Babies: 0 - 3 Months

Struggling to get LO to nap longer than 30 minutes

I have to start by saying that LO is finally sleeping at night 7pm-7am with 2 feedings, and I am VERY grateful for that after 8 weeks of 1 hours naps 24 hours a day...I was like the living dead.

BUT, she won't nap for longer than 30 minutes this last week and a half. Most days I can get her to sleep, but at exactly the 30 minute mark she is up and crying. I've tried both soothing her at that point and letting her cry. She is not hungry or wet (I change and feed her before I put her down). Eventually I will stop trying to make her go back to sleep, but then she is just cranky and fussy until it's "naptime" again. This goes on all day everyday until bedtime. Every once in a while she will sleep for 45 minutes, but then it's the same thing once she wakes up. She naps in her crib with the white noise machine and humidifier (same as at night). I've tried letting her sleep in the moby or in my arms, but those naps aren't any longer and don't result in a less cranky/fussy baby. Help?!

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Re: Struggling to get LO to nap longer than 30 minutes

  • Could just be a phase?  Let's hope for that!

    DD sleeps well in the PNP by my bed at night but doesn't nap well in there.  She naps in the swing during the day and typically takes 1-3 shorter naps and 1 long one (2ish hours) most of which are in the swing (long one is always in the swing).

    Also, I think that when naps are shorter than 45 minutes, it means that LO is overtired to begin with.  I start getting DD ready for a nap after she's been up for 45-60 minutes so that she doesn't get overtired...  perhaps try less time awake between naps...  couldn't hurt!!

    GL!

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  • Have you tried napping skin to skin?

    When nothing else works and I'm at my wits end, it seems to work for us!

    (not always the most convenient, but it works when I'm desperate for my own nap too!)

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  • Let her fall asleep on her own. See siggy links for more info.
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  • These links are wonderful, thank you! I wish I read your "PSA: Babies need to sleep" post 10 weeks ago...we had a ROUGH sleep start...we did many things wrong, like trying to keep her up during the day thinking she would sleep better at night. I am going to log her awake time tomorrow and start putting her down 15 minute earlier. I KNOW she can be a good napper, we had a few days two weeks ago where she slept for 4 hours in the afternoon!

     

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  • imagecros8380:

    These links are wonderful, thank you! I wish I read your "PSA: Babies need to sleep" post 10 weeks ago...we had a ROUGH sleep start...we did many things wrong, like trying to keep her up during the day thinking she would sleep better at night. I am going to log her awake time tomorrow and start putting her down 15 minute earlier. I KNOW she can be a good napper, we had a few days two weeks ago where she slept for 4 hours in the afternoon!

     

    I hope they can help you!

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  • My LO was doing this and I thought it was a growth spurt or just a phase. This ended up being a gas pain problem that I just somehow didn't pick up on. My LO was only taking 15min naps and about 4 total through the day. I tried to lay her down before she was tired etc, and nothing worked. So, I switched her formula to soy and OMG she is sleeping regularly and no more fussing. My LO was already on Enfamil Gentlease before without gas pains, but then quickly she couldn't eat it anymore. Maybe just a thought. 
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