Do you have a 6+ mo old short napper?

[MyBella]

DD is 28 weeks old, and has always been a bad napper.  I've been trying to "fix" this situation ever since the dreaded 20 min naps presented themselves at 3 weeks old.  We've had some success extending employing BW techniques, but I've decided I just have to accept the reality that my lo will always be like this, and there's no point in me holding out hope that there will someday be a consistent pattern to her daytime naps.

So I'd like to hear from moms with bad nappers.  How do you deal with the inconsistency? 

Thanks.

[evanskimberley]

very glad I found this was about to post similar.

this is actually posted on behalf of my friend, her son is 6 mo, she doesn't want to put her son on any kind of schedule, or read any books like BW but is getting very frustrate with her son. She is taking the approch of doiung only what the HV tells her or advises because she has massive problems when he was small and he had to go backinto hospital. that is fine if that is what she wants to do, but the HV can't seem to help hre with his sleep problems!!!

He sleeps ok at night, from 8.30 - 6.30, but won't sleep during the day. he catnaps a few times a day, but if he gets any longer than an hour he wakes in the night, wide awake.

She's at the end of her tether, she doesn't get any time to herself during the day and if he's teeting or poorly and naps more during the day she finds herself up for hours during the night.

[Deb_in_oz]

i wouln't call Olivia (6 1/2 mo) a "bad napper" but she definitely is not textbook - this is the area where she is still a bit spirited.

we have come a long way from 5 weeks old and barely napping (she would stay up for 3-5 hours at a time) but when she napped she would do anywhere from 45 min - 2hr 15.  i don't remember the last time we had more than 1hr 30 from her.

now we have a child who will sleep in every cycle and goes down easily and wakes happy at least 95% of the time BUT rarely naps more than 45 min.  Our good day is 45 min mornig nap, 1hr 30 midday nap, and 45 min (or more) "catnap"/late afternoon. or we can have 3 x 45 min or only 2 naps and be up from 2pm - 7pm. she does sleep through the night every night though so not sure if she suddenly napped more if she would wake earlier etc...

i am trying one last time to see if she will extend the first nap so we can go to 2 naps in the future, but will most likely let it happen naturally and not stress about the fact that she still has 3 naps and will loikely to continue to do so until 7-9 mo...

i figure when i see that she can happily stay up longer than 2 hours i will try to push out her naps later and hope that they will just start getting longer.  as a spirited sleeper pat shh never worked once she was 3 mo and she does not really cry so i have never tried PU/PD. i just use reassurance and try to resettle by re-doing our "windown" lullaby. but 99% of the time once she is "up" she is "up". and i no longer stress myself out trying to get her to sleep longer - i just ensure she gets "rest" time in the darkened room in the cot or as long as she will stand it.