18 week old baby only nappin 4 1 hour at a time...

[mama2leah]

and she only goes to sleep rocked, or on us!!!

help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[miamla]

i've got one like that too!

[mama2leah]

wat2doooooooooooooooo

i need a nap too, but i cnt fall asleep fast, im drained

[ChocOrange05]

Could you both nap in your bed during the day?? Or have you got a sling? I just bought a Kari-Me sling and its fab.

I have found with my LO that how long he naps for depends on how much milk I manage to get in him before he goes down. I try to feed him for at least 30-45 mins each time (and offer the second breast). Its not always easy as he sometimes falls asleep on the breast but I try anything to wake him up - stroking his cheek, tickling his feet, taking his top babygro off so he's not too hot and if needs be rearranging his nappy and putting a cold babywipe on his bits [blush[ - harsh but it does work and means he naps for 3 hours at lunch - and I can too!

Good luck!

[pigleychez]

My DD sleeps for about 45mins to an hour at a time.

I usually spend this time doing the housework.
Sleep!?!? whats that!

[Maria2007]

I think at this age 45 mins naps are unfortunately pretty common. What happens is that they go through one sleep cycle (which for babies this age lasts about 45 mins) & then can't resettle back to sleep. One way to work on this is to go in their room a few mins before they wake (so around 35 mins from when they sleep) & then when they first stir to try to use whatever method works in order to help them go back to sleep again. That way hopefully after a few days they'll manage to do this on their own. The baby whisperer books (and website) have many useful ideas on extending short naps. I've kind of managed it with my 17 week old... well, just for the lunchtime nap, have taken it from 45' to almost 2 hours, & he does wake up much more refreshed when the nap is longer. But I warn you, the system doesn't always work!

As for sleeping on you or rocked... aaaahhh, that's such a classic for babies this age isn't it! What worked with us is just keeping to a very consistent bedtime & nap time 'ritual'. E.g. I take my boy into his room for naps, I draw the curtains. I then give him a small feed, cuddle him & read him a brief book. I then put him in his sleeping bag & in his cot & he's out like a light! (But then he wakes all the time... which is a completely different story). I think the key is to gradually create an alternative routine- instead of rocking or sleeping on you- that she'll learn to anticipate & associate with sleep. But it does take time & patience to make these changes... Aaah, baby-sleep is such a painful subject, I really sympathize!

[Maria2007]

oops just realised you say your girl has 1-hour naps, not 45 minutes! Sorry for not noticing. I think the same principles apply though, although I do think 1 hour naps are pretty good, but you could still try extending at least the lunchtime nap a bit.

[miamla]

mine only sleeps one hour at a time, even during the night. i've tried everything and now just accept that that's how its going to be for a little while

[lu88]

my baby naps for 20-30 mins max! but she does sleep for 10-12 hours every night, wakes at 8am has her bottle then is down until between 11-12 so i have no grumbles. i have recently found that putting her down for naps rather than rocking her of really increases the quality and quantity of nap time. She has never slept for long periods in the day even as a newborn she has always been very knowing and although it is tiring keeping her occupied throughout the day its all worth it when she sleeps soundly at night

[flipflopson5thavenue]

my DS is like this. He'll have one longer nap during the day but ONLY if I'm pushing him in his pram or in the car seat on a long journey, then he'll easily sleep for 1.5/2hrs. At home its another story - I can almost set my watch by him as he'll nap for 45 mins exactly. He seems fairly happy doing this and a couple of times a week I'll go for a long walk or he'll surprise me by sleeping all the way round the supermarket and back or something, so he does get long naps often enough. I thought about trying to 'train' him to sleep longer after a sleep cycle but I really can't be bothered with all the faff. However, when friends say "oooo don't you just love that long lunch time nap they take when you can rest/catch up on the West Wing/write that novel/do the laundry?", I'm like, er, you mean that long nap when I'm pounding the pavements for hours on end??

[narmada]

Some babies only have short naps - which is hard for parents but not much you can do about it I don't think.

Does she sleep OK at night?

[StarlightMcKenzie]

Oh yeah. Me too. Dunno how old Ds is though. Roughly 20 weeks I think.

[SamSmalaidh]

1 hour naps - lucky you!