my almost 4 month old doesnt nap

i dont know what to do. i am reading dr. weissbluth's book and putting her down for naps in her crib, turning off the swing if she falls asleep in that so that the sleep is "quality" and nothing is really doing it. she will sleep for little stretches here and there but she does not go down for hours like the book says she should. she sleeps through the night beautifully, but ive noticed shes been cranky in the evenings and afternoons lately, and i assume it is from tiredness.

today i tried putting her in her crib three times and all three she screamed her head off. i think she is a bit young to cry for extended periods, so after trying to soothe her with the paci and turning the mobile on a few times, i gave up and picked her up. ugh. she screamed on and off for three hours this afternoon. i am at my wits end. does anyone have any strategies for a LO this young???

Re: my almost 4 month old doesnt nap

Re: my almost 4 month old doesnt nap

I hear you. My DS is 3 months and he has his days of little cat naps here and there and other days where he will take a 2 hour nap. He is definitely overtired by the evening when he doesnt get a good nap and cries it out. I have to hold him or nurse him to soothe and calm him down. Sorry no suggestions really but just sympathizing with ya!

Re: my almost 4 month old doesnt nap

I read the book (at least the first age section since DD is 3.5 months old) and have been trying to put DD down for naps in her crib whenever we are home.

I follow DD's sleep cues and she does get tired every 1.5-2 hours so I swaddle her (which is almost out the window for naps, she fights it a lot), give her a paci, put her on her back, rub her belly, and sing to her. Sometimes I have to go back in and soothe her a few times, but she will generally nap anywhere from 25-50 minutes. If she's still cranky when I go in to soothe her I try to get her back to sleep by rubbing her belly, putting the paci back in. If she's smiley then the nap is done.

I've been doing this for about a month now and it has gotten much better. In the beginning she didn't really know what to do because I had never really put her down for naps. Prior to starting these naps she would just fall asleep wherever she was -- car seat, swing, my arms, the carrier, etc. Then all of a sudden she stopped napping on her own during the day and was super cranky. This napping thing has definitely helped!! Now if I could only get her own a nap schedule of some sort!!

Re: my almost 4 month old doesnt nap

DD (15 weeks) doesn't really nap too well for my MIL, but she naps just fine for DH and I at home. I think it's because we're familiar with her sleep cues and MIL is not. I try not to focus too much on having a schedule. After about an hour of being awake DD will start to yawn and fuss. We rock her for a few and she goes right down. I've had her taking naps in her crib since about 6 weeks. I think my MIL misses these cues or thinks she's fussing for some other reason and will either change her or play with her instead of rocking her to sleep.

One thing I started doing with DDs bedtime routine is playing a seahorse that lights up softly and plays soft music. I have to fight to stay awake myself during her bedtime routine, but it has gotten DD to the point where she can put herself to sleep. I think it signals to her that it is bedtime. Perhaps you could do something similar for naps?

Re: my almost 4 month old doesnt nap

My DD was the same way - it drove me crazy. She was a great sleeper at night (which was most important) but during the day it was always just 20-30 minute cat naps. I couldnt figure out what I was doing wrong. I read all the books, etc.

What I did learn from that experience is that this is a very common problem and one that she grew out of by the time she was 5/6 months. First, she started taking a consistent morning nap at 1.5-2 hours and then a few weeks later began a consistent afternoon nap at 1.5-2 hours. It does get better!

I would keep trying but dont drive yourself crazy.

Good luck!

Re: my almost 4 month old doesnt nap

Ds wasn't a great napper at that age either. He was a good night sleeper though from 4w-3m.

For naps, he'd do the best ones in the swing, car or stroller and they were for 30 minutes max.

He didn't start napping long stretches until he was about 7 months (at least an hour). At this point, he napped in his crib as well.

Re: my almost 4 month old doesnt nap

I don't really have any advice but if it makes you feel better my son was also a terrible napper at that age. At about 9 or 10 months he started napping MUCH better. So don't lose hope