Fighting Nap Time

**Shoestring** · 01-03-09, 05:22 PM

I need some help

My 6 month old is fighting nap time. He will scream bloody murder for 20-30 minutes non-stop before finally falling asleep.

I know he is tired, he rubs his eyes, etc. so i put him down but he fights it and fights it.

He has recently started this, and he has also been doing it at bed time as well

Any suggestions?

**Terminator** · 01-03-09, 05:24 PM

Nyquil.

**irishmick** · 01-03-09, 05:25 PM

Will he let you swaddle him? That used to be the ONLY way we could get our little one to go down (for bed or naps). I don't know when you're putting him down, but right after he eats is usually a good time. If you're bottle feeding and he'll hold it himself, you can always try putting him down with a bottle (this didn't work for us since we weren't using a bottle, but might work if you are). You could also try some white noise (a fan, a noise machine if you have one, etc.).

**Car 4** · 01-03-09, 05:25 PM

Try reading him to sleep.....always worked for my kids. Doesn't matter what....just the sound of your gentle and rythmic voice reading anything at all at that age. A little warm formula also helps.

No matter what...do not respond to his carrying on....it's your way or the crying but he has to sleep. Really important for a child at that age. Their little brain is absorbing info at an incredible rate and they simply need down time to process it and refresh themselves.

Car 4

**kcnuke** · 01-03-09, 05:26 PM

Try one of those teddy bears you can put the heat pack inside it that you microwave. As long as it is kid safe anyways. We have one, it works great but I don't have any kids.

**BigDawg** · 01-03-09, 05:45 PM

Blunt object to the head????

I would think white noise or reading to him. The benefit of reading is it gives you some really good quality time together.

**deputysykes** · 01-03-09, 07:12 PM

Are you rocking him at all before laying him down or just puttin him to bed? We still rock our 3 mo old for a while before laying her down. It helps calm her down. However, I don't want her in the habbit of HAVING to be rocked to sleep. Kind of like swaddling....we did that with our son. It was a hard habbit to break so we stopped early with our daughter.

**Pudge** · 01-03-09, 07:18 PM

Originally Posted by deputysykes

Are you rocking him at all before laying him down or just puttin him to bed? We still rock our 3 mo old for a while before laying her down. It helps calm her down. However, I don't want her in the habbit of HAVING to be rocked to sleep. Kind of like swaddling....we did that with our son. It was a hard habbit to break so we stopped early with our daughter.

Turn on a fan. Let him cry it out man. At some point or another all three of mine have done it. It sucks as a parent to hear it, but eventually it gets easier. Once he sees this isn't getting attention he'll slowly stop.

Something else you may want to try is mixing some baby cereal in with the bottle before bed. Makes it a little heavier, and sleeps better on a full tummy.

**Lo523** · 01-03-09, 07:32 PM

Originally Posted by Pudge113

Turn on a fan. Let him cry it out man. At some point or another all three of mine have done it. It sucks as a parent to hear it, but eventually it gets easier. Once he sees this isn't getting attention he'll slowly stop.

Something else you may want to try is mixing some baby cereal in with the bottle before bed. Makes it a little heavier, and sleeps better on a full tummy.

I'm with Pudge on this one. My son fought sleep time/ bedtime for nearly 9 months, and it just about sent me crazy. However now its the opposite problem and I have often thought about getting his bed surgically removed from his back!

**IndianaFuzz** · 01-03-09, 07:34 PM

**irishmick** · 01-03-09, 07:36 PM

Originally Posted by deputysykes

Are you rocking him at all before laying him down or just puttin him to bed? We still rock our 3 mo old for a while before laying her down. It helps calm her down. However, I don't want her in the habbit of HAVING to be rocked to sleep. Kind of like swaddling....we did that with our son. It was a hard habbit to break so we stopped early with our daughter.

Yeah...we stopped swaddling when he was starting to get out of the blanket.

He seemed fine with it, but we also didn't re-wrap him if he got out of it before that.

**Xiphos** · 01-03-09, 08:25 PM

They have to learn how to sooth themselves to sleep. If you run in there and fuss over him he just learns that will get him attention. Eventually he will earn the screaming gets him nothing and will go to sleep.

**baumshoe** · 01-03-09, 09:42 PM

Vodka

**jcsdscott** · 01-03-09, 10:50 PM

I used the rocking and singing method. It worked for both my kids.

**Ace** · 01-04-09, 02:04 AM

I've always had success with a fan, it seem to work ok. If he's only screaming for twenty to thirty minutes, then best bet is just to let him cry it out imo...

**Willowdared** · 01-04-09, 03:28 AM

Originally Posted by Shoestring

I need some help

My 6 month old is fighting nap time. He will scream bloody murder for 20-30 minutes non-stop before finally falling asleep.

I know he is tired, he rubs his eyes, etc. so i put him down but he fights it and fights it.

He has recently started this, and he has also been doing it at bed time as well

Any suggestions?

My son was the same.

He also was unable to keep is eyes open if I stroked his forehead (down between his brows to his nose), and he could never stay awake if he closed his eyes for long.

So, I would sit next to the crib and stroke from his forehead down the bridge of his nose until he fell asleep. Took about 5 minutes.

**nsb22** · 01-04-09, 04:42 PM

I've always gone with the let them cry technique. I listen to them to make sure they aren't getting in trouble, but just let them cry. If you don't, you'll be doing this forever.

Or you could just hit him in the back of the head with an M4. That damn near knocked me out!