Naptime Issues for 8 Month Old Boy

Hi!
I have an 8 month old son that sounds exactly like yours. He was like this at 6 months old. I decided to do the cry it out method "my way" and it worked! It worked by me being home at the SAME naptimes everyday and not letting him fall asleep in the car or stroller. If he does that for even 5 or 10 minutes it ruins it for the day and I don't even make him try. At the same time everyday(3 hours after he wakes up and 3 hours after his AM nap is over) I put him in his crib. The first few days were torture--one day he cried for 45 minutes! Every 10 minutes I lay him back down, put on his mobile, and do NOT talk to him. This went on with varied amounts of crying for a few days. Now I have NO problems. He might whimper a few minutes or play quietly in there for a little bit, but he goes to sleep. He usually sleeps 10 hours at night(8PM-6:30AM when I wake him) and 1.5-2.5 hours each nap. He is a much happier baby with a regular nap routine(and I am a happier mom) and he now rarely falls asleep in the car!

Good Luck!

T.,
Babies' patterns are always changing. I am very surprised that your baby slept so long at 4 months! I think you are seeing a more typical sleep pattern right now. Dr. William Sears is one of my favorite authors, and he has written extensively about sleep. Also, there are published AVERAGES for each aged baby. I think your son sounds like the norm for the total amount of sleep he gets in a 24 hour period. The Happiest Baby on the Block, by Dr. Harvey Karp is another great book that probably would be helpful for the both of you. Otherwise, I say watch for cues. Just as you respond with food when he is hungry, encourage quiet time or sleep when you start to see him become tired. Let him sleep wherever he can, as long as it is safe, of course. I would not let a baby "cry it out" under any circumstances. They cry because they need us.
This pattern will change, too.
Amy

This was my daughter at 12 months old. She refused to nap in her crib, and would scream so hard and loud and eventually make herself poop. So another great mom on this website gave me advice of allowing her to nap wherever she wanted --- on the couch, floor, or in our bed. It has worked great. I find she is ready for her long nap about 4 hours after she wakes. I will make the room completely quiet, lay her on a pillow with her blanket and pacifier, and usually she falls asleep for 2-3 hour nap. Sometimes I lay with her for 5 mins and then she falls asleep. She does the same thing at daycare. Good luck!

I had a very similar experience with my daughter, now 16 months old when she was about that age. I know it is VERY frustrating, I didn't want to let her cry it out because when she did she was so hysterical she would make herself sick!!! I ended up rocking her to sleep and just holding her so she could get her nap in. I eventually moved down to my family room so I could watch TV while she slept. At first, I hated that I was giving in, but then I really started to enjoy the time. About a month later, I tried putting her in her crib again and I had no problem. She has been much better since and I have learned that I will no longer let things like this get to me like they used to, because I know she will be forever changing!! The No Cry Sleep Solution was a good book I found on the subject. Good Luck!!

Look for signs that he is getting tired. Once their crabby it's too late. It's a very small window of opportunity. Try to stick to some sort of schedule. With my first baby I was constantly on the go, running errands etc. and we never had a real schedule. Because of that, she was not a good napper. With my other two children I am much better at putting off errands until after nap time.

I have an 11 month old baby girl - and a good friend gave us a copy of the book called "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child". It has been WONDERFUL advice to help with naps and sleeping overall - and how important it is - and different approaches to try. There isn't a one size fits all but I will say that our daughter is just now getting into naps on a regular basis in her crib (versus stroller, etc.) and she will take a nap like clockwork. Sometimes her crying lasts about five minutes tops. The key for us was watching for the signs of her being tired...and acting on them. Once they are overtired it is very hard, if not impossible to get them to take a nap. Might as well wait until bedtime or the next nap period.

That is just my two cents - I HIGHLY recommend the book. I would have never sought out the book on my own and I am so grateful that a friend gave us a copy.