8wks sleeps through the night but would not nap PLEASE HELP!

[AnnamariaHun]

Hello Everybody

I am new to this site. I've been trying to use Gina Ford/Tracy Hogg advice for feeding/nap which have seemed to be working.
I am the mum of 8wk old Oli who has just started sleeping through the night (10.30pm-7am) but as a co incidence this has been happening since i decided to give the "home-nap" a go (as opposed to letting him sleep in the car seat during lunch time while we are out which means no going out almost at all but prepared to sacrifice that if it means i can get oli into a routine from an early age.
There is no problem with the morning nap (as by Gina Ford) sleeps from 8.45-9-30am 45min in his crib in his room in dark then when it comes to the lunch time nap, he's clearly sleepy but after about 15min he's screaming then would not settle back (even after feeding him), so he's almost completely missing out on the 2.5 hrs recommended lunch time nap and again at 4 30pm he goes down again in his room for 30 min with no problem.

Can anybody tell me what i am doing wrong and what i should do or change i am not fanatical about Gina Ford/Tracy Hogg so if anybody can suggest a better routine i am happy to give it a go.

Help Please

Does he need a routine at all? I always just let DD sleep and feed when she needed to - I assumed she knew her needs better than a childless author!

Anna. You are very brave mentioning routines or Gina ford on this website. However, as a routine mum, I think you are doing fine. I would keep going with the lunchtime nap if I were you, if you drop it you might be a bit lost as to when to put her down. You are lucky she sleeps through so early and should be pleased about that. BTW there is nothing to stop you going out in the morning is there?

Thanks for you advice Spoo the problem with going out in the morning is that if i go out when he should be awake between 9.30-12.00pm as soon as i put him in the car/pushchair he falls asleep which will then definitely prevent him having a naptime at 12.00 (when he should)
Overall i really don't mind when he sleeps during the day but i am afraid that if i let him sleep whenever he wants to, it'll affect his nighttime sleep.
BTW sorry if i offended anybody by mentioning routines but i do believe in having one.

Routines per se and Gina Ford's ideas of routines are not necessarily the same thing.
IMO, the best thing to do is not to worry too much and find a routine that fits in with you and your baby rather than trying to fit your baby and you into a prescribed routine.

Could he be overtired at lunchtime? Are there signs that he is tired before the recommended 12. Maybe try putting him down earlier.

I followed GF with my twins. IIRC they were alseep for their lunch sleep by 11.30am at that age, and they would only sleep for 45 mins, it was only after I started weaning them that they went 2hrs at lunch.

They used to just have another 45 mins at about 2 and then 20 mins ish at around 4pm.

Maybe your LO just needs an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon - all babies are different so just use GF as a guide. If he is sleeping through the night you can't complain. My twins were sleeping 11pm-7am at 11 and 13 weeks old - structuring the daytime sleeps does help with sleep at night and means your LO won't get overtired.

It is hard to get out and about with a GF routine, but he can have a sleep in the car/pram, napping at home is not essential.

I found it really hard to keep my twins awake when they were 'supposed' to be, I used to start the day at 7.45am and they would be back asleep by 9am for an hour and then 11.30 for 45mins ish.

They find their own routine in time. I very firmly believe that your baby is sleeping through accidentally and not due to the routine and I'll bet anything that he stops sleeping through in a few weeks or so (trust me, mine was the same!)

Don't stop going out; that way insanity lies. Just wait for your baby to find his own routine. Babies aren't trains, you can't force them to be on time.

i found this old post as im having the same problem with my ds2 only he is 18 weeks old now and llareggub it wasn't and accidental sleeping through both my sons slept through from the age of 8 weeks....

throw out the books, they are crap imo. Nnot all babies will settle to nap, I don't care what these 'experts' say. It just doesn't happen like that, even though you want them too.
That's just the way it goes. Some sleep easily some don't. Your baby is far to young to be pushed into any silly routine.
Please go with your baby's needs not some faceless person who knows nothing about your particular child's needs

i really don't understand why a lot of you try and force your way of parenting on to other mums????
i didn't come here to ask if i was doing the right thing by following a routine. i came here to ask if you have any suggestions how to do certain stuff.
if you don't know how to (or choose not to) follow a routine, that's your decision. Mine is to follow one and it has worked with both of my kids for most part so thank you for respecting my decison and don't post if you haven't got anything productive to say thanks

I've got something productive to say: throw out the books

and go to NM. You haven't got a nice attitude. You want advice? But only if you agree with it eh?

there is no need to take you anger out on other people.if you have problem at home you need to get support from those who care...