Sleeping advice please

Usually around this age babies transition to 2 naps. How long is his last wake window? My daughter lasts now almost 4 hours if she has just 2 naps. If her last wake window is shorter and struggles to fall asleep independently in her cot, I just give her a few mins of cuddles.

See he only really has 1 proper nap a day - again he refuses anything else. I’d say max in the day he’ll sleep about 1.5 hours either in one block or split in 2 if we go in the car at all! We never let him nap later than 3.30 as we’ve seen previously he absolutely will not go to bed if later than that! He has never napped/gone to sleep without milk or rocking or being in the car. He’s never been one to be put down and put himself to sleep. I think this is why I’m feeling over whelmed because I feel like he should be soothing himself to sleep by now!!

Could it be separation anxiety?

I believe 1 nap is not enough at this age, he is most likely overtired and unable to sleep. Maybe try using Huckleberry app to help you with his sleep, there is a plus or premium option, they basically give you a reminder on when to put baby down depending on his age and how many naps you want him to have. Wont he fall asleep in the pram? I used to take my daughter on a walk if she was sleeping dodgy and needed her last nap late, at home she wouldnt fall asleep that early but in the pram she will fall asleep even if she was only awake for 1.5hours. So I would take her out and as spon as she falls asleep I would head home, leave her in the pram to sleep, I would just open windows, switch off radiators in that room and play some white noise. But she also naps on my chest if I cant be bother to take her out, again zero issues with that. When I was teaching her to fall asleep in the cot on her own I would sing if she was fussing, hold her hands or put one hand on her face/chest, shush her. She has a dummy.

Sounds like the delightful 8 month sleep regression as come to visit early. We r going through the exact same thing. He just wakes up constantly in the night atm where as he use to sleep through all night n has done since 7 weeks. I've just started cosleeping with him so I can survive for the time being coz it's the only way he will sleep in the night, am I creating a rod for my own bk for the future maybe but that's future me problem. Do what works for u for now and figure it out again in the future that's all parenting is I am very quickly discovering. Do what u gotta do in the moment to survive deal with future problems if they happen in the future x

Thank you! This is super helpful! I’ll definitely look at getting the app tomorrow. I feel so overwhelmed when it comes to the sleeping because he’s just always been so reluctant unless in the car or moving etc but used to be soooo good at going to sleep at night! And now he isn’t at night either aha. Thank you, this has helped me feel like it’s not going to be impossible but maybe just need to try some new things xx

@Daniella I think he has a bit of that going on as last few weeks he screams if he can’t see mine or my partners faces (we don’t even have to leave the room, simply turning around sets him off!!)

@Willow sounds like our situation! He’s always been amazing with sleep - as a newborn he only used to wake at midnight and then 3, from 8 weeks he’d go down and midnight and not wake until 7/8 and from 4.5 months has been doing a lovely 12 hour stretch. Once he finally goes to sleep at night he will happily sleep for 12 hours without sleeping, it’s just getting him to sleep that’s the problem!!! Good for you on finding a way to survive now! ❤️ it’s nice to hear someone say this as a lot of the time i feel like I should be sticking to some kind of rule book but you’re right, it’s just about getting through now and doing what works for you and baby right now and working it out as you go along! ❤️ thank you, feel like I needed to hear this!

You’re definitely not creating a rod for your own back. You do what works best for you and your baby. You know best. Our little one has always been a late bedtime. He used to be 10pm - 11pm and would sleep right through until at least 8am. He’s now transitioned to 2 naps himself and is now going down at 9pm and sleeping through until 8am. There’s a woman on tik tok called Hannah Baby Sleep Consultant. Pop on and watch some of her videos x

My LO has been the same for a few weeks won’t sleep in his cot we have done the same night routine since he was about 6 weeks so we have been co sleeping and he is so much better and it means at least we all get some sleep it’s a fix for now and in a week or so we will try again in his cot

@Steff 💕 ahhh thank you, this is really nice to hear and puts my mind at ease. I just don’t want bedtime to be a stressful time for him and at the moment it really is whereas last 2 nights he’s been down with us, happy as Larry and popped himself to sleep!! I shall absolutely look into the TikTok xxx

@Hannah this is super helpful, it’s nice to hear it’s not just us! I know it’s great that he’s always been good at sleeping but it makes it more stressful now as I haven’t a clue ahaha xx

1 nap isn't enough at this age they should be having 2-3 naps a day and 3.30 is way to early to not let them nap past. It could be overtiredness cus little ones is having to long of a wake window before bed. Xx

@Kayleigh it’s hard when he refuses all naps though and shows no signs of being tired? His wake window before bed is 3 hours. How old is your little one? Could you give me an example of their naps to get an idea please!

So my little boy is 8 months old. So he wakes around 7:30 then upstairs at 10:30 for 1st nap then wakes around 12 then back to sleep around 3/3:30 for second nap till 5-5:30 then start bath around 7:30 15 mins in the bath then upstairs get ready for bed, bottle and in bed for around 8:30. I take my time with bedtime routine. Then asleep for 8:45. Xx

@Kayleigh lovely thank you. When he has these naps how do you do it? Does he fall asleep whilst feeding or rocking or is it just on his own? Does he nap on you or in his cot?