My short napper is driving me nuts!!

laowaigringa · May 2014

DD used to have at least one good nap (at least 1.5 hours) at some point during the day, but over the past few weeks this has dwindled and she now takes 3 or 4 naps during the day, each only about 30-40 minutes. By evening she's so overtired and getting her down for the night can be just painful, but I just can't get her to nap longer anymore, even in her crib with curtains drawn and swaddled. Any ideas? Anyone else having this problem? What can I do??

amt0312 · May 2014

We have this problem- I think its her waking up between sleep cycles and not knowing how to put herself back to sleep. I have to go in and rock her back to sleep and reswaddle if her hands are near her face if she sleeps less than an hour. Sometimes it takes several tries before she really goes back to sleep for another 30-60 minutes. If she wakes up at the 1.5hr mark, I just let her stay up.

km_md · May 2014

My DD has never been a good day napper. She sleeps great at night (which was my main sleep priority lol) but has never been a good day napper. Yesterday she napped for almost an hour and I was so excited and productive lol

I always try and put her down for a nap even if she doesn't stay. I don't let her cry yet but if she is happy I will leave her in bed for a bit to see if she will go to sleep. I think that now that her reflux is starting to get under control she is on more of a schedule. She was really tired this morning after her one feed so I put her in her crib but she didn't actually sleep. I'm hoping that if I keep trying she will get on a schedule and get used to the idea of napping in bed.

I don't have any other suggestions though. I hope you figure it out soon!

bethughknee · May 2014

As part of the 4MW (I think, anyway) DD's naps are harder to come by. She was finally consolidating and taking a long morning nap and an almost as long afternoon nap but we're also back to 30-40 minutes and I work HARD to even make those happen. Sometimes it's even 10 minutes of fussing herself to sleep. Sucks, but since she's in daycare she can't recreate the habit of sleeping on someone.

I'm hoping it's a short phase. FOR ALL OF US EXPERIENCING IT.

Unknown · May 2014

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pinkyxboo · May 2014

Going through something similar. The only way I can get baby girl to nap longer then 20 min is to either hold her or lay next to her on my bed. Don't get me wrong, I love the snuggles, but I'm worried I'm creating a monster! I want her to have good nap habits but every time I lay her down she wakes up within 20 minutes and is super cranky. Like you, I've tried the dark room, swaddled, putting down drowsy, putting down asleep... but it's always the same. The odd thing is, at night she does fantastic in her pnp. She'll sleep from 9pm until about 6 or 7am...take a bottle and then go back to sleep. I'm hoping it's just baby being baby and eventually she'll grow into better nap habits.

thelittlepear · May 2014

I'm sad you're all dealing with this, but glad I'm not the only one in this boat! Anna has never taken more than a 30 minute nap, unless she's in the carrier, or I'm laying with her. I keep hoping it will get better when she's older, but who knows. Maybe when they get old enough to sleep train, and learn how to self-soothe better?

kiki1978 · May 2014

I'm in the same boat you are. Adam sleeps well at night (knock on wood), but doesn't take longer than a 50 minute nap. We have noticed though, that last week when we put an afghan on him in the RNP last week, he pulled it up around his face and then slept for an hour and a half.

bethughknee · May 2014

DD is a total cat napper. She was down to 15 min naps when they first stopped swaddling her at daycare. She just has to get there on her own. My MIL looked in baby books and apparently DH and BIL both cat napped until like 8 months old. DD can get up to 1-1.5 hours sometimes at daycare but it seems to only be after a bad night.

As of now she naps MUCH better at daycare. She barely falls asleep at home anymore. I think all the goings on just soothe and distract her and she falls asleep. At home there's nothing to look at. Cue H ordering a mobile for her crib today.

TBH, I will take the shitty naps and keep my good (for now) nights.

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