop - I do darken the room for naps, but did try the sleeping bag today and she has been asleep for 1 hour ten mins so far so that is great! My dd hasn't started rolling onto her front to sleep yet though she spends all day on her front when on her mat. she likes her side and seems pretty comfy there.

update - down for one hour and 25 mins now - sleeping bags rock!