Need Help Getting Almost 5 Month Old to Nap!

In addition to some of the great responses, i just wanted to add that I know what you are going through!! your son sounds EXACTLY like my first son. He was a high need baby and, not to scare you, but he never truly got into any very good schedule. But here is a plus - yours could be a gifted child (mine is)! He is 10 now, sleeps great, and a wonderful kid. SO there is hope!! A great book to try is the "No Cry Sleep Solution". I also used to carry him in a sling a lot, until he was like 2 - 2.5. good luck!!

Hi L.,
All babies need sleep at this age and lots of it! I had a colicky baby, and naps were a constant struggle until I finally figured out what I was doing wrong. It is possible that you are putting him down to nap too late? At this age, he should be taking about 3 naps a day- the first occuring about two hours (and no later!) after he wakes up in the morning. Watch for his sleepy signs (slowing down, staring off into space, etc). If you wait until he starts fussing to put him down for a nap, chances are you have waited too late and the nap is going to be a bust as he is already worked up and overtired. Get him on a schedule for nap time every day, and do a little naptime routine that lets him know what is coming next. For us, we turned on a sound machine that queued him that it is now time for sleep. As for the length of time he naps- as long as wakes up in a good mood, then he has gotten enough sleep. If not, the put him down for another nap in no later than two hours after waking up for the last one. Also, I would suggest an earlier bedtime, which might help with daytime napping. Try starting his nighttime routine around 6:30 p.m. I know you will be afraid that he will take up super early, but the opposite is true. Getting him to sleep before he is overtired is the key to good, sound sleep- day or night!
Good luck!

Great advice so far! I am sure you don't want to start a bad habit... but if you are really desperate a swing would always nock my little one out for a couple hours. (She had reflux issues.) Good luck, my best thoughts on the sleep thing... b/c everyone writes about this! Is time is the only cure... :) just love them as much as you can while they are little.
Amanda

Hi L.,I am sorry I do not have any advice but when our boys were 5 months old, they definatly had 3 almost 2 hour naps a day, so maybe your son is overtierd? (or maybe he just does not like to sleep:))
But I just wanted to say about getting stuff done.I do not know what kind of parenting style you have ,but with both boys when I needed stuff done I would just put them in bouncy/swing/excersauser/jumper(whatever age apropriate)next to me and do what I needed done.I would still talk to them, sing, dance while doing the dishes(or whatever) so they had my attention and were intertained.
Hang in there, it will get better (sleep wise), of course then they start the tantrams and talking back LOL

Hi, he might be feeling a little insecure by himself, have you ever tried napping him in the living room or kitchen right by you, this way he knows you are there and feels at ease. I had this issue with one of my daughters so I set up a bassinet in the room I was working in and let her sleep there, this way if she woke up she'd hear me and see me and fall back asleep. I also kept a basinet next to my bed for the first little while because I was breast feeding and this helped with the night time wake ups.

I hope this helps

E.