Sling naps have to end, but how?!

[Vanoose]

My 7mo is addicted to sling naps. At night he is fed to sleep but for his 3ish daytime naps he will only sleep in a sling. Not only that, but he needs white noise on too.

The only other place he will sleep is in the car and only if he is very tired, and the car is moving at least 40mph (!).

I have tried replicating the night time feed to sleep routine in the day, but he's too alert for that to work. I've tried pushing in a pram with a cover over it. I've tried getting him to sleep in the sling then putting him down once asleep. I have tried holding him and rocking him with the white noise on. Nothing seems to work! We've extended the gap between his naps recently so he is definitely tired.

We really don't mind the sling naps, it's easy to get on with other things while he's in there, and I have a gorgeously comfy sling now. But, in February he has to go into childcare, and I just don't imagine any nursery or childminder will be willing to sling him to sleep.

He had colic (that's how sling naps started, it was the only way) and since it went at 4.5m he is still fairly highly strung and far too alert for his age!

My questions are, has anyone achieved weaning off sling naps with a highly strung little one, and how? Would it be worth getting a sleep consultant involved perhaps? Would a childminder get him to sleep in the sling, worst case scenario?

Help!

[fluffikins]

What kind of sling have you got? If it's fabric could you pop it in a cot with him (supervised)?

Does he need 3 naps? maybe he's dropped one or trying to so is more difficult to get down for 3?

[Jw35]

My advice is to put him in the slung as usual then once he's asleep transfer him to a cot so he wakes up in it. After a couple of weeks take him upstairs and put him in the cot with you sitting next to him and striking him etc. this could work. At the moment it's more habit than comfort now so gentle changes x

[Jw35]

Don't strike him..just stroke him

[Feathernest]

My Dd was just the same! I tried rocking her to sleep and she very quickly got used to that shortly before starting nursery. They then continued with this initially, but soon she was happy to settle in cot with just some back stroking. We were amazed! I just wanted to say, please don't stress, the nursery/childminder should be happy to do what's needed to help them transition and children seem to be happy to do things at childcare you think they'd never put up with at home! She's napped for an hour/2 hours consistently from the start

[maymow]

I was in a v similar situation to you, thought the sling naps would never end - but around the 8/9 month mark DD started fighting the sling. Took it as a cue to start easing her from sling when drowsy/calm into the cot for her naps and soothing her there. Now the only place she'll sleep is the cot - and I miss having her in the sling! You've got a couple of months yet, you may be surprised how much can change in the next few weeks. But if not I would def recommend working with a sleep consultant. Sorted all sleep problems for us, and with v few tears.

[Believeitornot]

Does he have reflux? Colic is just unexplained crying - or crying but not sure why, it doesn't really address the underlying cause. I say this because my ds had silent reflux (which I never 100% believed until one day he had acid running out of his nose which flicked me in the eye and stung like a bitch)

He had all naps in the sling or on me until about 9 months. I knew I had to go back to work so basically kept putting him in his cot when asleep for every nap until we cracked it. The morning nap was the easiest. It took a few weeks and a few failed attempts.

He would also sleep in his pushchair if suitable wrapped up and sitting up a bit once he got older.

We did have him on acid reflux meds plus a no dairy diet (I was breaStfeeding and checked with a dietician). Even now dairy causes tummy upsets and he's 6!

[Zebrasinpyjamas]

It's not exactly the same but at 7-9 mths my DS slept every 2 hrs for 30 mins or so and needed white noise and patting. Starting nursery at 10 mths changed his routine entirely as he was in a different environment (they tried our previous routine but he was too interested in the activities). He immediately fell into a one lunchtime nap routine. I wouldn't worry about the childminder's sleep routine yet in your position. If his sleep methods work for you right now go with the flow as by Feb it will be different anyway.

[PotteringAlong]

My children have always napped after being pushed / slung / fed do sleep. Other than at nursery where they happily toddle up to whoever us there and cuddle in for a nap with no other input! Honestly, if it works for you I'd keep on doing it and wouldn't worry about what he'll do in childcare.

[Yarpyarp]

Watching this with interest! I love sling naps, but at the same time I would like to be able to use the cot or pram as well. I'm not very good at persevering through the crying when I've tried to transfer to cot. I need to get this sorted!

[Lilipot15]

As others have said child carers usually have their own magic ways of getting them to sleep! We had a much better experience of nursery getting mine to sleep than childminder. I think the main issue was that childminder was out and about doing nursery drop offs or outings at my DD's nap time so if she missed that window to fall asleep in the car that was that. Having said that she had a great time with her but I'd ask a lot of questions about the daytime routine of a childminder - I feel happier with nursery having a set time when they all nap (magically!). But childminders have their own pros - felt like DD was part of the family (but was very tired)

[Vanoose]

Thank you everyone for your input!

I think I'm going to stick with sling naps for now (sorry yarpyarp!), and see how childcare goes. There's a possibility someone I know will nanny for us and she would be willing to sling him to sleep. She also weaned her own baby off sling naps so hoping she would do this for ours too! Otherwise he will go to nursery and judging by what I'm being told, the chances are that he will sleep differently there anyway. I'll update this once we know!

[NannyOggsHedgehogs]

7 months is prime time for separation anxiety, so he'll need more cuddles than ever right now. Plus there's a huge difference between a 7mo and a 10mo. Then there's the fact that they behave differently for different people... I'd be inclined to cross the bridge when you come to it tbh

[Rhimarie]

Like 4 years later I'm reading this but I burst out laughing at that typo 😂 Great advice thanks 😂

[Shivani999]

Hi, I wanted to know how things went now we are 5 years on. My 7MO ds only naps in the sling. We would like a bit of freedom back by getting him to nap in bed too. @Vanoose how did it go for you? Did you transition using a method or did it just happen naturally? Thanks