3 month old - daytime sleep

[lazzaroo]

My 3 month old fights her sleep during the day resulting in her appearing to be very grumpy! The only nap that is consistent is ion the mornings when at about 8.30 (she usually wakes at approx 7) she will nap for between 30 and 45 mins. She wakes up all smiles but within 5 mins can be yawning again.

It can take 30 mins to get het to sleep, despite her ytawns, rubbing eyes etc. And I find it dificult as it usually always ivolves her crying wich seems so sad. I then often end up convincing myself that she must be hungry so feed her and she sometimes falls asleep after practically a sniff!Unless in her pram or carseat she will not just calmly fall asleep.

I want to encourage her to nap regularly and to have at least one longer nap during the day. Every time she sleeps she wakes after 30mins. It's like clockwork!

Any tips? what is a good nap routine for this age?

agree with Starlight.

"IME, the faster a mother can get to a 'whatever' frame of mind and just go with the flow the easier this malarky becomes"

Such wise words Starlight!

I'm not afraid of hard work. Just thought there might be some ideas that could help me. I'm not feeling sorry for myself just trying to do the best job I can and, heaven forbid, some days I feel like I'm failing my little one hence my original post. I just felt like I wasn't very good at meeting my babies biological (or other) needs so to me that wasn't something simple.

I won't bother next time and I'll just get on with it. Whatever!

Hi there

I'm on my 2nd 45minute napper and although I'm not getting as obsessed with napping as I did with DS, it is hard not to want them to sleep longer, as you can see that on the rare occasions they do, they are much happier and nighttime sleep is easier.

As it's my 2nd I don't have the time to be constantly rocking for hours. What I do is .. in the morning, DD just grabs what sleep she can on the way to/from playgroup etc, so she is usually tired by lunchtime. Then I put toddler to sleep at 12 and then do whatever it takes to get DD to sleep as well - feeding/rocking. She usually wakes after 45min and I feed/rock her back to sleep - can do this as DS is asleep. Normally have to cuddle her for at least 20 mins then can usually put her back down until about 1.30/2.00. Then in the afternoon I offer her a sleep at about 4.00 - we're either out and she's in the buggy, on the way home in the car, or I will spend 10mins rocking, and if she doesn't go I abandon it.

My advice would be - don't push it too hard or you just get stressed yourself. For morning and afternoon just try for 10mins and if they don't sleep they don't. Usually if you have to bring them back downstairs they have cheered up anyway, even if they were tired and grumpy before. For a big lunchtime sleep settle yourself in a rocking chair with a book/drink and snacks, and look on feeding/settling time as a rest for you, whether LO is asleep or not.

If they are tired and won't sleep, I find outward facing baby bjorn, or going for walks outside at that tricky 5.00pm time keeps them going till bathtime without too many tears.

IME it gets much better when on 3meals a day, and magically start sleeping 2hours at 9months, so it won't last forever. Honest, one day they will be reaching to get into their cot, you'll just plonk them in and they'll sleep 2 hours and you'll think you're in heaven.

DS is 6.5 months and has never had set naptimes. He almost never naps, and has been like this since he was very little. He'll fall asleep in the car if we are going somewhere, and sometimes falls asleep on me after feeding (for about 30 min or as long as I'm willing to sit still, whichever is shorter).

I used to worry a lot that he wasn't napping like all the other babies we know, but now have gotten into the 'whatever' frame of mind.

He'll sleep if he's tired. And I have no right to complain anyway, he sleeps through the night around 11-12 hours every night. He probably just doesn't need any more sleep! He's got his grumpy time of day (late afternoon), but at that time he just likes to feed a lot, not sleep.

Thank you both. I am trying to be chilled out about it we're getting there!

Starlight and other people here agreeing not to bother too much about naps, can I ask a question - because I want to know the answer, not because I want to argue!

What do you do with a baby who wakes up from a short nap crying inconsolably, and is not hungry / bored / dirty but keeps yawning and crying?

DS is 10 weeks old and really struggles to sleep during the day for any length of time unless he is in a sling (being jiggled around seems to work wonders!) Sleeping for only 30 mins would be fine by me except for the fact that he wakes up crying inconsolably and nothing other than getting him back to sleep will calm him. I've often fallen into the trap of thinking he's wanting to be awake & cheerful when actually he's overtired and getting progressively more exhausted. If I pick him up and rock/shush/pat as soon as he starts to cry, then he will sleep for another hour or two and then wake up cheerful.

Like lazzaroo, I find it hard not to be obsessed by his napping. I'm not trying to get him into any routine, or presume that he needs a certain amount of sleep during the day - I just try to follow his tired signals (eg yawning, grizzling) to know when he needs to sleep. But it is hard when he is 'telling' me he's tired, and then yelling at the top of his voice, because he can't get himself off to sleep. I simply can't leave him to cry.

Any suggestions?

I guess the obvious answer is to stick him in the sling, which I'm happy to do for some of the time at least, but wearing him all day long is rather doing my back in.

Angeldog, I just used to sit and bf them for as long as they needed to sleep, sometimes sitting there for up to 3 hours! Mum thought I was mad but she is from the 4 hourly routine era.
If I needed to do things then the slin was great. Or if my back hurt then we'd go for a walk with pram. No easy options or answers I'm afraid!!

Now sometimes pat/shussh works, but only for 30 mins.

Hi I am new this website and loving it already as nice to know not alone!!

My LO is 3 months old and I was only getting 3 x 45 hr naps a day and finding him really grumpy in the afternoon, after listening to my mum and mother in law I now put him down for his naps (mainly his lunchtime) wrapped up snugly and in his pram in the garden, he now sleeps from midday until 2.30pm and two 45 min naps morning and afternoon, i am loving it! Although did initially feel awful but he is thriving and has now started sleeping thru the night to 6-7 am, result!

Happy mummy and baby

Starlight mckenzie - get off your high horse and find another website to criticise people on.