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Cot nap help please.

8 replies

Sparrowlegs248 · 23/10/2016 12:15

Ds is 15 months and has always been nap resistant. Have got a good bedtime routine with gradual withdrawal, working well. Pregnant again, and cannot continue walking him.in the pram for naps.

Tuesday and Wednesday, put him in the cot, music long and sat nearby. After a bit of moaning and playing he went to sleep for a really good stretch.yesterday, was a complete failure. No nap at all, despite two tries in the cot. Today is going the same way. Husband has just come in and gone to take ds out of cot, I told him not to, he's stopped off. Helpful.

I really don't want to get in the habit of putting him in the cot to nap, then giving up.

He's not screaming, but doing a bit of complaining at times.

What should I do? I absolutely need to get this sorted. I know he can do it. I can't be in this position all winter of walking him out in the pram.

His cot naps that he's done so far have been long enough to have only one nap whereas he rarely sleeps longer than 30-40 minutes in the pram.

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Sparrowlegs248 · 23/10/2016 12:16

I was at work Thursday and Friday hence no cot nap with me, he was with Mil who can rock him to sleep in pram indoors. Doesn't work for me.

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FATEdestiny · 23/10/2016 22:07

The GW that you are doing at bedtime, is he settling in the cot then?

Really you just need to follow the same process for daytime naps. But don't expect to start at the same level of 'withdrawal' you have at bedtime. You may need to take several dozen steps backwards and start from the beginning, in terms if giving full time and attention and not at all withdrawn at all.

Dont suppose you have a bed set up next to the cot? If it was me id lie on the bed next to the cot and stay there for the duration of the nap (good chance for a pregnancy nap yourself), constant reassuring, lying back down, settling, stilling, calming. That would be my start point.

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Sparrowlegs248 · 24/10/2016 21:12

Thanks Fate. The bedtimes are working very well. I am generally out of the room by now, and often he doesn't even get up, but takes 15-30 minutes before he's fully asleep. Occasionally if I've been at work all day I will sit in the room (I literally come home and put him to bed) as he cane be a bit less easy to settle.

I have sat right next to his cot, stood over patting and singing for naps (how I started bedtime) but no joy at all this weekend. I don't know whether to keep at it or not.

I can't fit the cot next to the bed, but not averse to laying down next to it - didn't work.

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NapQueen · 24/10/2016 21:15

Can you put the buggy into a darkened room at home? If so clip him in, blanket, whatever comforter he has, and just push him aback and forth.

I'd count to 100 pushes then if they stirred when I stopped I'd do another 100. It only took a week or so of this before I could just put them down in the buggy, turn off the light and walk out.

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NapQueen · 24/10/2016 21:16

Also if you are literally walking in the door and taking him straight to bed he probably is less easy to settle because he is like "oh mammy!!"

Can you hang back until dh has put him to bed? Then come home?

I know you probably want to see him but he may very well settle quicker and happier if dad did it as he is already with him so it's less exciting?

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Thirtyrock39 · 24/10/2016 21:20

What time do they usually nap when in pram? Put them in the cot about 15 mins before you'd go out to walk them to sleep so not overtired but ready to nap. Black out blinds might be good if better at falling asleep in the dark. Do the same routine as you're doing in the evening if that's only taking 15 mins or so. Make sure they haven't got any sleep in the morning

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Sparrowlegs248 · 24/10/2016 21:21

The bedtime isn't a problem, he will just stand up and bounce a bit before laying back down, chatting and falling asleep. Takes half an hour on a work day, I'm happy with it.

It's the naps. I will try the pram nap again (working out how to darken a room midday...) inside. I've never yet managed to get it right!

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Sparrowlegs248 · 24/10/2016 21:24

Re timings, it's all going a bit to pot tbh. He was reliably napping 4 hrs after wake up, then 3 hrs after nap. But he's regularly refusing a nap til later on, and then refuses afternoon nap, so think he's gearing up for just one nap.

I had thought that if he was awake a bit later, not keeping him awake as such but not pramming him to sleep....... Then he might go to sleep OK in his cot. He did Tuesday and Wednesday, but nor Saturday or Sunday!