Coulda Woulda Shoulda - day time naps going awry!

[mumeroo]

help, I'm silly for feeling this I know but feeling like I've done things wrong and made my lo a poor sleeper...
I read the unmentionable early on and tried to get lo to have daytime naps in cot. adimittedly many of those naps were 'chest' naps but I have tried to do the cot thing. Now 8 months and though it did work for a while it's not now and lack of naps not working for either of us. I feel frazzled and teary. I saw a friend yesterday who's baby (admittedly only 3 months) is left to have naps in a day bed in the lounge with everyone around. Sleeps like a dream and is very chilled...Am feeling terrible - like I should have done this instead of battling with my little one for so long trying to get them to sleep in another room... I'm now wondering if I should let them sleep in the lounge instead? Is it too late? Oh dear I sound neurotic but lack of sleep during the day coupled with night time wakings is taking its toll

[notsonervousmum]

Hi, my DS would never go down for a conventional nap and after a lot of trial and error (i too read all the books, and they just made me feel worse!), we came to the conclusion that DS would only sleep in his pushchair. So, every day after lunch he gets strapped in, a quick walk round the village (takes 10 minutes), and he's asleep for 2+ hours. We used to do this twice a day, but now he's 14 months old, i recently reduced it to once. HTH x

[Veevs]

Hi! My wee one has never been a great napper (coming up to 6 months old now) & I've driven myself mad with obsessing about it. Then I met someone recently who's LO doesn't sleep at all in the day! I'm with notsonervousmum...mine sleeps best in her pram when I push her about. Not always ideal if you're feeling tired yourself, but the outdoors & fresh air is sometimes better than the 4 walls! You're not being neurotic, you're doing a great job - it's just a minefield!

[noogles]

Hey, my ds is 31/2 now and very rarely has he slept in the day since being 1 1/2. I did get stressed about it at first as he also wouldnt sleep at a sensible bedtime as he has grown up.(my friends dd has been going to bed at 8:30 since she was 1 and slepping int day for 2 hrs!) Anyway basically I left him to do his own thing (to an extent]. He would sleep in until 9am,and bed at 10pm with no naps no matter how hard we tried,then as if by magic he started napping at about 4pm in the afternoon for about an hour.

Now hes started nursery hes up at 8am, sometimes catches some zz's at about2:30pm and in bed by 8:30/9pm.
Meanwhile friends dd now does not want to go to bed anymore and spends most nights having tantrums and getting stressed!

Im happy that we have allowed him to adjust his own body clock and that bed time has never been made to be a stress. Therefore he doesnt work himself up over having to go to bed. He even tells me some nights he wants to go to bed. So he feels quite independent to.

[mumeroo]

ah thanks all :0 was getting stressed i have to admit but am realizing that it just isn't worth it. This is such a small fraction of time in my lo's life... just have to ride with it. Being so tired makes things get out of proportion but it really helped me to read your messages THANK YOU!!!!

[hermykne]

mumeroo - imo you need to get a good sleep pattenr for you and LO, i know things are awry presently and its a mad world but if you decide to try and put something into practise for day napping - you will catch up yourself with 40 winks! i am for perciervering (sp!) and having that day rest period.