Naps in grow bags?

[Summerdays2014]

Hi all,

I was wondering if you put your babies into grow bags for naps as well as for night time? My DS is 5 months and will only nap for 30 mins at a time (3 or 4 times a day) he won't self settle yet so I rock/pat him to sleep then put him into his cot. I was thinking maybe he gets cold so wakes up? Or maybe he would sleep longer with the grow bag as it would remind him of night time sleep? What do you all do? Many thanks.

[FATEdestiny]

With my children cot naps didn't start until naps had extended to over 90 minutes or so, which happens naturally with age.

For shorter naps when babies are younger, I would just throw a blanket over baby in the bouncy chair. Bouncy chairs are a great tool for teaching baby to nap longer - you can often bounce baby through momentary stirring so they go back to sleep for a bit longer.

Once naps were extended and spread out more, then yes I put baby into a sleeping bag in the cot for naptime. I usually strip bottom half so baby goes for daytime naps in top and vest. But bear in mind this isn't happening for the short, frequent naps of a younger baby. It was once we got to two long naps per day, so there was a proper naptime routine established.

[Summerdays2014]

Thank you FATE.Can I ask at what age the naps should start to increase? Do longer naps coincided with the ability to self settle? I don't mind the short naps or the patting to sleep, it would just be nice to know what to expect in the future (remembering all babies are different!)

[FATEdestiny]

It depends on the baby and no.

With the assistance of using the bouncing motion of the bouncy chair to lull baby back to sleep, I'd say longer naps develop anywhere between 5m-9m old. Only once mine were no longer waking (so were sleeping for 90m+ without needing to be lulled back to sleep) in the bouncy chair did I then start working on daytime naps in the bedside cot upstairs.

Until then limited awake time between naps and short naps are normal - mine would go around 60-80 minutes awake followed by 30-45 minutes asleep (in bouncy chair) repeated all through the day from first waking until I take baby upstairs with me when I go to bed.

Mine have always "self settled" using a dummy and with my youngest (DC4), she was able to be placed in her cot awake and settle to sleep herself from about 9 months old, but her naps had extended to two 2 hour naps at 5 months old.

From her being 5 months old (having morning and afternoon cot naps) until 9 months old, I did a process of gradual withdrawal using our bedside cot (full sized cot with one side removed).

[poocatcherchampion]

I do with my 7mo who has been napping upstairs in hiacot for about a month. Approx 3 naps a day for 45mins or more

[petitdonkey]

I always put mine in their gro-bags for naps - I thought cot = sleep time rather than it needing to be night. By the time mine were 5 months they were in a sleep routine which went roughly;

7am - wake, feed play etc.
8:30/9am - nap in cot for one hour (gave me time to get ready!)

10-12 we would be out and about, home for lunch (when they had weaned at 6m) the

1-3 - nap in cot.

They would go back down at 7pm after supper, bath etc. Sometimes they would need half an hour sleep around 5 but that would just be in chair/arms/carseat and I would wake them.

I realise it sounds very rigid but it worked for me with three children!

[Tumtitum]

I put mine in her grow bag and cot for her naps but she still doesn't sleep longer than 30 mins! Except this morning when we had a 90 minute miracle I have to put her in the cot for her naps as unless she's in a dark room with no stimulation she is far too busy looking around to go to sleep!