Napping Trouble - Infant Care (up to 18 months old) Message Board

LEJ79 · 05-02-2008, 08:58 AM

Hi all! My DS is 6 1/2 months old. He hates to nap and has never napped well. However, his is FINALLY starting to do much better at night. He sleeps in his crib, goes down around 7:30 pm, wakes up once to eat during the night, and then gets up for the day around 6 am. He is terrible about napping though. Some days I can only get him down for 2 or 3 30 minute naps. At his 6 month visit, my pediatrican made me feel kind of bad because he doesn't nap. But, I've tried everything over the last 6 months. Putting him down before he becomes overtired, letting him cry, feeding him, walking him, rocking him, etc. Nothing has ever worked except putting him in the car or letting him nap in his swing. It was getting to the point that I was spending almost the entire day trying to get him down for naps. We were both miserable, so about a month ago, I just gave up. I only put him down when I know that he's tired and I let him nap in the swing. It is so much better. The pediatrician made me feel pretty bad about it though. Does anyone on here think that it's a problem that he naps in his swing? The way that I look at it is if I'm winning the "war" at night, why worry about the "battles" during the day?

What do you think?

bgcmeg04 · 05-02-2008, 09:45 AM

Hi- my child is the same way. She rarely naps during the day. And if she does it's only when someone is holding her or if she is in the carseat. My personal feeling is as long as she is asleep, it doesn't matter where it is. I got her to take a super long nap the other day and that was because I laid with her in bed and took a nap with her. But then she was up all night! They say that they will sleep better at night if they take long naps but I don't necessarily believe that. I think every child is different and only a mother knows what's best for her child.

G8r4evr · 05-02-2008, 08:06 PM

My 8 wk old isnt much of a napper either. Somedays she will take a long one (maybe to make up for all the other days) but most days, she does not nap, AT ALL. Last Sunday she was even up from 8 am to 8 pm. I know what you mean about spending all day trying to get them to nap...I finally gave up too and I am much less stressed during the day. Sometimes, like today, she even surprises me and falls asleep on her own in her bouncy seat.