major nap time issues... anyone have any suggestions?

Lisa - posted on 02/28/2010

really my girl will only nap for about half hour a day if im lucky then goes to bed at 7 at night but will wake once or twice for bottles coz she dont have them in day

Allison - posted on 02/27/2010

Really Michelle? I am so jealous! My son will only nap once for maybe 2 hours if I'm lucky. I am jealous of your three hour nap-fest. LOL. Two hours isn't bad, but that is on a good day.....I would say normally it's an hour and 20 minutes.

Michelle - posted on 02/26/2010

My daughter has basically finished with the morning nap but will crash around 1 right after she has had lunch maybe cut out the morning nap and put him to bed mid afternoon I know we get a 3 hour nap now instead of 2 40 min naps

Tina - posted on 02/26/2010

I've been having a bit of trouble lately too with the naps. I try to stick to a schedule and get him to nap at the same time every day (I know it's hard!). And I go through the exact same routine when I put him down too. I turn on the bathroom fan on the way to his room for a little "white noise", give him his soother, and snuggle him for a bit with the blanket wrapped around him. I sing him a little song or two and when he starts to lay his head on my shoulder and relax (which isn't long most good days) then I lay him in the crib, put the blanket back over him and tell him to sleep well and walk out. If he starts to fuss - I walk back in, lay him back down, cover him back up, give him the soother and give him a little pat and walk out. Sometimes I end up picking him up but I go through the same routine again - wrap him in the blanket , give him the soother, sing him a quick little song and when he puts his head on my shoulder and chills out - back in the crib. Lay him down and put the blanket over him, give him a littel pat, wish him a good sleep and walk out. I come back in later and later every time letting him cry it out just a little longer every time. 1 min, then 2 minutes, then 3...etc. First couple of times (and I mean first couple of naps - not days here) it worked like a charm. Just remember to keep the visits short. They know you're there if they need them and you come back and they're soothed but the do have to have the nap. It works most days :) Good luck!

Terra - posted on 02/26/2010

Try to swadle him in a blanket. It helps my son. Otherwise he will sit there and squirm, rub his eyes, kick his feet, anything to stay awake.

Jade Lee - posted on 02/26/2010

My daughter has never been a very good sleeper even when she was a newborn she was awake through most of the day. Then when she hit 9 months i was at the end of my teather. She was still waking in the night about 7 or 8 times for breast and had 10 minute cat naps in the day. So i decided to do my best to get her sleeping atleast 2 hours in the day as i read in many books that if they dont sleep in the day they usually dont sleep at night too well either, so she usually wakes between 7 and 8 had breaksfast and played, i noticed she was a little tired around 11am so i put her in her cot and let her cry for about 10 munites, i then go back in and give her milk and rock her to sleep, shes usually tired from crying and falls asleep in about 10 - 15 minutes and usually sleeps for about and hour, the first few times she did try to fight it but i kept strong and she eventually fell asleep! Then she has dinner at about 1 and we go for a walk and come home intime for her second nap at 3:30pm and we do the same system again, she then sleeps for another hour. İt took her about a week to get used to it but now she knows and shes pretty good. I also make sure shes fed bath and in bed the same time every night just so she knows whats going to happen each night. And finally i get my evenings to spend with my husband and a much better sleep. she now wakes about 1 or 2 times has a moan i pass the bottle and shes back to sleep in seconds,which is excellent!

Good luck, be strong and dont give up

Amanda - posted on 02/26/2010

something my mom told me is its the baby's way of testing you. it seems strange but you have to be strong. one other thing i did try was set up times i felt my daughter needed naps. even if she didnt look tired or acted tired i would do the normal routine before taking a nap.

Stefanie - posted on 02/25/2010

Thank-you for the reply..... I use the Johnson and Johnson Bedtime Moisture wash every night for his bath, I have been massaging him with the same type lotion, we have a glider, used to work from about newborn until 5 months old, in the last 2 months I have had to stand and rock him - just recently about 2 weeks that doesn't work - he squirms and pushes away to get down. Seems like nap time has been extremely rough since he started walking? I don't know if that would have anything to do with it? He has music with motion attached to his crib, he has a puppy that you pull the string and for music - both he really enjoys, but only lasts for a few minutes at best. Dr. says let him cry it out. I have researched this issue and now after a few responses to my post - feel like I have tried everything. I know he needs to be able to self-soothe, but at the same time I don't want him to have nurturing issues.... Problem is; I know he is tired and is so much happier when he takes his naps, completely lost about what to do.

Kimberly - posted on 02/25/2010

play play play until your little man is exhausted then nurse him or give him a nice warm bottle play a little lullaby and rock him, that's what i do with my 10 month old and she is out...keeping him on a sleep schedule would be good too have him up for 3 hours in the morning then try to put him down the second you see him rubbing his little eyes or yawning, scoop him up and start his nap time routine. Best of luck

Charmaine - posted on 02/25/2010

keep a routine... same thing each day at the same time... and when its time for a nap take him to the room and calm him down, rock him without talking to him, or sing a lulliby... sometiems i pretend that i am sleeping hahahe now naps the same time each day and goes to bed the same time at night...

Amanda - posted on 02/25/2010

it was the same thing for me. i have read in a few books that some children just stop taking naps. some things you can try is soothing music, sleepy time lotions i know johnson and johnson makes something along those lines. i know it may sound mean, but there have been a few times where i put my daughter in her bed and let her cry to sleep. if these doesnt seem to work, and you feel its necessary, try talk to his dr. o some thing else try rocking him and holding him something that little extra comfort helps