9 Month Old Fighting Naps - Portland,OR

Hello Mama

I agree, you're probably trying to lay your child down when he is too tired. It's amazing how quickly kids change sleep patterns. You think you have a good rhythm going and a growth spurt will ruin it.

Watch for sleep cues, you'll know them, and try laying your son down right when he starts showing he may be tired soon. Even better, start a nap/sleep time ritual about minutes before he's tired, to cue him that it's time to sleep. These transition activities will be helpful when he's a toddler.

Lastly, I recommend to all parents I coach through sleep issues to find a CD of soothing music and start playing that during transition time and sleep time. If you ever travel, having music that cues bedtime will help greatly. Additionally, when he's older and wakes in the middle of the night, the music will help remind him it's sleeping time still.

Good Luck

R. Magby

hi A. j, below is my question i posted in aug. '09 re: my 9 ms old:
"My little boy has been waking up for the past week betweenn 3a-4a. every nite. He's a good eater and drinker (formula) and up until now a good sleeper. I gave him teething Tablets and Tylenol but he was only quieted after a 5oz bottle. Not Sure what to do. I know he doesn't need to be waking up like this but I'm not sure what else to do. Thanks for any help!"

the reason i put that is b/c apparently around 9-10 ms there's a growth spurt causing them to refuse naps in your case and not sleep thru the night in my case. almost all of my responses said it was a growth spurt & to make sure he wasn't hungry...that seemed to be what it was!
so...in short, make sure your little baby's full and know that it's spurt (i love that word!) and will end in 1-2 wks, if that long. okay?
hope that helps, and good luck! i sure do love those sweet, wiggly 9 ms. old babies! :)

Well, there are three things you can't make a child do, eat, sleep and poop or pee. My own daughter stopped sleeping at 18 months and believe you me, I cried when she did.

So I have been there, although at a later age. At one point my daughter stopped sleeping both day and night and that was really hard. You can not imagine the screaming and temper tantruming a child who has not slept for three weeks can do. So no more naps and quiet time for her or us.

So my few words of advice are as follows:

I think at his age you need to offer him the opportunity to nap, and if he only plays, then so be it. If he screams, you have to decide how long can you stand it.... and how long is good for him to cry... I would not ever not rock him to sleep for fear of getting him into that habit. Don't drive him in the car to get him to sleep... that is another bad habit to get into...

But as he gets older, you will have to stop fighting his reluctance to sleep because it will become a power struggle. He is obviously a child who doesn't need a lot of sleep if he is sweet and happy without it. Fighting over sleep is just not worth it. It is more important that he sleeps at night, than he sleeps during the day. (I figured that one out the hard way.)

Perhaps he's overly tired when you're putting him down. I suggest you have a schedule in which you lay him down at the same time everyday and that you do this before he's actually tired looking.

Since he's sleeping thru the night, I'd not be so concerned about him sleeping in the day time. This may have become a power struggle in which case he'll win. That's just the way of the world with kids. smile.

Try a schedule. Try just letting him play in the crib. If he doesn't go to sleep, get him up in an hour and go on with the day. If he starts to appear tired, put him down for an afternoon nap earlier. If he doesn't sleep then so be it. I suggest that if you relax about getting sleep, he will too.

No, don't give up on naps! Kids need naps at least until age 3. My daughter fought naps around this stage too, and then she liked them again, and now she plays quietly in her room and sleeps if she feels so inclined (about 3 days a week).

If he's willing, perhaps you could lie down together on your bed. Or keep up with the rubbing his back at intervals. Whatever you do, don't give in before your allotted time is up. This is a stage where they begin to put stimulus and response together. He's not trying to control you, per say, but he has figured out that crying extensively gets him out of something he doesn't want.