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I've always had harder time getting my kids to nap even when they were infants. I ended up having to nap train them. I was terrible at looking for their sleepy cues and often miss that magical window where they can just be put down.

My LO is about the same age and his naps drive me a little crazy too! I know he needs them (at least 3 a day) but I also have to rock him then he only sleeps for 30 min and cries! He'll finish the nap if I hold him so i know often he's still tired.

What I try to pay more attention to is how he seems rather than what all the books say he should be doing nap-wise. If he only sleeps for 30 min but is smiling and in a good mood when I go get him, that's it. But if he's fussy or whiney, I interpret that as him needing more sleep.

That all said, I think it's good that you are helping your LO fall asleep for naps bc more likely than not at this age he needs the rest but also still needs some help getting there.

If he does seem to naturally get sleepy around certain times, maybe you can note those and aim to do naps at those times so it doesn't feel like you're forcing it as much.

Have you tried the same routine as bedtime? If you read a story before bed, do it for naps, etc.

They definitely have a harder time going down for naps. My LO was putting herself to sleep w/o rocking etc by 5 months, naps she couldn't do it til closer to 9.

How many naps a day is she taking? Naps are definitely harder to get regulated and settled into, but it slowly happens!

Naps SUCK, especially at that age.

Does she fight it when you rock her? If she's crying or having a hard time falling asleep, she may actually be OVERtired. Have you tried just putting her down how you do at night, maybe a little earlier than you normally would rock her?

If she goes to sleep easily, she might just be used to getting rocked. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. We have sleep trained a few times for night sleep & LO goes down in her crib awake without rocking but we still rock for naps because she's been a solid napper for a while now & I don't want to mess with it.