6 month old nap

Hi,

I'm in a bit of a tiz about getting my 6 month old to nap. She sleeps ok at night. Asleep by 6:30pm and up the next day around 6:30am- 2 or 3 wakings in the night.

Morning naps are ok. About 1 hour and 45 mins after she wakes up, we read a few stories, I put her in her sleeping bag suit, sit with her in the rocking chair and when she's drowsy, put her in the cot. Sometimes she sleeps 45 mins other time 1.5 hour and occasionally 2 hours!
The next nap I follow the same routine, although try to give her 15 mins more awake time.

The problem lately is that she is not wanting to be held or rocked in the rocking chair. She sqiurms and kicks, so I just put her in the cot and walk out. She plays for a while...sometimes up to 20 minutes before then deciding to cry. I go in, shush her, roll her on her side (if she lets me...this too is a battle) and pat her bum and leave agian. She starts crying straight away and I try to leave her fro a min or 2 but find that very difficult. i go back in...by now she has been awake for over 3 hours and clearly OT!! In the end I pick her up and basically hold her so tight in my arms she cant kick and rock her and eventually she goes to sleep...if not I have been taking her for a drive in the car, where she goes to sleep straight away!
Hubby things I'm stressing too much about it but you can't leave a 6 month old up from 1pm until bedtime at 6:30...can you!?

I guess I'm wanting to know what others do. How long do I leave her to cry? Is it ok to pick her up when she cries or does that defeat the purpose of leaving her to cry in the first place? Is it classed as self-settling when I put her in awake but drowsy...even though I have helped her to get sleepy?

Sorry....lots of q's but I think I have read too many books that make me feel like by this age, you put the baby in the bed, they go to sleep oin their own and sleep for 2 hours! HA!

sounds like you are doing the right thing but i wouldn't be doing any holding or rocking whether she wants it or not. I would change her for bed day or night and read a story or 3 10 mins before sleep time in quiet space like her bedroom and put her in bed and walk. the down time of the reading will calm her and she shouldn't need anything else. leave her to cry for 3 mins before you go back in gently touch her head or roll her on her side and say it's time for sleep and walk out. she needs 2 sleeps and a nap at this age. late nap of any length around 330pm ish. up from 1-6pm is too long but 7-8 months they start to drop this last nap. car pram bed whatever works. I think if you let her cry a little she will soon learn you mean it when you say it's sleep time. I would allow max 3 mins of crying for at least the first 15 mins with entries every 3 mins. squirming and fighting is an over tired sign in my book. leave her a bit and allow her to find her settling rythm. don't lose faith. you're ok!!!

hello and good on you for asking for advice
Sounds like your baby has become reliant on you to go to sleep
I dont know how sleep school train a 6 month old to self settle as we went at 3 and half months
it was taking me over an hour somtimes 2 to get dd to sleep
I couldnt keep going .......my back was killing me
I didnt rock but picked her up and patted....
It took one month to change her.
but teething came in to play another month later and we had to help her go to sleep as she was in pain. she has come good again they just go through stages so hang in there.
ok if it was me , put her in her cot for sleep after book and cuddle...
the cuddle should go for atleast 3 min so she knows it means sleep.
then put bubs in cot. sshhhhh her and perhaps pat her or rub her shoulder then leave the room....
now turn the radio on...so you can still hear her have support at home so you can talk about what your doing.
wait 5 or 10 minutes .....only go in if she is bellowing...like fully crying....pick her up settle her in your arms for a few minutes and put her back down......shssshhhh her for a while leave room
go back if she screaming..... you can go back anytime you like
you dont need to wait 10 min or 5 you decide.
but let her cry...
it is natural for her to cry the crys will get longer and longer like pauses..... then she will be asleep.
its ok if she settles in your arms and you put her down semi awake
we do this all the time!!
our baby wakes at 7 sleep at 830. can sleep 45 or hour or abitmore
then awake 2 and half hours then sleep........45 or hour or so.
then awake 2 ...and half hours then sleep 45..then bed and sleeps through the night till 7 ish....
if she wakes in the night we ignore her for atleast 10 minutes unless she is screaming..
i never ignore her if she is screaming. she needs me and I am there in 2 seconds
but if it is a wingy cry then I let her go...!!
the best thing hardest thing I have ever done but worth it
if you keep going with what your doing you be so tired...
watch for tired signs rubbing the eyes...and if she is overstimulated in teh afternoons you may not even see tired signs have some downtime after 2 hours so you can observe her
good luck and if you need help you can always pm me

if this approach does not work for you thats cool just what they told me at sleep school in qld. brisbane..its government run..

at that age my DD was only have 2 sleeps a day, one 3-4 hours after she woke (for around 1.5-2hrs) then another 3-4hours after waking again.
Maybe your DD just isnt tired at those times? Id try keeping her up until shs definitely showing tired cues, rather than watching the clock