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My child WILL NOT nap.

Mereou12Mereou12 member
in Babies: 0 - 3 Months

Two weeks ago, this kid napped beautifully. He'd fall asleep in his swing, his crib, pretty much anywhere. But ever since we started doing a bedtime routine (and he's now sleeping much better at night), he WILL NOT nap. And this momma is getting frustrated.

He's exhausted. His little eyes are red and droopy, but nothing will get the kid to nap. I lie--putting him in the carseat and going somewhere will knock him out, but I can't be out driving for three naps a day. He'll snooze in the Moby from time to time, but even fought (and screamed his way out of) that yesterday.

I've been paying careful attention to his tired cues and trying to put him down before he gets overstimulated/overtired. I swaddle him, put him in his crib, put the paci in and shoosh...he'll doze for 30 seconds and then wake up hollering. Nothing I do seems to be working. He'll fall asleep if I rock him, but the moment I put him down, he's wide awake. It's like he's a newborn all over again.

Help. I'm starting to lose it! My kid is so tired but just won't fall asleep!

Oh, but here's the kicker--he falls asleep beautifully at night. (watch, though, I probably just jinxed myself!)

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Re: My child WILL NOT nap.

  • Philsbride2bePhilsbride2be member
    i was having this issue too, are you nursing? could it be something is disagreeing with his tummy? i found when all else fails, running the vaccuum or standing in the bathroom holding her with the shower running.
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  • mariamariamariamaria member
    Have you tried a blow dryer or vacuum? That puts my LO out right away or any other white noise.
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  • Piranha54Piranha54

    DD had a bit of this as she started sleeping longer at night - it threw her daytime naps into a tailspin for a week.  I actually started to put her down early than i had been - at the very first signs of drowsiness, rather than say 30 minutes later when she was barely keeping her eyes open - and that really helped.  I also started swaddling her for naps - just a blanket, not the swaddleme we use at night.  She also will not nap during growth spurts...

    GL 

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  • Temp785382312506150Temp785382312506150 member
    We went through this with DD at the beginning of this week, but I think she was going through a growth spurt.
    Hang in there! I know how frustrating it can be.
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  • bride2be79bride2be79

    We just finished going through this little stage.  I don't have any magic advice but through a few weeks of persistence DD is starting to nap better.  We are on a great routine at night (she also sleeps beautifully) but during the day she was refusing to nap.  She's super nosy and would refuse to go to sleep and then end up miserable by the end of the day.  She would do the same stuff, fall asleep in the sling or while I rocked her but wake up as soon as I put her down. 

    Basically, this is what we did:  try and catch her sleep cues early (I know you're already doing this); figure out the times of day she is most likely to sleep and try really, really hard to be home for naptime then; rock her until she's drowsy and calm but not asleep, swaddle her, put her crib and shush her, turn on white noise machine,  if she is calm leave the room, as soon as she starts to thrash about, go back in and shush her and put my hand on her to calm her but don't pick her up.  For a few days the whole shushing, calming and going back in routine took forever but it has slowly gotten better and she seems to be developing a consistent nap schedule.  I don't pick her up unless she is getting really, really upset (because if she gets too worked up then we're really screwed and she won't sleep at all).  She seems to be starting to get the whole nap thing but it's taken a couple of very frustrating weeks.  Sometimes if she just won't sleep and is starting to get really worked up I just unswaddle her and let her play for a while until she wears herself out.  I know it's not a nap but it's better than her screaming bloody murder and getting so worked up that she won't nap the rest of the day. 

    Also, if I can get her to take a pacifier while I am shushing her, that works well but she isn't crazy about the pacifier so it's hit or miss.  The only pacifier she will take is the Soothie one (probably bc I breastfeed).  If she does take it and it falls out I only put it back in if she's still awake, once she's asleep I just leave it.   

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  • Mereou12Mereou12 member

    HE SLEEPS.

    Finally. I fed him again (even though it had only been an hour and a half since he had eaten), changed him, rocked him, and turned on the radio to static (something I've never tried). He was OUT.

    I'm wondering now if he's going through a growth spurt. But he's 9 weeks...there isn't a spurt around 9 weeks, is there? His 2 month appointment is this afternoon, so I'll ask pedi then.

    Thanks for all the suggestions, ladies.

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