Seriously having a breakdown...

I don't know how much more I can take of the no napping thing. The kid is exhausted but the minute I put her in the crib she sits up and screams. The only way she will nap is in the car.
She used to nap but now she doesn't.
I get no relief during the day, I have been up since 4:30 with her and feel like complete crap.
I am at a loss as to what to do.

Re: Seriously having a breakdown...

Do you have a swing? Or a sling? Either may help. You can find a sling on www.thebabywearer.com

Otherwise don't go crazy. Take the baby for a drive. Bring a book, drive, park somewhere nice like a park and read in the car. I actaully did that once with Liam - we live near Bear Mtn State Park so I drove up that way and read 1/2 a book while he slept in late September - kept the car going and a bit of the a/c on and a window 1/2 open for fresh air. Longest nap he ever had. My son doesn't nap well either but it's more b/c of the stimulation at daycare - if it's quiet and not too bright he sleeps in his swing.

HTH

Re: Seriously having a breakdown...

Right, this happened to me. And do you know what solved it. I let him cry. If she is old enough to sit up, she is old enough to cry it out. Sorry....just put her down in the crib and walk away. Give yourself a time limit, so give yourself 10 minutes...if she cries for 10 minutes then go in and get her.

Now I make sure I catch him at the right moment when he is tired, he starts whinging, he yawns...I put him in his crib, he cries for maybe 5 minutes, he lays down, plays with his toys and goes to sleep. Some days its 40 minutes, some days 90...but you have to disassociate yourself from the crying, thats the only way to do it.

Re: Seriously having a breakdown...

We started letting Ava CIO for her naps, and ever since then, she has actually been napping during the day. Before that, she never, ever napped. If she did it was for 20 minutes. We get at least two solid naps out of her now for about an hour- an hour and twenty minutes each.

Re: Seriously having a breakdown...

Re: Seriously having a breakdown...

I have a swing but she is too big for it.
I have let her cry for over an hour, I have no problem with CIO, we used to use and it worked great but now it doesn't anymore. She sits up and will not lay herself down...
I most likely will just go for a drive and then bring the snap and go inside but I seriously can't make a habit of it which it is becoming b/c I am losing my freakin mind.

Re: Seriously having a breakdown...

I find that Noah sits up when we leave him in his crib, but he does lay down to play with his toys. I say give yourself a day to try it out. Put her in the crib and take a shower so you can't really hear her. Thats what I did the first few days! I know its horrible, Noah didn't have a nap until he was 10 months old...but now he naps in his crib like clockwork everyday. Good Luck!!!

Re: Seriously having a breakdown...

Does she have some toys to play with in her crib? I don't give Ava any toys in her crib, but what I've found is that if I give her her taggies blanket or her elmo doll she will amuse herself with those for up to a half hour before finally falling asleep. It gives me some extra time while she's lounging with her doll or blanket, plus, it calms her down to nap.

Re: Seriously having a breakdown...

Re: Seriously having a breakdown...

Oh I so feel for you Nikolas isn't as old as your daughter yet, but i fear this will be his 'future' because even now at 11 wks old he is just NOT a napper... never has been even from a newborn. Unless I take him out for a drive in the car, or for a walk in the stroller in nicer weather, this kid out and out refuses naps (even when I rock him , put him in the swing - whatever - he just resists the naps!!)

you said that your DD was a good napper.. but now she isnt.. is there something that has changed for her recently? A new milestone, is she feeling ok, etc? Yeah I'm just grasping at straws here for you, but just curious if something has changed for her that might be causing her lack of napping now.

I honestly have no advice because Im not "there" yet (and my DS is still too young to let CIO, at least I think so ) but I do feel for you, and I hope you can get some rest soon... there is nothing worse than a sleep deprived mommy and a cranky baby

Message edited 12/29/2006 11:57:44 AM.

Re: Seriously having a breakdown...

I don't know how to quote different posters in one reply like other people do but...
She has the aquarium, a stuffed animal, this music thing in her crib but she refuses to play with them except when she wakes up in the morning happy, then I hear the music going.
I really have let her cry for so long, I put her in the crib and go downstairs and leave the monitor off but still hear the screams, it's brutal.
Flee, she was never a good napper but she did nap, they were just very short, but lately they were getting longer... this non napping thing started when she got a tooth and was able to sit up on her own and crawl... I also think it may be seperation anxiety...
I just took her out in the car and she was asleep in 3 seconds.
Now I guess I can have some lunch and pull my hair out.

Re: Seriously having a breakdown...

Does she feel ok? Just my experience with DD - whenever she cries going to bed or for naps (and falls sleep in the car) - Something is up.

Re: Seriously having a breakdown...

How old is she? Is she teething? We're going through some sleep issues that are similar and I have chalked it up to teething. Naps have been OK but bedtime has been horrendous. Last night I gave her Motrin after she started they hysterics again (standing up, screaming) and rocked her a few minutes and she was out and stayed asleep the whole night.
I don't know if it's something with laying down or the fact that their aren't a ton of distractions at sleep time that make teething worse but maybe that's what is going on with you DD.

Re: Seriously having a breakdown...

She might be getting another tooth especially if she went from napping to not.

Re: Seriously having a breakdown...

Message edited 12/29/2006 2:44:43 PM.

Re: Seriously having a breakdown...

how old is your baby? imy daughter is 15 months and sometimes during her nap she will cry but she usually naps a good 2 hours, if its within an hour i leave her for a few min and she almost always falls back to sleep...its almost like shes crying to see if you will get her and she thinks her nap is over. then i think she realizes shes still tired and goes right back to sleep...i guess leave her in the crib for a while until she falls asleep especially if you see she is really tired and wont function later in the day without the nap? hope this helps good luck!

Re: Seriously having a breakdown...

I totally feel for you. DD is 5 months old & she hates napping in her crib. She falls asleep very easily in the car and when I nurse her, but cries in her crib. We're still dependant on the swing. Good luck!

Re: Seriously having a breakdown...

Re: Seriously having a breakdown...

Lots of prayers for a good nights sleep