5 Month Old Not Napping

Updated on September 21, 2008
E.C. asks from Leesburg, FL
23 answers

My 5 month old daughter is a great night sleeper. As soon as she gets a bath and I put her PJ’s on she goes to sleep immediately when I lay her in the crib. She sleeps from 10 – 12 hours at night. The problem is during the day she will not nap and is so tired. Her eyes get red and she rubs them. She will occasionally take cat nap 15 – 30. Usually this occurs if she is being held or if she is playing on her activity mat she will roll over to her side and fall asleep. Yesterday my mom was playing with her when she was in the Exersaucer and she put her head on her arm and fell asleep. My mom took her out and put her in the crib and she only slept for 15 minutes. She is so exhausted and fights sleep during the day. She is basically up from 7AM to 7 PM with maybe 1 hour of sleep. Does anyone have a suggestion on how I can help her relax and nap during the day?

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M.H.

answers from Miami on

Try putting her in bed with a movie or give her a quicky shower and it might make her nap. I always had my girls nap and i find that routine helps. Sometimes they wont sleep, but they will have some down time.

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L.M.

answers from Jacksonville on

Do you have a swing or bouncy chair>My daughter would only take naps if she was in one of those>As soon as she would fall asleep & i took her out she would wake up>So i eventually just left her in the place she fell asleep. She would sleep at least 1 1/2 hrs or 2. After a month or so she would take a good 3hr nap in her bed. Now she is 2 yrs old & won't take naps>lol Its all trial & error>>Good luck & keep smiling !!!

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M.K.

answers from Daytona Beach on

Dr. sears has lots of good advice on sleeping.
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/7/T070100.asp
Also, I highly recommend a baby sling. I have a 10 month old who was not a good napper and wearing him in a sling helped. I know this depends on your philosophy, but I nap with my baby at times, and I always lay down with him. I am not a "cry it out" parent so this has worked for me, and recently, I have noticed his sleep patterns changing. It seems like he stays asleep longer for naps. I also use a noise machine from babys r us. it plays rain and I think this helps. good luck. I know this can be tiring:)

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J.S.

answers from Orlando on

My daughter was such a swing napper for the longest time, I would get her to settle down and then put her in her swing and out she would go. :)

V.W.

answers from Jacksonville on

Have you noticed any kind of pattern to the time she usually falls asleep either in her excersaucer or when being held? Watch for signs of tiredness. Usually, at her age, they nap in the morning around 10:00 and then again in the afternoon around 2:00. If you want to try starting with just one nap, then around 10:30 or 10:45 you could just take her to her room and create a short routine for nap time. (We always read a book/story in the rocking chair). Then tell her it's time for napping and put her in her crib. Have you tried that? Do like at bedtime, i.e., don't wait until she falls asleep somewhere in the house; go put her in her crib awake and let her fall asleep there... Give it a try. If you are familiar with any of the methods of any of the books on teaching your baby to sleep, then use the method you are most comfortable with for the naps.. those books are not just for nighttime sleep. No matter what method you use to get her to go to sleep for naps, you will have to be a little patient and keep with it for a few days before she gets the "hang" of it... She really needs at LEAST one GOOD nap during the day. If all else fails (after patiently trying for several days) I know that most babies will fall asleep in their swings.. Just be careful to only do that as a last resort, b/c she will outgrow it (weight limits) and then be right back to the same problem...
If she should fall asleep somewhere in the house, know that babies sleep in cycles like we do, with REM sleep and deep sleep, etc.. so if you do have to move her once she has fallen asleep, either try to move her within about 5 minutes of falling asleep when she should easily fall right back asleep, or wait longer (I think it's like 20 minutes ..?..), until she is in deep sleep and is less likely to be awakened by movement.
Good luck.
Here are a couple of links to some sleep cycle information for babies:
http://www.lpch.org/DiseaseHealthInfo/HealthLibrary/newbo...
http://family.go.com/parentpedia/baby/sleep/baby-sleep-cy...

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T.B.

answers from Miami on

My second and third child did this and I know, it's frustrating because you feel that you have to constantly entertain her. However, on the flip side of this, you say that she will fall asleep wherever she ends up but only wakes up after you try to move her to her crib. How important is it to you to move her to her crib? If she falls asleep in her swing, or exersaucer, or playpen, why move her? She was obviously comfortable enough to fall asleep wherever she ended up so I'd leave her there. For the most part, I think children do this because they think they will miss out on something. I'm telling you the truth with my second child, from the moment we brought her home, she would take what I called little "snoozes." She would fall asleep in my arms after breastfeeding, I'd lay her in her bassinett or crib and she'd wake up and just lay there taking in the world around her. My third child did the same thing. I could count on them taking a longer nap if I did NOT move them at all. Unfortunately, they took the LONGEST naps if I was holding them! Many times I would put my babies on the couch with a bunch of pillows around them, bump the coffee table right up to the sofa and let them sleep on the sofa during the day. I think because I spent so much more time in the "living" area of our home, they just wanted to feel like they were a part of it too. As young as your daughter is, she knows where she wants to be so as long as she won't get hurt sleeping in her exersaucer, let the little angel sleep there.

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S.R.

answers from Melbourne on

Have you tried darkening the room? Covering windows with something to block out all the light may help. This works for our girls (almost 4 and 2 1/2). If it does work, JC Penney sells room darkening shades for about $40 each (depending on size). I hope this helps. Good luck.

S.

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C.B.

answers from Orlando on

I'm definitely no expert, but I did think of one thing I did and still do with my 6 month old. She was a cat napper too. 15 minutes here and there. One time I was busy doing something when she woke up from a 15 min cat nap and by the time I finished I realized that she had fallen back to sleep...and she slept for like an hour more! So you could give her like 5 minutes of crying or whatever she does when she wakes up and see if she goes back down. You might be surprised like I was.

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L.B.

answers from Miami on

Hi, E.. My daughter was like your little one. She hardly ever napped, and if she did it was only when I held her. The minute I tried to put her in the crib, she woke up. However, she slept 12 hours at night. After her second birthday, she started napping regularly. She is four and a half now, and she still naps 1-2 hours every day.
What about napping with her? You could also try playing a soothing classical music CD at night when she goes down, and then try playing it again at nap time.
Good Luck!
L.

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L.O.

answers from Miami on

Babies need 14 hours in a 24 hour period. It sounds like yours is getting close to 13...that's great. At 5 months your baby is more aware of her surroundings...this may make her not want to miss out.
Be grateful she sleeps at night. That is the most important. Keep letting her have cat naps. As soon as you get used to that it will change:)
She may need more stimulation during the day to wear her out...then again she may have so much she doesn't want to miss.
Good Luck.
You may want to try a swing.

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R.S.

answers from Miami on

All I have to say as that consider yourself lucky and that that is normal.

My son has only slept through the night 3 times; he sometimes naps during the day but mostly does not. He is 26 months. Good luck!!!

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T.R.

answers from Orlando on

My son Gareth was a very nosy baby. He wanted to be in the mmiddle of everything all the time. When he was in the NICU he would not sleep unless they covered his isolette. I brought in a sound maker to reduce ambient noise and for him to have something familiar when he came home. I found the as long as that was on he slept pretty good. I kept it on white noise all the time. He needed that sound around him while sleeping so he did not hear the sounds in the house. I then started running a very large fan in his room. That is when he really started napping well. The sound from the fan seemed to help keep him asleep and prevent the noises from the world around from bothering him. I mean you can try to keep the house totally silent but ya cant keep your neighbor from mowing outside his window, KWIM!!

As soon as our three month old came home I started getting him used to the fan sounds. Now when that fan is on he just about drops off asleep immediately.

T.

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C.H.

answers from Miami on

Hey E.! I have a 7 month old and have learned over the last few months a couple of things that can help daytime naps. For a while my little boy was taking short naps too but once I made his room really dark (put black poster board on windows, got heavy drapes) it made a huge difference. Maybe trying to simulate a short version of your night time routine may help too. I would pick two times a day that you want to schedule naps (I do 10AM and 2PM) and try every day for a week to put her in her room a few minutes before nap time with the lights dimmed, have calm play, then put her down (making sure it is as dark as possible). Hopefully she will sleep for a while, if not try again at the second nap. Continue to do this for a few days so that her body will get use to resting at these times. Eventually (let's hope!) she will begin to nap for longer periods of time at her scheduled naps.
Good luck!! C.

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C.M.

answers from Boca Raton on

Is her room really light during the day? My son will not sleep when it's light so we got a shade for his window to block out all the light. That's one suggestion...
Also, I have to be sure to put my son down 2 hours after he eats...if I wait too long then he is exhausted, but he kind of gets a second wind at the same time and won't nap. Maybe trying to establish a routine of nap times during the day might help...
Hope it gets better soon

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S.L.

answers from Boca Raton on

I remember having to take my daughter for a drive and this helped her relax and nap in car.

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S.T.

answers from Orlando on

I was always a schedule person when my kids were young & even when they got to a point that they didn't want to nap anymore, I forced it. I always had a scheduled time I would lay them down EVERY day, I always made sure I was at home at this time if I could help it. I would lay them down & would make them stay in their room for about 1 1/2 hr to 2 hours whether they were sleeping or not. This helped them to realize it was nap time & if they were not going to sleep, they were going to at least relax. They may have cried a little & I would go in & cover them & say, no it is nap time. It may take a little a little bit to help them realize it is time for NO MORE FUN while they rest. That age is when they are realizing their is so much going on, they don't want to miss any of it. Good luck!

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D.R.

answers from Boca Raton on

E.,

I am certainly no parenting expert. I also have only one child, now almost 7.

I used to make sure to expose my son to daylight in the morning. It has something to do with setting their internal clock.

I also practiced infant massage on him and had morning and afternoon play/exercise sessions with him. I would put on music and play pat-a-cake and do other body motions with him. He also loved his Johnny Jump up and would bounce and jump to the music.

I think the vigorous physical activity along with my frequent touching established a routine and he was able to enjoy morning and afternoon naps until he was about 2 years old.

The twice daily naps helped me to keep my sanity!!

I wish you the best. Parenting is the most difficult job in the WORLD!!

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S.W.

answers from Jacksonville on

I know this can get very tiring for you as much for her. Here is an idea you can try.

Start a routine for her. Somethings special to help her wind down for a bit. Read a book, listen to soft music, soften the lights in the room. Whatever you decide to do to help her wind down for a nap, do it consistently. Infants revel in routine and it helps their little bodies get used to doing things. If possible have your routine similar to what youdo at night. I know you don't want to give her a bath during the day, but maybe sit her in her highchair with a small bowl of water to play with? or maybe have some special toys that come out only for bath time and then integrate that into the nap time routine.

Pretty much, you have to gauge what you decide to do on your daughter's interests and read her signs. When she starts getting/acting sleepy, despite her wonderful attempts to hide it, start your nap time routine.

I hope this is helpful for you.

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T.F.

answers from Jacksonville on

I am in your same boat. I have a son that will be 5 months old on the 29th. He goes to bed at about 8pm and wakes up at about 7am every morning, but he doesn't want to nap. I literally have to stand and bounce around for about 15 min with him crying and wiggling before he will go to sleep. When I try to lay him in his crib, he wakes up about 30 min later. I started reading a book called Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child and it gives advise on letting the baby cry for a specific amount of time. I just started doing it yesterday, in fact. It is so hard, but it makes sense that the baby needs to self soothe. We pretty much hold him all the time so he doesn't cry, and it is getting to be tiresome. He cried for 40 min the first time (slept for 2 hours), and 20 min the second (slept for 30 min). I will let you know how it goes. My best friend used the method and her baby cries for about 5 min when she puts him down for a nap now...amazing. Anyway, good luck.
T.

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J.M.

answers from Melbourne on

Hi E.,
My 4th child is the Queen of the Cat Nap. She only sleeps about 30 minutes a couple of times a day. She's been sleeping thru the night since she was about 2 weeks old. I feel that she doesn't sleep as much during the day because there is so much else going on in the house. My advice: take her for a walk in the stroller. Even if she doesn't sleep, she'll relax and then she won't be so irritable. My 4th just had her 1st birthday and she is doing much better about taking a longer nap during the day. As she gets older, I think you'll find that she will take longer naps.

Good luck!

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K.W.

answers from Orlando on

Oh get her on a routine! And then stick to it--she should be napping 2-3 times a day at that age. IF she is sleeping from 7-7 then she should go down for a morning nap around 9:30/10, and afternoon nap around 1 and then possibly a mini nap around 5:30.
Try to stick with those times within a 15 time period--just lke you do with bedtime.About 15-30 min before she needs to go down, pull back on the stimulation, sit with her, read to her, make things quiet, etc. And then put her down--if she cries that is OK--she is tired! Most babies have to be "trained" to take proper naps and as a parent/caregiver you need to help them so they can get the sleep they need!
Check out the two baby Whisperer books:
Secrets of the Baby Whisperer: How to Calm, Connect, and Communicate with Your Baby
The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems: Sleeping, Feeding, and Behavior--Beyond the Basics from Infancy Through Toddlerhood

With her age they will both be of help to you especially the second with getting her to nap. My son had a hard time with naps too and we really had to work at getting him on a good nap schedule (like your daughter, night time was not a problem) and I followed the baby whispers advice and now have a great napper--and a happy kid who isn't overtired!

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N.G.

answers from Miami on

Hi E.,

One of the best ways to help your daughter nap during the day is to take her out to a lower temperature. (16 C and lower(I am not sure the equivalent in F,sorry)It must be still warm in America but in Moscow we have not more than 10-12 C outside so every time I see It's time for my 5 month old kid to sleep I take her out in a pram (baby carriage)and she falls asleep pretty soon,otherwise she will never falls asleep. When it was hot during the summer I had to switch on an air-conditioner (again the lowest temperature 16 C) to make her sleep.Remember old man B Spok , who said the best temperature for kids to fall asleep is 16 C,so it works.Good luck /Nat

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C.K.

answers from Melbourne on

You may try creating a quiet time in the early afternoon, like right after lunch, where you sit with her, and a book, on her lap. Sounds like she's a bit overstimulated and does not want to "miss out on the fun". If you help bring her energy level down, she may sleep longer. You need that break that a nap brings, too:-)

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