Need Advice for Napping

I remember when my son was that young, we would always rock him to sleep and place him in his crib or his Pack & Play for a nap. I think she's pretty young to fall asleep by herself in her crib. You could try a CD of soft songs and black out shades in her room and remember to get her down BEFORE she is really really tired. Good luck.

Both of my children took naps in the swing until they were about 6 months old. If I put them in the crib for a nap, they would wake up after about 15 minutes. After 6 months, I started putting them in the crib for at least one nap a day - usually after lunch. Both would fall asleep while nursing or while drinking a bottle, so they were asleep when I put them down. For the first month, it was hit or miss. Some days they would nap for 3 hours, other times it was a half hour. We just had to get through that adjustment period.
Coincidentally, both of my kids started rolling over to their belly at about 6 months. They seemed to sleep better once they could roll over.

hi T.,

i totally understand what you're going through! i had the same thing with my daughter, but she also slept poorly at night. i started doing sleep training at four months since nothing else worked for her accept falling asleep on me while nursing. i couldn't put her down or she would wake up. we did let her cry, but would go to her room every few minutes to reassure her we were there. i kind of made up my own sleep training after reading several books.
she is 5 mths. now and sleeping very well for naps- usually 1 1/2 hrs! she also sleeps much longer stretches at night. hearing her cry was that hardest part for me and my husband, but we are all happier now that she sleeps well. i hope this helps. good luck!!

Hi T.,

We had good luck using the "no cry sleep solution" by Elizabeth pantley. Although I have to say my son took his naps in a swing until he was too big to sleep in it. Some kids like the movement.

Good luck!

J.

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T.,
My eldest daughter had a really hard time taking a nap, too.The only thing that worked was to sit with her in a rocking chair while I nursed her,and then rock her to sleep. Hope this helps.
A.

For my son, it helped to get him on a set schedule and try to encourage him to take long naps. Pay attention to when she usually gets sleepy and try to get her to sleep a little beforehand, that way she isn't miserable and restless. I am still working on this with my seven month old, so don't feel bad!

Your girl sounds exactly like mine at 4 months. I also breatfeed exclusively and around 4 1/2 months her naps went down to nothing. I was lucky if she slept 1 hour a day. She was so exhausted it started affecting her nighttime sleep as well. A friend lent me The Sleepeasy Solution by Jennifer Waldburger and within 2 hours I had a sleep plan ready to go and we began sleep training that night (they recommend training for night and naps together, for consistency)
It was hard the first couple of nights but then it clicked and she began sleeping 3-4 hours in naps and 12 hours/night!!!! And she is still a good sleeper at 8 months old.

I recommend using the book (which deals with all sorts of sleep problems- it's awesome!) and using white noise and blackout curtains (you can get these at Walmart) in her room. Routine and consistency are a big factor also. It is better to start training now rather than trying to break bad sleep habits later!

Best of luck.
R.

The good news is, she will grow out of this stage sooner or later. My daughter was the same way. She wouldn't nap unless she was in her car seat or bouncy seat until she was almost 5 months. All the books say, don't get them in the habit of falling asleep while moving...obviously the people who wrote them didn't have babies that wouldn't nap. Do what you can to get her to sleep so that you can rest yourself. Our daughter was diagnosed with reflux, and it was because of the acid in her throat that she hated sleeping on her back...also she would startle herself when we put her down (eventually that goes away). Once she started the medication for reflux, she was a new baby....sleeping for 2 hour naps twice a day and then mostly through the night. Also, I had to do the EXACT same routine every day before naps and bedtime, and put her in the crib while she was still awake, but tired. I would go in and reassure her every 15 minutes without picking her up if she cried, and eventually she learned to fall asleep on her own. I can't tell you how sick I am of "Good Night Moon"...but if I read anything else she won't go to sleep. Good luck! Hang in there!
J. W

The Sleep, Eat, Wake cycle saved my life with my daughter. I was exclusively nursing as well. Feed her immediately whenever she wakes from a nap. Let her play etc and drift off after "wake time". Don't worry about how long or often the naps are-just stick to that order. She will get a secure feeling from the system and sleep more. Also, she'll learn to fall asleep without needing to eat. You will know exactly what's needed next at all times (eating or sleeping) and when you can do stuff. It's AWESOME. You can feed her before bed at night, and of course extra feedings when she seems hungry, because the more she eats all day the longer
she'll sleep at night. But try it. Sleep. Eat. Wake. Good luck!
This is based on the system in the book On Becoming Baby Wise-the infant one, not the toddler one, if you want to read it....

I had a nap routine somewhat like my bedtime routine but a little shorter. No bath, just a book and some soft music, etc. And I never put my son in his crib or bassinet unless it was to go to sleep. Also, make sure you put the baby down for a nap before she gets too fussy. If I waited too long to put my son down he would fight it like mad. If we let him get overtired he just wouldn't sleep, you almost have to become an expert at reading the signs and find the right time. As soon as you think the baby is sleepy get them down as soon as possible. I had to change my son's naptime several times but once I found the right time, he was a much happier baby.