Baby will not nap
My baby won’t nap. He’s tired and irritable and I try absolutely everything but he will cry and cry. He cried for 45 mins straight until he eventually napped for only 10 minutes! He wakes up acting like he’s slept for hours and is smiling away. I try boob, rocking, swaying, bouncing, stroke his head, lay him in his bed, going for a walk in the pushchair. I try to give him breaks and try to calm him down where he then seems fine. As soon as I start doing any of the things listed above to put him to sleep, he starts again. But I can see in his face he’s so tired. He yawns and he’s irritable and moans because he wants to sleep. He just won’t nap without a big crying battle every time and I don’t know what to do. He’s even falling asleep for a few seconds and then waking up continuing the crying. This is everyday, every nap. I’m exhausted and I’m so anxious to take him anywhere because of this.
I’ve already tried longer and shorter wake windows and he’s the same.
Is anyone going through this ? I feel so sad that he’s crying so badly. All my neighbours can hear him and ask if something is wrong. it’s so extreme. But then I also feel so bad that he’s tired and I’m not napping him. I don’t know what to do
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Not exactly the same but we get very similar. My baby cries a lot when he’s tired even when trying to keep to wake windows. I end up pushing him round in the pram and he cries a lot for a while until eventually sleeping. Same in the car too and it can get intense.
The looks and comments I get off people, irritates me so much 🥲 my first wasn’t like this so don’t think it’s something that’s being done wrong as such, more the temperament and baby not quite being able to settle easily I guess? X
I went through this a lot with my first - if you want to drop me a message I'm happy to chat through what we did that helped xx
Could be silent reflux sounds like he’s in pain/discomfort xx
This is my exact situation. I cannot wait for my baby to be older so he has longer wake windows and I don’t have to worry about so many naps. I love my baby so much but the thought of having to give him a nap fills me with dread. The same as yourself I have tried different wake windows for different naps depending on the time of the day and it’s still the same situation. I can’t understand if he is just so over tired (although at the moment is sleeping ok at night) or he’s under tired when I try to nap him. I have carried him home in my arms so many times after trying to go for a walk in the pram but he just cried and cried, the car seat is also the same, if I have my partner in the car he will usually sleep but that’s if someone is in the back with him putting his soother back in every time it falls out (and it falls out a lot!). I’m afraid I have no advice at the moment but you’re not alone X
Have you tried a baby carrier? It’s one of the only ways I can get my little girl to nap in the day
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