Do some babies just not need to nap?

LVBlvd

I am such a mess over this, and I'm really needing to get a grip!

Jack does not nap longer than 30 minutes, twice a day if I'm lucky.  He just pops his head right up and won't fall back asleep.

I've now tried:

swaddled, not swaddled, partially swaddled.  I've let him CIO (and hated it - he just gets so worked up and is hysterical), I've gone in and patted his back, I've re-rocked and nursed, but he just won't sleep.

Am I fighting a losing battle?  Are there really some kids out there who don't take a good nap?

Or do I keep at it?  

I feel like all I think about is Jack's sleep habits.  I'm about to lose my mind!! 

pinkcallalily

My son has never been a napper (or a nighttime sleeper).  Daycare has always been amazed at how little he sleeps and how happy he is all the time.  He typically takes one 20-30 minute nap a day and has been like that since he was a few months old.

charmcitygirl

Jacob was like tha until he turned 6 months. It was so frustrating. I tried everything. But I think there was some kind of developmental place that he had to hit to be able to move beyond that first sleep cycle. I hope he turns the corner soon!

perry7285

i've been reading ferber's book, which i resisted for a long time because i thought he was an extremist with CIO. he's really not, his methods are pretty moderate and compassionate, and it's a great source of general sleep info. anyway, his book would say that your baby might be fine with very short naps during the day. he said that while the TOTAL sleep needed per 24 hour period is roughly the same (give or take an hour or two) for every baby, and should be about 12 1/2 hours for a 6-month-old, every baby is different in how they divide it up. he says that it is normal for some babies to sleep a long time at night and only very briefly during the day.

so short answer, yes, some babies are fine with really short naps. hang in there--i feel your pain, but we'll get through this! (((hugs from another delirious and exhausted mommy))) 

RoxBride

DD slept beautifully at night, but rarely napped more than a 20 minute cat nap during the day until age 10 months.  Now she naps beautifully.

kme930

Will was a really light napper (20-30 mins at a time, 2 or 3x per day) and I remember being so frustrated/exhausted and wondering what I was doing wrong. His naps have gotten progressively longer as he's gotten more active, but he still has days where his naps are only 40 minutes.

I agree with Perry on Ferber's book - if for nothing else than the good information about sleep and sleep cycles. I think you would take away that it is, unfortunately, normal, but that he'll be just fine! 

Sorry you are dealing with this. I can only imagine how much you must want a real break during the day! 

cjsbdl

Henry was a terrible, terrible napper. It almost drove me completely mad. Then he hit a year, started taking one nap after lunch and now naps like a dream (he's on hour three right now). So, the good news is that my reformed catnapper is now a fabulous napper--the bad news is that it took a whole year to get there.

LVBlvd

cjsbdl:

Henry was a terrible, terrible napper. It almost drove me completely mad. Then he hit a year, started taking one nap after lunch and now naps like a dream (he's on hour three right now). So, the good news is that my reformed catnapper is now a fabulous napper--the bad news is that it took a whole year to get there.

That is good and bad news haha. I've already broken one baby monitor (by throwing it against a wall out of complete frustration upon hearing him wake yet again), I wonder what else I'll break in these next 6 months?

ALY1981

I have no advice, but I feel your pain!  That hour long nap the other day was a special treat but has yet to happen again!  Hang in there!

laura&dan05

Neither of my kids are great nappers.  H was just fine until she hit the 1 year mark and it's been down hill ever since.  I still put her in her room for at least 40 minutes every day but she really only sleeps during nap time 1 -2 days a week.  The rest of the time she plays, talks, or reads books.  J is NOT a napper at all.  He will do 2 -3 cat naps (15 - 20 minutes) during the day and I have to be holding him.  I know he's still pretty young but when H was this age she was napping much better and I didn't have to hold her. The second I try to put J down in the swing, bouncy seat, or crib he's wide awake.  I've tried swaddling at nap time but it doesn't work and I feel bad because I know he hates it.  So I save the swaddling for night time plus I want him to figure out how to sleep without being swaddled.

The good part is they are both awesome sleepers at night (unless J is going through a growth spurt) and they are in bed at a decent hour.  The bad part is I don't ever have any down time during the day at all.  It is rare that they overlap nap time and if it does happen it's only for about 10 minutes.

I remember around 6 - 8 months (can't remember the exact age) I did my own version of "sleep training" with H.  I never read a book on it so I'm sure it's similar to a method out there but I have no idea which one.  I would rock her until she was calm and sleepy and lay her down.  If she cried I would go in and rub her back but not pick her up.  I would never let her cry more than 5 minutes.  If she was a hot screaming mess I would get her up and rock her to calm her back down.  It took a good 3 weeks before she could get to sleep on her own.  It was hard and I remember DH telling me he though the whole process was going to make me crazy. 

In the end she figured out how to self soothe (with her paci and blankie).  From that point on we can put her in her crib at any time (for a nap or bed time) and she has no problem falling asleep on her own so it was worth it IMO.  I think the time has to be right for both of you and I don't know if I'll be ready at the same time with J or if we'll wait longer.

alchris

Kira didn't nap until she was 12 months, and it's been erratic ever since.  I always thought the concept of "dropping a nap" was a joke since all Kira ever did was add (a rare only) one.  But alas, Elena naps, and I'm in love, LOL.  So yeah, some babies, and people of all ages for that matter, just don't need much sleep!

cjsbdl

LVBlvd:

cjsbdl:

Henry was a terrible, terrible napper. It almost drove me completely mad. Then he hit a year, started taking one nap after lunch and now naps like a dream (he's on hour three right now). So, the good news is that my reformed catnapper is now a fabulous napper--the bad news is that it took a whole year to get there.

That is good and bad news haha. I've already broken one baby monitor (by throwing it against a wall out of complete frustration upon hearing him wake yet again), I wonder what else I'll break in these next 6 months?

You're not alone. I broke the glass on a framed print in our office when I threw a cube of sticky notes at it. That's the day I had to call DH to come home from work and take over. Not my finest moment.

schmoodle

Toodle never napped longer than 30 minutes his entire life, unless I was holding him, until he was well over a year old. We also tried many different suggestions to lengthen his naps and he just wasn't having it. Even now, at almost 2, he often won't nap more than that. He just isn't a sleeper (also has never slept more than 10-10.5 hours overnight). He never exhibits/exhibited signs of being overtired/cranky, and his development is right on track if not ahead in some areas. I firmly believe that some kids just don't need as much sleep as the books/experts will have you believe and that is their normal and if it works and it doesn't affect their happiness or day to day life, there's no issue (although it can be frustrating for mom). Best of luck!

SeaSoul

I'm late on this, but Cal was the same way at that age.  I don't recall when he started to nap longer - I think it was after he started going to our babysitter's house, around 10 months?  And they have gotten progressively longer to the point where now, at age 2 1/2 he's napping for 2 - 2 1/2 hours (where most of our friends' kids the same age are no longer napping!)  It didn't bother me too much, probably b/c I was not home with him all day.  But being a SAHM to 3 kids with a short-napper must be a nightmare!