How do you get our lo's to nap in their cots?

[cruisemum1]

ds is 20 weeks and will not fall asleep im his cot during the day at all. I was advised by hv to 'teach' him to settle himself in his cot during the day to help him to settle himself at night. He currently falls asleep at night bf. I don't let him fall asleep bf in the day but I usually resort to pushing him around in his buggy or driving somewhere around nap time so he will sleep. Yesterday he raised merry hell when I put him in his cot for a nap and I cannot stand all the crying. No good for him and certainly no good for me! Anyone sorted this problem out?> He seems very strong willed and has an extraordinarily loud cry! .

[MissGolightly]

My DS would not nap in his cot until about 7 or 8 months when he suddenly cracked it. I had tried on and off for five months without success and suddenly he just decided he was ready to do it. I was given some very good advice by a friend; she said try to make the routine as bedtime-like as possible. So for me, I change my DS's nappy in the bathroom, put him into his gro-bag, take him to his room with the light dim, give him a feed and sometimes read him a story, and then put him down. Works for us, but as I say, it took a while.

Are you bothered by the non-cot napping at all? If not I think ignore your HV and just keep trying at intervals. He'll get there one day.

[paws4thought]

just carry on doing what you are doing and i'm sure your babe will soon get used to it. I know its hard but i reckon it will pay off in the end. My dd is now 19 months and won't sleep unless she is in her cot during the day. She even asks to go upstairs to bed for her naps. all this came from constantly being put in her cot at nap time. It takes them a while to realise that this is the way things are but they soon get to grips with it eventually. x

[Allykat]

My ds is also 20 weeks, takes himself to sleep fine at night but not for naps.I have started to let him fall asleep where he feels comfortable (on me,pram,seat) then moving him to the cot so he wakes there and gets used to it.We did this at night and after a few weeks he went down fine.

[paws4thought]

just carry on doing what you are doing and i'm sure your babe will soon get used to it. I know its hard but i reckon it will pay off in the end. My dd is now 19 months and won't sleep unless she is in her cot during the day. She even asks to go upstairs to bed for her naps. all this came from constantly being put in her cot at nap time. It takes them a while to realise that this is the way things are but they soon get to grips with it eventually. x

[notsolilKel]

My DS was a mare to get to nap as well.

For us, we had to commit to a bit of a routine.

Pick a good naptime based on when he usually starts yawning or rubbing eyes. At 5 mo maybe it's about 2 hours after we wakes in the morning.

Try to wind him down a minute or two beforehand, avoiding last-minute overstimulation. Take him in his room telling him several times as you go, it's naptime now. Take him into his room and announce everything you do in a quiet voice to him as follows: we're in your room now, we're turning down the lights/closing the curtains, we're putting on your music (Lullaby music playing on repeat - key), have a nice cuddle with Mama, and we're laying down now. Here's your teddy, and your blanket, and your dummy. Shhhhhhh, shhhhh (rubbing belly or touching cheek), "naptime now" (rubbing again), "night night" (give kiss) "mama is here if you need me" walk out the door. If he's thrashing about try holding his legs down a few seconds to help him calm himself down. If he screams after you leave, wait to make sure he's not actually slowly calming down, go in and reassure him, pick him up quickly, put him back down and repeat giving of dummy, blanket, rubbing, etc, and leave again. Might take a few times at first. Have patience.

(Up till 10mo we used a dummy, and only at naptimes. It helps sooth them and can be a godsend. He doesn't need it now, just music and teddy and blanket. In fact if he hears his music now he drops off immediately.)

Once they get used to the nap at the same time each day in the cot, they'll probably drop off at this time automatically while you're out. Invest a week or two at home though to get them well used to falling asleep at the same time each day in the same way.

Good luck!!

[vnmum]

im sure he will do it in his own time, that said my DS is 14 months and wont sleep in his cot at all!! he sleeps in our bed.
DS too has a very strong willed personality and i cant let him cry, he too bf to sleep most of the time.

my HV told me this morning to encourage him to go to sleep himself by sitting next to his cot but not looking at him or anything. i thought, yeah right, we've tried that and he will just scream for two hours even with me consoling him, so after the first ill advised attempt at that ive now resigned myself to letting him do things at his own pace.

im not syaing that your ds will be the same but if you're not bothered about him not being in his cot then dont listen to hv or other people who tell you otherwise and just do what you want for you and your ds

[cruisemum1]

thank you all! I ahve been putting ds in his cot in the day for a nap for a fortnight now (not every nap every day as sometimes we need to be out) but he just don't get it! I don't want to devote my life to this but my dd was great aboutnapping and I could rely on 2hrs am and 90mins pm every day. She napped when we were out too and I must say it was heavenly to be able to get on with stuff safe in teh knowledge she was sleeping comfortably. ds is a different kettle of fish and does not like it at all . I wam wondering if i should persevere or give it up. I will try again maybe in a couple of weeks or so and use some of the invaluable advice I have got on here! Thanks

[cruisemum1]

bump

[munz]

try the BW theory - you hold them in the room until they're asleep then move them over, closer. and eventually they go in when they're awake and settle fine, but tbh with J I do the same thing, kept everything like bedtime althou we have gro bag for big sleeps and blankets for naps, it's a case of lay down kiss on the head night ngihts time for a nap now. same thing same time everyday, and was like that for about 2 weeks until we had it cracked. when he cried etc I was there picked him up soothed him placed him back down etc. now he cries out when we come out of the room I go in and soot in the cot iycwim. it does also help him to hear me in his room, so his mobile goes on and i potter/tidy int eh room with his books or clotehs or soemthing and humm the mobile song he's normally asleep by the time it finishes doing that as well hth.

[WriggleJiggle]

dd had her first real nap in a cot today. She is nearly 10 months . In the past she has always slept in the pram or car, but her feet now hang over the end of the pram. TBH she rarely sleeps more than 20 mins in a day total, so I'm hoping that getting into a nap routine may help her to get more sleep. I intend only doing it for her lunchtime nap and tried to make it as much like bedtime as possible.