Lily has always been a bad napper and I really struggle to get her to nap at all during the day. Normally she will have about 30mins max about 3 times a day. But for the last week or so she has bearly napped at all and if she has it has been for about 15mins at a time.

Trouble is she is REALLY tired, she rubs her eyes and yawns and is grumpy. She has just woken up from another 15min nap and is so cranky, she has had some milk and she was still grumpy after that so got some of her toys on the floor to entertain her but she didn't like it and so have put her in her jumperoo but she is whining.

In the past I have taken her out in pushchair or in the car but it is now dark and so cold so can't really do pushchair and OH will be home soon. It's not really an ideal situation either. She doesn't nap during the day in her cot, she just won't and she normally sleeps in her bouncy chair or if she is in a cuddley mood she will sleep on me. I turn all distractions off, such as TV or Radio when she is napping in the hope that she will sleep longer but she never does. I just don't know what to do, it was OK before but now she is so active when she is awake she is obviously more tired. Any tips ladies?

Hey hun,

I dont really have any advice, thing is Amber is exactly the same!! We go out such a lot and when we do she is fantastic and gets lots of sleep but at home its a different story she cries so much until she is held or fed to sleep.

I have tried controlled crying but she gets hysterical which wakes her up more, I hope you find an answer as I would love one too, hugs hun I know what its like to have a little cranky girl on my hands lol xxx

aw bless you. have you always kept her environment quiet when settling her/or when shes sleeping??? my LO wont sleep if its deadly silent, and we purposely knock and bang about so he doesnt become noise sensitive

my mum used to put me infront of the washing machine as a baby, may be worth givin that a try??

please dont get drawn into the 'going out in the car' scenario to get her to sleep, my friend did that and it cost her £100's extra a month in petrol!!

Gabe's been similar, in fact we couldnt get him to nap at ALL until he was 3 months (apart from the initial newborn sleepyness). From 3 - 7 months he would only have 3 30min naps (longer if he was on me) but now he has started having a bit longer for his midday sleep...thank god! It's so infuriating sometimes as you know they need their sleep. I found that constant movement helps like pushing the pram, you can do this inside. Or bouncing from foot to foot with baby in a sling...some babies like rocking but Gabe always fights it. Will she lie down on the bed with you and go to sleep? I'm lucky cos after about 5 months old Gabe has took naps in his cot or pram really well and I dont have to do much bouncing anymore! Oh yes and dont be tempted to keep it silent in the room as then even the tiniest noise will wake her if it is so quiet, I have found that 'white' repetitive noise is better like the washing machine or tumble dryer, sometimes if nothing will settle Gabe I put his rocker or car seat in front of the dryer and he goes to sleep. HTH xx

I've always been quite lucky that Theo (touch wood) naps ok during the day but I try to keep it a normal noise level when he naps during that day, I always put him upstairs in his cot to nap bit keep the telly on downstairs so theres a bit of background noise and he tends to have about 1hr-1 and a half this way. I think its definitley a good idea to try putting her upstairs for her naps and try to keep a bit of background noise. It will be really hard to get her to nap upstairs at first, but try the controlled crying approach. I sometimes have to do it with Theo in the day and I've found the trick is to to leave him until he's been properly crying for the full 10 minutes, not just whining and 9 times out of 10 he falls asleep mid scream, although it doesnt work for him at night unfortunatly! If Theo is really fighting sleep, like tiger lilly said I find putting him in front of the washer gets him off but it only lasts for about 20 minutes if I do that.
xxx

Ah hun dont really have any advice as Lea is doing this at the mo aswell but think hers is down to teething. She is normally so good 4 napping but wen i try 2 put her down at the mo she jus keeps shuffling around in her cot and not sleeping!
xx

Hmmmm im not sure what advise to give, gracie faye has always been good at napping, she slept 8-9am, then 11-12pm then 1.30-3.30pm today but she wont sleep in the quiet, she likes it real noisy!

Have you tried a hoover? LOL i know it sounds daft but white noise is proven to work... when you see the signs of sleepy nice try getting her to nap how you usually would and stick the hoover on! worth a try x x x

Thanks everyone for you useful tips. I haven't always kept everything quiet for her when she is tired or asleep, there is normally something on such as washing machine, tv or radio. I normally turn the TV off it is on because she is so nosey and will stay awake just to watch what it is, like tonight she was deliberately staying awake so she could watch TV- right little square eyes have no idea why as we barely watch it lol!
Katie, she loves the hoover is fascinated by it and watches its every move she really is just nosey! She was never a sleepy baby even when she was a newborn, people who saw her when she was just born couldn't believe how alert and awake she was. I just hope she gets better, she has never liked to be upstairs in her cot I think because she thinks she might miss something, we have a baby monitor for when she is upstairs in the cot but I have used it maybe 3 or 4 times in 6months!xx

if i give millie her comfort blanket it helps as she covers her face with it x