No naps- 6 month old

[Isaiah's_mom]

I just bought this book hoping it would help me get my six month old to bed a little earlier than 12:00 am (sometimes it's 1 or 2 in the morning).
My baby doesn't take naps at all. Not even if I rock him or put him in the swing.
He's still awake now (he doesn't go to bed until midnight). He has been up for 12 hours straight.
Is this normal for a baby to not sleep for 12 hours? Well, it will be 14 1/2 hours by the time he goes to sleep tonight. I am always so exhausted.
How can I get him to sleep if he's not sleepy?
I read about the pick up put down but if he never sleeps, I don't see how he's going to start.
Once he goes to sleep, he does sleep through the night however.

[albertasweetpea]

Hi there. So sorry to hear you are having such troubles getting your DS to sleep, you must be EXHAUSTED!!  :shock:
Have you tried putting him down for naps?
What is his reaction to his nap time?
What time does he get up for the day?
At 6 months I would suggest about 1.5 - 2 hours of awake time before his first nap. Does he show tired cues? For example, rubbing his eyes, yawning, whining??
I think at this age he should be having at minimum 2 naps a day, an a.m. nap of about 1.5 hours and the same for the afternoon. Some babies still have a short (45 minutes) catnap late in the afternoon, before a bedtime of between 6 pm and 7 pm.
Hopefully we can get some help for you so you can get some much needed rest!!

[Colesmom]

I agree with albertasweetpea.  If your DS isn't napping during the day he is likely so overtired that he just can't shut off.  Do you have consistent naptime/bedtime routines?  Let us know when he wakes and what times you attempt to put him down for naps. 

Do you have the second book? Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems, or the first one? The second one has an example of how to get a baby on a routine when they haven't been on one before.  You can use that as a guide to get you started.  Every baby needs sleep.  It is not normal for a baby not to sleep for 12 hours.  How long has this been going on, and have you talked to your pediatrician to rule out other issues?

Big HUGS to you.  Your days must be very very long.  You need a break during the day too!  Let's help you get this sorted out so you can get some much needed rest.

[Isaiah's_mom]

Thanks. I bought the book and since I got him up early he is sleepy more in the daytime.
So now it's just a matter of getting him to lay down without a fuss.

[Meg's Mom]

Excellent advice above! 

If you have any questions, let us know.