[froglett]

Ds is 12 wks tomorrow, and is now sleeping pretty well during the day (3 x 1 hour naps, plus a bigger block of 2-2.5 hrs).
The problem is that I can't nap when he does and it's starting to do my head in I'm dead tired, but whenever I lay down my mind races and I just can't relax, so then I get up and tidy the house, put on a load of washing, read eb etc...
I've always been slightly, well, my mother would say hyperactive, and especially now, I really have trouble switching off. At night I'm fine, I fall asleep in 2 seconds. I'd just love to get a nap in during the day, so I don't feel quite so zonked when I get up during the night.
Could it be hormonal? I wonder if maybe it's because I'm at home alone I feel I have to be awake 'waiting' for ds to wake up? Anyone else experienced this? Any tips?

[Chubbles]

I had this problem when I had my first DD. I couldn't switch off at all. I was always cleaning or doing something. For me it was an anxiety thing, I just couldn't relax. Unfortunately i have no advice because nothing worked for me except having more children. I'm no longer like that now I have three kids. I find it really hard to get off the couch at all and I can nap anywhere, anytime lol!

[Zarlias]

Can't really help, but can definitely relate. I find it damn near impossible to sleep during the day, so I try to just be lazy.

When he is napping (very rare occurrence here) I make sure to take some couch time. Watch tv, read a book or do FB/EB on my phone so that I am at least resting. Sometimes my eyes will get really heavy so I sneak in a 10 minute power nap that can make a massive difference. Just takes the edge off the exhaustion so I can trudge through another couple of hours. And being on the couch means all I do is put down thw book/phone and let it happen. Sometimes it doesn't though lol

I usually try to get the 'essential' jobs done early in the day so I can havw relatively guilt free couch time in the afternoon which is when I'm at my most tired.

[challice]

I tried with all 3 kids and I rarely managed to nap! And the rare occasions I did I would wake up cranky!
I am just not a daytime sleeper kinda woman.
Don't worry about it, just read, watch tv, relax or do as you have been doing and get chores done in peace! (that's what I used to do!)
I found focussing on napping would get me anxious and irritable when I didn't achieve it, there was much less stress when I gave up on the idea.

[Blossom73]

I struggled with this too with DS, but got better at it. Now I am up to a 40 minute nap on the weekends


The one thing I would suggest is to give yourself that relax time when your little one is napping, and if you need the extra sleep, try getting to bed an hour earlier - I found this easier when I could not nap.

[Flaxen]

I never napped when DD napped.
I found i coped better when i went to bed as soon as she did in the evening, so that i at least got a fair few hours before she woke up at 1, 3 and 5 !
It was annoying with tv shows i wanted to watch , and i didnt get to spend much time with DH in the evenings, but it saved me getting that mid afternoon crash.

Ive heard that an hours sleep before midnight is worth 2 after, dont know if its true, but the theory worked for me.

[MissM86]

I am not a great day time napper unless someone else is in the house to get up to the baby when they wake (which is rare- I am mostly home alone). I find it takes me ages to nod off and then the baby wakes just as I am drifting off so its not worth it for me.

Instead, I make sure that when the baby is sleeping, I lie on the couch and read, watch trashy tv or a show on my laptop or surf the net. Mindless, sedentary stuff!

[froglett]

Glad to know I'm not the only one then! DH thinks I'm not taking advantage of the downtime and wants me to rest, but I just can't. And Challis, I think you might be right, I'm getting more worked up the more I focus on trying to nap!

[TopsyTurvy]

Record some good shows to watch, pop one on and try to stay awake. I find if I am trying to sleep I don't, but if I am trying to read or watch something the brain zones out, the exhaustion catches up and I can manage 15 mins of a powenap

[KRT]

I would suggest you go to the GP and get your thyroid levels checked. They can go a bit haywire after having a baby, and levels that are too high can make it very hard to relax.