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Attachment Parenting
What do you do when LO won't nap?
Nap time is always a struggle here, and catnaps are the norm. I currently have a VERY crabby LO on my hands and I cannot get him to take a nap. He is so overtired that nursing to sleep isn't even working, which is normally how I get him to take his catnaps. I try wearing him, but he won't sleep worn anymore, I try holding him for naps, but that is the same 20 minute catnap.
I just don't know what to do, I am getting really frustrated. I started reading NCNS a while back, and I am wondering if it's worth it to try reading it again. Any one have any luck with the tips in that book?
Off to try nursing/rocking LO again for the 3rd time in the last hour and a half. Ugh!
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Re: What do you do when LO won't nap?
Ugh. I've been battling this since DS turned 3 weeks old. And the problem is that it's a vicious cycle - crappy naps lead to crappier naps lead to no naps... This may not be a very popular suggestion but twice I've been at my wits end and DS has also been at his wits end because he was so tired that I just laid next to him on my bed and let him cry while I rubbed his belly. This is kind of my last resort move and like I said I only had to use it twice BUT it helps to get the nap ball rolling so to speak. It allowed him to take a good nap and then made the subsequent naps easier to achieve. Often times I take him to Target or the mall and just walk and walk until he falls asleep in the wrap.
Also, the NCNS is good for extending naps but I found it didn't have any good advice for actually getting a severely overtired kid to nap...
Erbear, I do try to get him down for his naps earlier, but I guess I am still missing his nap cues. A lot of the time, even when I can get him down easy, he still just takes the 20 minute catnap. I really don't know how to get him to take a good nap. The couple of times he has napped really well, he slept better that night, so it would be nice to get this nap thing down.
Maybe I will try reading NCNS again.
This exactly! Although Jacoby usually doesn't make it more than an hour and a half- two hours tops before he is ready for a snooze. I did find NCNS helpful in that I hadn't been really paying attention to Jacoby's tired cues before reading it...I was going on more of a schedule or waiting until he was fussy or yawning really badly before trying to put him down for a nap. Now at the first sight of eyes being rubbed I know we need to start winding him down so that he can take a nap. It has helped soo much!
GL mama!
This is a good idea, I might try this tomorrow if we have the same problem. It may help me calm down as well! Thanks.
BFP #2 12/26/11 ~ EDD 9/6/12 ~ MMC discovered on 1/27/12 @ 8w1d (measured 6w2d)
BFP #3 8/10/12 ~ EDD 4/23/13 ~ MMC discovered on 9/13/12 @ 8w2d (measured 6w6d)
I actually took out the Moby the other day because DD fell asleep at playgroup, woke up when we left, and was a whiney mess. She was tired, but when I nursed her she kept flailing and couldn't keep her eyes closed. I finally dug out the Moby, strapped her in, and rocked for about 20 mins until her head dropped. She ended up only sleeping another 45 mins, but it reset her sleep cycle almost.
Another thing I tried once out of desperation was nursing under the blankets of our bed. It made things totally dark and quiet and once she was focused she passed out.