Very Poor Napper!

I'll add a vote for 'Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child". It has a lot of great suggestions and really helped us. You can get it at the library.

We had the same problem with my sisters kid, we found though if we put him in his bouncer, he slept good. It had a vibration setting and he would sleep great in it and then he wasn't stuck in the car seat. Try it, it may work.

Hi Tanya,
This does sound familiar to me, too... I know my little girl (who will be 2 next week) was not a good napper/sleeper at all. She went through periods where things would be 'great' to 'terrible'... I know what helped me: "Healthy Sleep Habits Healthy Child" by Marc Weissbluth. We were missing her signs of tiredness, thus missing the 'window' of opportunity and putting her down when she was overtired. Another thing I like about this book is that it takes you through infancy to adolescence. I refer to it often if I have a sleep question. Good luck!! Remember: this too shall pass!! :)

I am sure your baby is fine. Babies are ppl too and if she isnt tired she wont want to sleep. We have two children 9 and 6 yrs and we never had nap times for them. When they were tired they went to sleep. I also worked in a nursery and some of those 6 month olds slept 30 minutes to an hour a couple times a day and they were fine. I just dont believe in forcing a baby or child to sleep. Just be patient and everything will be fine. Pretty soon she wont be a baby anymore, so enjoy this time now. We really miss our children being babies. Note: Don't go by what an expert says or what books say because every baby is different. You and your baby will learn a lot as time goes by. I'm sure you're doing great as a Mom!...Good Luck....T.

Hi Tanya, actually, compared to some babies, your daughter is sleeping plenty during the day. But you'd rather it be fewer, longer naps, right? It sounds like you're doing all the right things, and preferring to sleep in arms is quite typical for her age. Usually if you just keep trying, as the baby gets older, she consolidates the naps, and you can start counting on some longer stretches fairly regularly. One thing to consider might be teething. Maybe while she's up and active, she doesn't notice discomfort, but when she's lightly asleep, it breaks through? Anyway, hope it all goes well for you! E.

Have you tried a baby sling? You could use one to train her to nap longer. My babies would sleep very well in a sling, and it was easy to slip them out and onto the bed from one once they fell asleep. She just might like the feeling of being so snug next to you when she sleeps, I am guessing. Also she might be not taking naps so well because she is teething and/or a little "on" due to the new skills she's recently acquired. I think the babies that age are quite busy when they're awake and quite busy intending to be busy when they are asleep...

I loved using a baby sling with my girls because I could get so much done all day while wearing my baby! It is also nice for nursing discreetly in public.

There is a local organization in my county called the Brain Team that makes the exact same kind of baby sling that Dr. Sears writes about in his Baby Book. They sew the slings and make them available for free or minimal donation to anyone. I would be more than happy to pick one up for you at the UW Extension office and send it to you. Send me one of those message thingies if you are interested. I have also given many baby sling user demonstrations so I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have.

My little boy was a terrible napper also, 3-4 30 minute naps unless we held him in the afternoon. I was also very exhausted and never seemed to get anything done! It was at exactly 6-7 months also. As he slowly became more active, his length of sleep increased. We also turned his soft music on repeat because he would typically wake up when the music stopped at the end of the CD about 30 minutes. At the same time he started not wanting to go to sleep at night which was completely new. We used a consistent gentle reassurance approach with going into his room to calm him every so often and gradually he learned to put himself to sleep. A parent instructor at our ECFE class reminded us parents that many babies are also practicing their new skills while they sleep or sleep crawl, roll over, etc.
Good news though...at 9 months he started to crawl and magically the naps became consistent--twice per day for about 1.5 hours each and sleeps well through the night.
Hang in there. All babies are different. I would suggest a consistent approach where your baby learns to put themselves to sleep.
FYI--I am a pediatric RN and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends placing your baby to sleep on their back with no loose blankets until they are 1 year old. If your baby rolls over onto his or her stomach then leave them but don't try to roll them over or prop them as previously suggested.
Good luck, sleeping issues have been the most challenging for our family also!

Check out this book:
"Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" by Marc Weissbluth

I have heard many parents rave about this book for helping with sleep problems. It is a rather length book but you can skip to the parts that are relevant to your situation! Good Luck!

The Healthy Sleep Habits book is really good or there is another one called Good Night Sleep Tight it is by Kim West. Both books are pretty similar. I preferred the one by Kim West. And don't listen to those people that your child does not need a nap. They most certainly need naps. It is normal for a child to wake after 30-45 minutes because they are having a partial wakening but don't know how to fall asleep on their own. The books help with sleep training your child to learn how to self soothe and fall back asleep. My first did the same at six months and once I got the book and got her to take two naps a day she was like a whole new kid. I had no idea how sleep deprived she really was. And your child will probably continue to wake at night until she gets caught up on sleep. The more overly tired a child gets the worse they sleep. I would highly recommend getting one of those books. We are now using the book with our 5 week old and it is working great.

is she teething? a lot of kids have LOTS of trouble with sleep when they are teething. it can really get to them, and it causes a lot of stress. if possible, get a sling and carry her during the day to help her sleep longer. babies also like the feeling of closeness and that helps them sleep too.

also, if she has learned anything new, such as crawling, turning over, etc, that can cause sleep disruptions.

www.askdrsears.com has lots of information about sleep and it is information that supports plenty of mother/father/child connection, which is the most important thing in parenting. as long as you remain connected to your child, it is much easier to attend to their needs and know what they are. you are noticing that your daughter sleeps better when held, and if possible, you should try to do that as much as possible. being held gives your daughter the feeling that someone will respond to her needs and fulfill them.

remember, for young babies, needs and wants are the same until sometime close to one year of age. they are not trying to manipulate you, they arent trying to make your life harder, they just want love and attention, and they want it now, and they dont understand when we dont recognize that. theres nothing wrong with holding, sleeping with, carrying, and loving your baby, so follow your heart, instincts, and child for what is right for your family. outside advice that discourages connectiveness really can cause a child to become scared, and that can also cause sleep to be disrupted.

one more thing that can cause it is the natural separation anxiety that babies feel before a year old. they cry when you walk away, when you walk out of the room, etc. try to remember that too, and try to keep close to baby if you can. you will realize that it is hard work, but it is the most rewarding thing you can do.

i have attachment parented my 18 month old son with beautiful results. if you have any questions or want to hear my story, just let me know!

Man, does this sound familiar. My daughter did the same thing. 1/2 hour naps are typical signs of an overtired baby. I was at a parenting class with a baby expert facilitating and she witnessed my daughters breakdown and 1/2 hour nap. She was able to get her to sleep again shortly after and from then on out, my daughter had 2 naps, 2 hours at a time. Man, I felt like such an idiot. Anyway, after your daughter's 1/2 hour nap, she might look alert, etc...but see if you can get her to sleep right away again, perhaps she is experiencing what my daughter did and is overtired. (My daughter gets very excited and runs around like a crazy happy kid when she's overtired...until the breakdown occurs.)

My daughter was the same way and what worked for me may be somewhat controversial so take it with a grain of salt.
We found that my baby liked to sleep just like I do...which is on my stomach. We started with propping her up on her side and then eventually she went to her stomach with the blankets pulled up around her face.
That's how I sleep and I guess like mother, like daughter.
I was very nervous about it initially (as my mother suggested it to me) but after serious lack of sleep, I was willing to try anything.
My daughter still sleeps on her stomach!
Good luck.

HI Tanya
My first baby was an awful napper but when my second arrived (now 6 months) and acted the same way, I panicked! There are several books out there and you will find some helpful and some will seem ridiculous to you. The bottom line I learned from all of them is that you are right, they DO need more sleep than they're getting. I loved "the No cry sleep solution" by Elizabeth pantley and "sleepless in America" by - Mary Sheedy (i think that's it). THe shush-pat method from the baby whisper worked like a charm for my SIL, but didn't do squat for my kid. And that's just it. Every baby is different so you'll have to play around a bit. Here's the method that has worked for us: Wait for your little one to start to wake up (just before the 30 minute mark) and as soon as she stirs, pick her up and try soothing her back to sleep. (pacifier, rocking, bouncing, or nursing, whatever it takes) I have a 2 year old, so I was only able to do this method w/ my baby during our afternoon nap, when she's asleep too, and I have to admit, my baby went from 20 minute napping to 2 1/2 - 3 hour napping using that techniqe. Don't give up, you'll find other methods out there and eventually one will do it for your sweetie! Good luck!

Tanya,
You are not alone. We have a similar situation with our 7 month old. He has the same sleep pattern you are describing, and takes about 3 half hour naps during the day. If a nap lasts longer than an hour, we know he is not feeling well.

We decided at 5 months to try the "Baby Whisperer" method. At nap or bedtime we would snuggle, but then put him down in his crib awake. At first he cried for minutes (seemed like hours)and it was hard. However, after a week he learned that his crib is for resting and now falls to sleep on his own. The longest it ever takes him is 10 minutes if he is not that tired. He also starting sleeping through the night when we did this.

Hi Tanya,
Actually, what you are describing is normal. You may want to pick up the book "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Baby". Use it as a reference guide, it is not meant to be read as a book persay.
Infants' sleep becomes more organized the older they get - it is really a development thing.
It is also typical that children wake a lot during the night when they go through developmental milestones, or they become more active.
Enjoy the time while you can, soon she will be too busy to let you hold her. :)

This advise is for all that have replied saying that it might be perfectly 'normal'. Truth about it is that it might not. My husband deals with many cases regarding infants and one of the results is that sleeping patterns are greatly improved. Both he and I are upper cervical doctors (I am not currently practicing full time). What potentially can happen is that during the birth process (BTW, one of the MOST traumatic things that ever happens to you) there would be a disassociation of the head and the spine, either by traction, twist, bend, whatever the case. When this happens, the infant does not have very much control and a 'pinch' occurs at the brainstem area. This then translates to the entire body to be placed in an dis-eased state of being. As being in the most growth-potential state, your child adapts to this state and continues to grow. As you child grows, they develop with this 'pinch' in their spine affecting every cell in the body due to the significance of the nervous system and reducing the life energy to those areas.

My suggestion would be to seek out the closest NUCCA doctor in your area. You can find that at nucca.org, or call the office and I am sure my husband would be more than happy to speak to you. He has a goal to check all newborns in the QCA. Pretty lofty, but not unrealistic. Our greatest task is overcoming many, many misconceptions of what 'normal' truly is.

Hope this helps. Blessings, C.

I would put her down for her naps *before* she shows signs of being tired. Maybe try backing up the naptimes by 30-45 minutes. Also, put her in her crib once she is relaxed, but not yet asleep. Both of these things work wonders for my son.

You could also try swaddling her.

In any event, this could just be the way she is. Everyone's sleep needs are different. If she's not cranky and is otherwise healthy, I wouldn't worry about it.

Hi Tanya,

I've got the very same situation. My son is 6 months old, and for the last month or so he has just been taking 1/2 hour naps, throughout the day. I could set a clock by him, he wakes up right at the 1/2 hour mark. He sleeps fine in the crib at night, for anywhere from 5-10 hours at a stretch, and then we take him into bed with us after that, where he sleeps just fine too. Same as your daughter, he would sleep just fine for longer during the day if I was holding him. When he was an infant, he would sleep for 4-5 hours long in his crib, swaddled, or in his infant car seat. But when he turned 4 months, that all ended, and he went to the 1/2 hour thing. Sometimes I'll be able to get him to sleep for longer, either by putting his pacifier back in, or nursing him back down, or sometimes just a pat on the back, but usually he is just happy to be awake after 1/2 hour. He's generally very happy during the day, so I'm not stressing out about it. He's my third child, and neither of the first two did this, so I guess it's just his style. Hopefully he'll grow out of it soon and will start taking longer naps.

I think you should try not to make yourself crazy over it - it sounds like you've been trying everything - if you find something that works, let me know! Maybe you'll get some good suggestions here.

If your daughter is sleeping longer in her carseat, then have you tried swaddling her in her crib? I know sometimes older babies still like to be swaddled and there's nothing wrong with that. She might just like that cozy feeling.

Good luck!

Hi Tanya. When I had my first child I struggled right away understanding sleep habits. She was also colicky. My OBGYN's husband is a pediatrician and recommends a book to all of his patients. It's called: "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" After reading the first chapter or so, you can jump to sections that pertain to your childs age and issue, so it's a quick read. I followed this book with both my girls and they have always been AWESOME sleepers. I know it was because of this book. The key is to get them to put themselves to sleep and back to sleep when they wake up. My 3 yr old currently sleeps 8pm-6am and takes a 2 hr afternoon nap. My 1 yr old currently sleeps 7pm-7:30am (except during week when I work, she's up earlier) and takes a 2+ hr AM nap and a 2+ hr PM nap. she might wake up once during the night, but puts herself back to sleep within 5 min.

Good luck!

Sheri

Hi there,
My best advice: Healthy Sleep Happy Baby book. don't know the author off hand, but very helpful. Basically, the baby (up to six months) shouldn't be up for more then 1-2 hours MAX!

I use this method for all three of my girls and have had fabulous results. For example: My baby gets up at 5:30am for a quick snack, then sleeps until 7:30am. Then is back in bed for a nap by 9:30am, sleeps until 11:30ish. Naps 2-5pm, & then back in bed for the evening at 7pm. Also, a little tough love of letting them cry it out when they are in "training." Although, my husband tells me I picked up my baby (now 4 mo.) sooner then I did with the others... but she's my baby!

All my girls have been great nappers and sleepers at night. Granted, all kids are different... but this book was a great "bible" for me when I was a first time mom. I refer it to EVERYONE. You only need to read the chapters that apply to your age of child... so in a couple pages you can get what you need.
Good luck! mom's deserve some sleep too!

Some babies actually don't need that much sleep Tanya. Both of my kids were like this - they slept if held - or slept just a little bit if not. And they never did actually nap. I was exhausted!

Still, they were both bright, happy toddlers in general and both are smart as whips (high honors, scholarships, etc.) so don't let them tell you that short-on-sleep means lower brain development.

If you find the secret you will make millions. Otherwise, know that you have a smart one on your hands that doesn't have time to sleep unless it's well worth her while (like being in your arms).