Napping Problems - East Taunton,MA

Sleep is such an important thing for growing children - good for you for realizing that!

This is just my suggestions based on what worked for us... :)
Check out the book "Healthy Sleep Habit, Happy Child" by Weissbluth. Fabulous for getting children on a routine. I'd recommend YOU setting the schedule for awhile, and err on the side of being too early rather than too late with the timing of naps/bedtime. For a 6 mo. old, Weissbluth recommends a wake time of 6-8AM, morning nap starting about 2- 2.5 hours after that (9-10), an afternoon nap starting between 12-2 and a third "catnap" for some children. Bedtime between 6-8.

Our routine for DD at 6 mo....
7AM wake, nap at 9AM for 1.5-2 hours; nap again at around 1 PM for 1.5-2 hrs; 45 min nap at around 5PM; bedtime around 8PM. We dropped the third nap at about 8 months and then bedtime moved more toward 7PM.

I controlled her wake times to "protect" her sleep schedule. It was a solid 2 weeks of work at 5.5 months to get her on this routine, but it was totally worth it. For 2 weeks, one of us was home at all of her sleep times - no catnaps in the car, etc. She became a fantastic sleeper. She's 2.5 now and is a great sleeper who loves to be in her bed!

Take care,
R.

I am experiencing a similar thing with my 5 month old! I feel your frustration. I used to be able to rock him to sleep with the pacifier in my arms.... now he won't tolerate that... gets sooo over tired that he won't sleep at all. I am considering the crying it out method.

My son is in day care as well and it is a challenge for her home daycare to manage him when he won't nap. He will just cry and cry. I am at wits end.

Thankfully, there are sometimes when I catch him at just the right moment and he will go right down. But I have been unable to set up any routine. I do make sure that he is napping (or trying to nap) in his crib. That way, he will get used to crib being the place to sleep.

I find that on a good day, he will take 3-4 1/2 hour naps. I wish they were longer... but this seems to work for him.

Good luck.

It sounds like maybe he's just over tired. My son definitely acts like that too when he's tired but I've waited too long for the nap! Keep up with the Tylenol for sure (also try teething tablets, they seem to have a more immediate result), but you may have to just let him cry. I'm quite sure that in day care they are going to do cry it out, so you might want to start now.

Try and come up with a rough schedule of when he looks super tired and then try and put him down about 30 minutes prior to that time in the following days/weeks. It's so hard to hear them cry but they really do need sleep and they do need to know how to comfort themselves.

used the same book Rebecca used and it worked for my colicy baby. Go buy it today!!