day time napping

[dennya]

My dd (11weeks) is becoming a good little sleeper in the night, but she will not sleep in her cot for her daytime nap. She only ever naps for 45 mins max and likes to sleep in her bouncy chair downstairs near mum. Should I persevere with trying to get her to sleep in her cot in the day (I do not like to leave her crying), as I will be going back to work Dec/Jan time and am worried that her nursery will expect her to sleep in a cot in a quiet room there during the day? Should I carry on as I am and be grateful that I just have a good night time sleeper. Advice would be gratefully received! Thanks in advance!

[jambot]

My DD didn't sleep well during the day until about 4 months, when she established a good routine. In the begining I had her in her pram or bouncy chair and she never slept very well. Wish now that I had persevered in putting her to bed properly right from the start. Don't feel bad about leaving her to cry for a minute or two. She needs to learn to self-settle and many babies cry for a bit before settling down to sleep. If you rush in every time she makes a sound, she's not going to learn that. My DD would often complain for a bit and then fall into a dead sleep. She's been a brilliant day-time sleeper from 4 months onwards and now at 18 months, more or less puts herself to bed when she's tired. Good Luck.

[LMGmum]

Snap dennya and thanks for giving me hope jambot . My dd is now 15 weeks and has been a pretty good night time sleeper since about 6 weeks. She now sleeps from about 7.30pm, we dreamfeed at about 10.30 and then she quite often goes through til 6ish. (This has only be the last couple of weeks). Daytime naps have never worked. She just seems not need as much sleep as some. I did have quite a good routine of 3, 30min naps during the day and eventually she started having these in her cot at 10 weeks. I do have to settle her a couple of times and picking up is the only way she will settle - none of this 'mummy's here darling'! Unfortunately she stopped even these naps a couple of weeks ago and it has been a bit eratic but slowing coming back. I talk to these mums whose babies sleep for 2 - 3 hours at lunchtime and I just can't believe it DD has only ever had a 2 hr nap in the day once! I would suggest you keep trying the cot as it did eventually work for me and you feel so much better when they are asleep upstairs rather than tip toing around them downstairs. My fear now is that she will never be able to settle herself to sleep. I have tried to leave her for a little while but she just wakes up and up and evenutally is wide awake chatting to herself - not as bad as screaming but still c**p as she is then knackered! Keep trying I think that's the only way

[newmum36]

I am trying to get mine into the habit of sleeping for a couple of hours or so at lunchtime. At the moment I swaddle him in his buggy downstairs and effectively once he is off I "rock" him through his light sleeps. A bit of a pain, but I just sit and read (luxury I know but I don't have any other kids at the moment so I am able to do that) and then when I can see him stirring he goes back off with out much effort. Eventually I'm hoping he'll go off himself (wishful thinking maybe)- He would never nap in the afternoon unless I took him out in his buggy for a walk - but if I don't he is absolutely horrible by bed......

[jay9]

I'm having fun with daytime sleeps too. My 8 wk DD hardly sleeps during the day but sleeps well at night. If she has no/little sleep during the day she's a nightmare in the evenings. If I do manage to get her to sleep it rarely lasts more than 45 mins. I too have been trying the upstairs in cot method and it seems to be working (I think the dark helps a lot)but you have to be persistant. I'm not sure how much sleep she should actually be having by now (and when). As she's always 'fought' daytime sleep it's difficult to know what she should be having ideally. Anyone found any good ways of getting them back to sleep after the 45 min sleep cycle that mine always wakes up from?

jay9

[lolliepops]

i wouldnt worry about your dd going to nursery my dd used to have her naps in a pram when she was little at nursery unitll i did cc at 10 months and they did that for me to! the nursery should follow your lead they do what you want them to.

[dennya]

Thanks jambot. With your encouragement I perservered with the daytime napping today. My dd went up 3 times to her cot and after a short cry settled each time. Was great to have some me time without rocking the bouncy chair. The last nap lasted only 15 mins so not sure if it counts, but hey ho, for today it can!!! Thanks also lolliepops. I am getting very anxious about dd going to nursery and was good to be reminded that they are there to go with our wishes and not the other way round!!!!

[jambot]

Great news Dennya! Sure she will get used to settling in her cot in no time. Just give her the chance and I'm sure she'll soon get used to her bed. I introduced a little fleece blankie with silky ribbon tags at that age and she now identifies that with her bed and grabs it and puts her thumb in her mouth as soon as she sees it. To start with lie the baby on top of it so they get used to the feel of the fabric and can see the silky bits. When she's a little bit older she'll start to play with it. Worked for me anyway.

[dennya]

After the first successful day, we have not had alot of success. My dd cries when I put her in cot upstairs and I have tried leaving her but feel 15mins plus is too long to leave her crying(also feel like terrible mummy). So bring her back downstairs and she then falls asleep on me or in chair. Should I leave her for longer upstairs???? I dont want her to get to the point, that she hates her cot and then starts protesting about going in at nightime. Help, back to square one!!!

[alibobble]

dd goes through phases of doing that at lunch time. Is a nightmare and you do feel bad. Oter times she sleeps thro but she's poorly at the moment sothat's why. Have found that she's started fighting sleep at her 9am nap which was unheard of. Usually this happens when she's over tired and starts crying before you put her down. Have found that swaddling her helps but not always. Have given up on the lunch time nap if it doesn't happen. Routine "should" be 45mins Am, 2hrs lunch and maybe 1/2hr afternoon. Is often more like 1hr Am, 45 mins at lunch then anotehr hour in the afternoon but sooner say 3.30-4.30 then awake till 7. Does make evenings more cranky though. Sometimes take her out in the pram or car at 1.45ish to see if that will settle her as it's a good excuse to get out of the house. Depends how they sleep at night. If evening sleep is good, don't need to worry re sleep habits because they know how to settle when it's night time. Does any of that make sense. Sorry, bit rambly!