6 Month Old Will NOT Nap!

I also have a 6 month old. He just started taking naps because he's more active now he tires himself out. We wake up at 6:30 or so and I play with him put him in his jumper and just try to tire him out. He takes a hour 1/2 nap at nine. Now i'm trying to get him to take a second nap at 2, so he wont be so grumpy inthe eve. It takes a while but I just feed him give him pacifier and lay with him. Ounce he gets the idea that i'm sleeping too, it didnt seem to be so hard. It just takes a while and he fights it but in the end a rested baby is much happier than an overtired one. Good luck...
P.S. my son up until he was 3 months or so would only nap in his swing, (theres hope)

Hi Jen,
I agree, you will all be happier once he's able to get to sleep on his own. It's a valuable life skill! I was in the same place with my older daughter as you are now, and we ended up having to cry it out, and it was not fun.

I used the BabyWise method to help schedule my younger daughter's day, and that helped a lot. The key is to keep very consistent with what you do, and when, so the baby always knows exactly what will happen next. When they know what's going to happen, they stop fighting it. I don't know if you are feeding him right before he naps - if so I would recommend changing so that he eats right when he wakes up, then has a period of awake time/play time, and then naps. Put him down for a nap before you think he's tired (by the time they start acting fussy, they're overtired and it's harder for them to settle down). It may take him a long time to settle down. At times my daughter would be awake, babbling away, for up to 45 minutes before she fell asleep! Now that she is 3, she falls asleep for her nap in a matter of minutes - she's well trained! =)

So... I don't know if your baby's day is already on a sleep/eat/play schedule, but if not, you may want to consider that. It worked really well for me, and also for several of my girlfriends who also used this method with their babies. I hope you find something that works for you!

Hi Jen,
I am a HUGE fan of "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" and used it to get my daughter on a good sleep schedule. You didn't mention what time your son falls asleep at night. My daughter's schedule at this age was: wakeup at 6:30-7am, morning nap by 9am, afternoon nap around 1pm and bedtime around 6pm. If she didn't nap in the morning, I started the afternoon nap sooner. Same goes with the afternoon nap and bedtime. I found that she napped much easier if I put her down early at night. If he has only been napping in his swing, it could take a week to get him napping in his crib. Consistency is the key. He could be overtired from not napping well and an EXTRA early bedtime may get him well rested. As for the morning wakeup, I don't go get my daughter up until 6:45am at the earliest, regardless of when she wakes. She will sit in her crib, talking and singing, or go back to sleep. Maybe your son would benefit from shorter intervals of awake time before going back down for a nap? The first couple of years are hard on a sleep schedule as they change so much. Email me if you have questions.
Sincerely,
L.

Try recreating the same enviorment you have at night for the naps. It may be as simple as his room is not dark enough. so try several combinations to see what works. Has he cut any teeth yet? that could also be the probalem. at night he is just so tried that he sleeps through the throbing but at nap time it bugs him. I kknow that was the problem with James at that age. We gave him a teething ring for about 15 mintues before we started are routine and then he naped fine.

Hope this helps
A.