6 month old won't nap during day

[Gangle]

At my wits end with 6 month old DS who won't nap during the day unless we're in the car or out in the buggy (and even then he wakes if the buggy stops). The only way I can get him to nap is to nap with him and even then it's a stuggle. Should I persevere with trying or just leave it? Today he got SO overtired and tetchy and I'm getting tectchy and bad tempered back because I feel like I don't have a minute to myself, ever. I've tried the usual things like routine, putting him down before he is tired but nothing seems to work. Should I try sleep training?

What hours does he sleep at night? My 4mo dd only has 2 naps a day now and they are usually about 20/30 mins long. She sleeps from 8 - 9 at night.

He usually goes from 7 or 7.30 until 3 or 4 when he wakes for a feed. Problem is he usually won't go back to sleep unless breastfeeding and even then sometimes he's just awake between 4 and 6am! On a good night he will fall back to sleep until 6.30 or 7. I do get the impression that he usually doesn't need that much sleep but he is getting no way near the amounts recommended by all the books. He is also completely overtired sometimes, as he was today, from lack of sleep so worry it's impeding his development.

Have you tried controlled crying? Maybe you could do so for day naps and see what happens? We found that if dd didnt sleep in the day she wouldnt sleep at night although she only needs about an hour in the day she is a nightmare at night if she doesnt get it.

She used to need to be rocked to sleep but I decided to let her cry a few times and now she self sleeps in her pram.

Does your lo have a dummy?

Is this a new development or something he's always done? There are a bunch of things that happen at around 6 months that interrupt sleep. Teeth is one, and calpol can help here. (Distractions during the day/boob in the mouth dulls the pain, but come sleepytime it's hard not to focus on the pain.) Another is the gross motor explosion of sitting up/crawling/pulling up and of course introducing solids can affect the belly. No instant fix drug for all of that, but as you said he's overtired and it's making you and him tetchy, he obviously needs more sleep. I would keep trying anything and everything until you find something that works.

Gangle - I just wanted to say that that describes my DD EXACTLY. I don't know what to do - I've tried everything. I think the night time thing is one of the worst as sometimes I am up from 4 am and I can't get her back to sleep unless I rock her then as soon as I put her down she wakes up. I know she's tired in the day as she rubs her eyes etc. Have you had any luck since you posted this?

Just wanted to add that the refusal to nap except in the buggy is also extremely stressful!!

By 9mo goes through phases. for a while he'd fall asleep on the boob, let me put him in his cot and sleep for 45 -60 mins, twice a day.

When he started crawling and got a cold, he'd wake the minute I put him down and not even be able to be fed back to sleep. Then he got even worse and wouldn't let me take my nipple away (which was not good as his top teeth rub when he's not latched properly!). We took to going for extra long walks so he can sleep in the sling, which is great for my weight loss. Load up the ipod with some audio books, and everyone's happy!

Magically, as the cold has gone away, and perhaps just 'because' he's now starting to let me put him down again. Didn't do anything, he's just changed. again

That helps! The fact that they change all the time makes it hard to keep up but I suppose you know it means that things will be different if they aren't going right! Last night she fed to sleep at 4.30 am then woke up the moment I put her down - so that trick isn't working any more! She finally went to sleep again at 7 - from pure exhaustion I think! Not sure what I am going to try tonight!

muminUS have you considered co sleeping?

I know it's not for everyone but I did it with both mine and they weaned themselves away from it and now sleep from 7 - 7 without fail.

Hi - I haven't tried co sleeping properly - I've just taken her to bed when I've failed to get her back to sleep - which by then is too late and she usually continues to fuss - so I think I'll try it from the beginning and see how she gets on. Good idea!