My daughter is 6 1/2 months old. I used to be able to lay her on top of me until she fell asleep and then put her to bed. This is after she found out how to get out of being swaddled. She is always so active that she will constantly move until she can't fall asleep. Now naptime has almost become unbearable. Everything else goes undone because she takes three naps a day and plus putting her to bed at night, by the time I get her to sleep, I am so afraid to clean in fear I will wake her up. If she goes without a nap or I try the "crying it out thing" (and it doesn't work), she is too overtired and keeps me up all night. I just want to pull my hair out... what do I do?
2007-11-05 04:16:23 · 9 answers · asked by Brie 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
If she doesn't get three naps then she rubs her eyes and fusses becuase she is tired.
2007-11-05 04:47:14 · update #1
At 6 mos old, she doesn't need to fall asleep on you--she's manipulating you. Also, she shouldn't be swaddled anymore, either. She also needs a consistent daily routine. 3 naps a day is quite a bit--try one in the am and one in the afternoon and give her a bedtime around 7 or 8. Let her cry for ten minutes. go in, soothe her, don't pick her up. Then, push it back to twelve minutes, then fourteen. She's got to learn to put herself to sleep or you'll be sleeping with her until she is twelve. The crying it out thing does work if it's done consistently and correctly. Trying it once for fifteen minutes doesn't mean that it "doesn't work." Put a white noise machine in her room or a small box fan for noise control. You can clean and she won't hear noises around the house. After 3 mos, babies have the mental capacity to put themselves to sleep and to self soothe. Before that, neurogically they aren't and many parents get into the rut of still rocking them, etc. because they think the baby needs it. No. The baby wants it. If she's healthy, changed, fed, and only wants attention (which she'll get every ten minutes when you go in there) then there's no reason why you should have to rock her to sleep.
2007-11-05 04:31:02 · answer #1 · answered by Sit'nTeach'nNanny 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
try combining two of the naps. My son who I now know is ADHD was like that and I found if I skipped the early nap(he woke up at 5am early nap was around 8) put him down 10 am and woke him at 11:30 for lunch then put him down around 3pm for a long nap (not long than 3 hours) he went to sleep because he was indeed tired but he also slept better at night. We also used the same routine for naps everyday of washing his face and hands rubbing a little lotion on his back while I rocked him and we listen to nursery rhymes on the cd player. Once we were able to establish that We gradually started laying him down in his crib and just rubbing his back while the music played after that was successful we started laying him in his crib and starting the music for him that was a signal that it was time to sleep. My baby is now 8 yrs old and still if he is really out of sorts or extremely hyper I can play that cd and when 15 minutes he will be asleep.
2007-11-05 04:38:11 · answer #2 · answered by littledevilinyourcup 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
3 naps a day is too much. she is not tired, her little mind is growing and needs now more stimulation.Let her have a morning and afternoon nap. Then play with her, take her for a walk, feed her,bath her and then off to bed. start having a stricter routine. Boy it is hard when a child does not want to sleep and you have so much to do. Otherwise, take a blanket and straddle her on your back like the Africans do and then you can still do all your homework, they love it. perhaps you can buy a baby carrier for your back. remember the tenser you get, the tenser she will get. Dont worry, you are not alone all around the world there are a lot of babies that refuse to sleep. With your next one let them get use to noise right from the beginning. hang in there, she is only so young for a very short time. God bless
2007-11-05 04:36:20 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need to establish a routine. She won't like it and try to fight you, but you have to stand up and be a mom now. At six months, she should take a nap in the am and one in the afternoon around 2 or 3. Naps should consist of 1 1/2 hour a piece. Then at night, around 7 or 8, put on some music, give her a nice soothing bath, talk to her and let her know it's getting to be time for bed. Read her a nice bedtime story. Snuggle and be calm and speak quietly. Then put her in her crib (NO! sleeping with you). Hopefully she'll still be calm (keep the lights down) and then just stand with her by her crib. I used to work in a day care center and I have 2 kids of my own. One thing that always seems to work with kids is to gently rub your finger from the top of the forehead to just the bridge of the nose, between the eyebrows. Just stroke towards the nose like that for a while, and for some reason, it makes kids really drowsy. You can do that when putting her down for her naps too. Stick to this routine. It'll be difficult for a few days, but she'll soon get to understand that you're in charge and she has to do what you say. Let her cry when you finally leave the room. Don't go back in. It'll be hardest on you, but you have to stick to your guns. Kids need routine. It's up to you to provide that. You're right. You need time to do things around the house and also need some time just for you. You have to make that happen for yourself. Don't let her control you. Take charge now.
All the best to you and your family.
2007-11-05 04:33:52 · answer #4 · answered by EarthGirl 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First, I wouldnt let her take 3 naps. I would reduce it down to 2. One in the morning, one after lunch sometime, and then bedtime at night. My son didnt like being swaddled from the age of 2 weeks. He has always been active, and I encourage that. Play with your daughter. I crawl around on the floor with my son. He loves to chase me. We look at books together, he loves banging things around, he really likes blocks.. I dont know if shes just overtired, or just cant get comfortable. Maybe shes hungry? Sometimes that happens with my son, especially if he doesnt want to eat a good dinner. I'd try playing with her alot and making sure she had a little snack before bed.. and I hate to say it, but have you considered sleeping with her at night? Maybe she just needs to feel close to you..
2007-11-05 04:26:51 · answer #5 · answered by Kelly 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
she should have a nap about 2 hrs after she wakes up, and after lunch sometime, 3 naps is way too much, which might be why you cant get her to sleep. i've learned that even if they resist it, stand up with baby in your arms and rock side to side from the waist... they cant help but close their eyes... this still works sometimes for my 20 month old. and dont give juice before naps... save them for after the last nap but before dinner. hope this helps.
2007-11-05 04:25:46 · answer #6 · answered by SueWithTwo 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you haven't tried it yet, put some music on for her. Try calming classical music, or Baby Einstein movies. They really helped my little girl. We also would put her in her bouncy chair and recline it for her naps.
2007-11-05 04:22:49 · answer #7 · answered by Ashley 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
My nephew started doing the exact same thing and my sister now puts him in his pram and you can guarantee he will be sleeping within minutes.
2007-11-05 04:40:09 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
cut the sugar in her diet
2007-11-05 04:19:53 · answer #9 · answered by peaches6 7 · 0⤊ 3⤋