newborn nap tips/books?

intheatx

We have Happiest Baby on the Block, and it works great for us when we want DD to sleep for longer stretches at night. During the day, however, it's just too much - she sleeps for way too long, and is then up all night long. If we don't use Happiest Baby for daytime naps, though, she seems to just fight sleep - she'll fuss and fuss and fuss, but is OBVIOUSLY tired. Right now, it seems like we're only getting one good nap each day (usually from about 5 pm-7pm), and the rest of the day when she naps it's for 20-30 minutes (and she almost always has to be held or be nursing).

 Any suggestions? I need to get some more sleep during the day, and her fighting sleep makes it impossible. Plus, all the crying and fussing just breaks my heart. (Note: During the fussing, she's fed, warm enough, has on a clean diaper, has been burped, and sometimes has been given gripe water in case it's gas.)

Slobina

My favorite sleep book was Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, and I also liked the Baby Whisperer.  Though those books were helpful, I wasn't able to consistently get Ruby to nap until she was about 10 weeks old.  At that point, she found her thumb and was able to self-soothe.  Until then, she fought sleep a lot as well.  The fussing and crying seemed to peak at about 6 weeks, and then again at about 10 weeks, before it died down.  Hang in there - it is tough, but there's definitely a light at the end of the tunnel!

Amy

rssnlvr

I'm not sure. Sleep usually begets sleep, so the better they nap during the day, (theoretically) the better they should sleep at night. Perhaps it's the really late, really long nap that is sabotaging her night time sleep?

At her age, I'd do all the same sleep cues that I do at night for her naps (the 5 S's, etc.) and if that makes her sleep long and hard, great! She probably needs it. 

FWIW, I also read Sleepy Planet's The Sleep Easy Solution, but I can't remember if that has anything for newborns or if it's mainly for older babes.

thethomps

Slobina:

My favorite sleep book was Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, and I also liked the Baby Whisperer.  Though those books were helpful, I wasn't able to consistently get Ruby to nap until she was about 10 weeks old.  At that point, she found her thumb and was able to self-soothe.  Until then, she fought sleep a lot as well.  The fussing and crying seemed to peak at about 6 weeks, and then again at about 10 weeks, before it died down.  Hang in there - it is tough, but there's definitely a light at the end of the tunnel!

Amy

This exactly.  I didn't start HSH, HC until DD was about 14 weeks but it has made such a difference!  She did start sleeping longer at night around 10-11 weeks (5 hours at a stretch).  DD cat napped for the first 4 months of her life but once we got into the groove, she has napped better and slept better at night.  

mrs.wildman

Here's another vote for Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child. While you shouldn't try to sleep train your LO prior to 4 months, there's a ton of valuable information in this book worth reading and trying prior to that. It changed my life. Seriously.

amyk927

I love Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child.  My baby's not much older, but I was keeping her up too much.  Now we put her down whenever possible at the first yawn and she's much easier to put to sleep and happier when she wakes up.  Grandparents have been the big problem with successfully doing this (they don't understand).  However, that means that sometimes she eats, yawns and then goes back to bed.  She doesn't have a formal schedule yet...we've been keeping a sleep journal, hoping one will develop though.  Good luck.