I don't know what I/we did wrong.....

Jacques715 · July 2010

When I read posts on here about babies that sleep for hours at a time, taking 2 solid naps a day totalling 3+ hours, I often question where we went wrong.

Tahlia does not STTN, she still gets up once or twice, depending on the night. She typically goes to bed around 7:30, although recently she has been fighting bedtime until 8pm. She wakes anywhere between 6-7, most often closer to 6. Her daytime sleep is horrible. Her naps range from 30-45 minutes long and they are a battle. She will rub her eyes and look tired so Ill take her up and try to rock her to sleep and she kicks, screams, slaps, and claws at me. I have tried just leaving her in her crib and she just cries and cries and cries. Eventually we have to leave the house and if she is tired she will pass out in the car but if she is overtired by the point when we leave the house she will just scream and scream and scream for 20+ minutes in the carseat fighting sleep.

I need some advice. What are we doing wrong her?. As I said Tahlia goes to sleep around 8 and wakes at 6 with 1 or 2 night waking in between. She typically only naps for 1hr to an 1hr and a half a day. This means she is only sleeping about 11 hours in total. I know all babies are different but most of the sleep requirements I read say babies Tahlia's age should be sleeping 13-14 hrs a day.

I really need some relief here. Has somoene forund something that worked for them??

mavilabride4evah · July 2010

What time do you normally put her down for her first nap?

Also, just wanted to add that you aren't doing anything wrong. It's really easy to praise the baby when something goes well and blame the parents when something isn't going too well.

FrickandFrack · July 2010

DS fights naps as well and only takes a 45 min - 1 hour nap. Sometimes on the weekend we might get lucky and he takes a 2 hour nap. All babies are different.

our_baby · July 2010

my daughter goes to bed around 8 pm and sleeps until 7/7:30..she usually wakes around 5/6 am to eat and goes back to sleep. last night she slept the whole night and no early am feeding. if she wakes at 7:30 she needs a nap about 3 hours later..almost to the second. after her am nap, she can usually play/eat aka be awake for about 4 hours and then needs another nap around 3:00 or so. she naps for about 1.5 on average. i have noticed if we can stay ahead of getting overly tired then she will easily nap. hope this is helpful...it has been a challenge to get to this point.

MrsPatterson · July 2010

Did you ever do sleep training to get her to STTN or did she just do that herself? Don't blame yourself, first of all! If she seemed happy and ok during the day with the shorter naps, I'd say maybe she just needs less sleep, but it sounds like she really needs to sleep and is just fighting it for whatever reason. Maybe consider doing some sleep training for nap time. I think nap time sleep training is probably harder than night time sleep training, since it can be such a battle, but that might be your best option. GL, I hope she starts taking better naps soon!

jenna0627 · July 2010

You did nothing wrong. I see the posts of babies sleeping like that and I often feel like you do. However I try to remember all babies are different just like all people are different. I think some are just generally better sleepers than others. Trent hasn't STTN since before 4 months old, he only has one guarenteed nap and that is at 9 am. His afternoon naps vary sometimes he skips them completely. We try to maintain a consistant routine but the thing is T never acts tired. He is a happy baby 99% of the time so I don't think he is tired I just think he isn't a long sleeper. Sorry I don't have better advice but I just wanted to reassure you that there are tons of babies that aren't STTN and taking great naps daily.

Jimsgirl5821 · July 2010

I dont think you are doing anything wrong...some are just better sleepers than others. DD takes good naps some days (an hour is "good" for her) and others I have to leave her screaming and rubbing her eyes in her crib only to get a 25 min. nap. I think it is important to try to catch when they look tired and put them down. Sometimes if they are overtired, it is too late. FWIW, DD didnt start consistently STTN until about 9 mos. and even now has her bad nights once in awhile.

littlestbrujah · July 2010

DD just started STTN around 9-10 months and napping slightly consistantly. She still won't really nap at my sister's on Mondays. Like PPs, all babys are different, sometimes they just fall into their schedule later, I don'tthink youdid anything wrong.

Jacques715 · July 2010

MrsPatterson:
Did you ever do sleep training to get her to STTN or did she just do that herself? Don't blame yourself, first of all! If she seemed happy and ok during the day with the shorter naps, I'd say maybe she just needs less sleep, but it sounds like she really needs to sleep and is just fighting it for whatever reason. Maybe consider doing some sleep training for nap time. I think nap time sleep training is probably harder than night time sleep training, since it can be such a battle, but that might be your best option. GL, I hope she starts taking better naps soon!

We are contemplating sleep training for naps starting next week. We moved about a month ago and Tahlia's room does not have shades yet. I have been putting her to sleep in the pack and play (in a room that faces a different part of the house so it is dark) but feel badly to sleep train until she can nap in her own crib. We sleep trained for bedtime because she was waking every 45 minutes at the 5 month mark just to be held and rocked back to sleep. I don't know how but somewhere between our move we got back into rocking her for bedtime again. This whole situation is just very exhausting and frustrating.

Jacques715 · July 2010

mavilabride4evah:

What time do you normally put her down for her first nap?

Also, just wanted to add that you aren't doing anything wrong. It's really easy to praise the baby when something goes well and blame the parents when something isn't going too well.

I try to follow her cues otherwise the fight is too much to bear. Typically she wakes around 6:30 and I try putting her down for her first nap between 8:30-9:30. This morning I tried for 9:00 and she wouldn't have it, tried again at 9:45 and she still wouldn't have it. Right now she id complaining in her crib because I am having a mini breakdown.

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