6Mth Old That Doesn't Want to Nap

This really sounds familiar. My daughter is 16 months old now and I had the same problem. She wanted a bottle to go down for a nap and be held for the duration. I tried to get her into a deep sleep and then gently lay her in her bed but she would wake in a panic as soon as she touched the mattress. It seems like moms either have problems with kids sleeping through the night, but taking great daytime naps, or sleeping through the night just great, but napping is a challenge. I tried the cry it out method, but all the accomplished was an unsufficient nap and a fear of her bed in the daytime.

Just recently, we've been able to lay her on the couch after falling asleep and she will lift her head and see that we are still there and then go back to sleep. I think she likes to stay where the house noise is at.

I don't really have any good suggestions, but wanted you to know that your not alone.

How much sleep is she getting at night? I can't remember the recommended amount, but some kids just don't need naps, even at her age. One thing to try if you're really wanting her to nap, is to lay down with her in your bed. She can fall asleep next to you, and either you'll get a nice nap out of it too or you can easily move away/out of the room once she's asleep.

Hi M.,

Well first off the recommended sleep amount doesn't apply to every baby. My 7 month old girl goes to bed between 8:30 and 9:00 pm and I don't see her again until 7:30 or so in the morning. She takes a nap at 10 am and it is about an hour or so and then an afternoon nap for about 2 hours.

Now here is the routine my kids are on and my daycare kids are on. I watch a 2y/o, 9 m/o, 4 1/2 m/o and a 4 m/o alomg with 2 of my 4 are at home and their ages are 3 y/o and 7 m/o.

8:00 am breakfast
10:00 am naptime
12:00 pm lunch
1:30 - 2:30 naptime (or until they wake up)
3:30 pm snack time
6:00 pm dinner
8:00 pm bath, bottle and bedtime.
*All babies get their bottles at 9:30, 1:00, 7:00 pm
Now she may not be sleeping because she is hungry. My 7 month old is now taking 5 tablespoons of cereal (bf) w 2 oz of formula, 2 3rd foods 3/4's of the jar each and then for snack she is getting some crackers or something like this and 4 oz of juice and then for dinner she is getting 2 3rd foods 3/4's the jar each. And after each meal she is getting a 4 oz bottle of formula.

After she finishes her bottle in the give her a pacifier hold her for a few more minutes and then do the arm test (pick up her arm and let go of it, if it drops to her side she is out) when she is out lay her down and walk out. If you only use the pacifier in a controlled use you will have no problem taking it away from her later. After you walk out do not go get her until she has been in her bed for atleast an hour for her morning nap, if she cries go in a check on her, give her her pacifier back check her diaper and walk out again.
For her afternoon nap do the samething and as you go on lay her down sooner and sooner till you get to the point that she is fully awake when you lay her down. With her afternoon nap you will have to train her to sleep this long but she will get it eventually. The 9 month I watch was not on any type of a schedule when he started with me at 4 months and now he is on this exact schedule and he goes to bed at the sametime my daughter does everynight. I promise you if you follow this schedule you will have her napping on a routine basis and for as long as I do with my kids including daycare ones. Also you may need to "tweak" it a little for your household but it will still work.

I hope this helps you. My kids have been on this schedule since we came home from the hospital and she started sleeping threw the night at 6 weeks old with no ceral added to her bottle or anything like this. She ate evert 4 hours like clock work.
If you have any questions I would be happy to help you out. W.

When my daughter was that age she would only take a nap with someone holding her also so what I did was put her in the middle of my bed and laid down beside her until she was asleep and then once she was asleep I would get up. We would put her in the middle of the bed with lots of pillows surrounding her so that she would not roll off the bed and I would also go check on her every once in awhile to make sure she was ok. Her doctor would always tell me that I needed to have a routine for taking naps and a routine for going to bed and that they needed to be different so that she would know the difference. So I would let her sleep in my bed for a nap and she would sleep in her crib at night to go to bed. I hope this helps.