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Pregnancy

Naps and noise

23 replies

Lemondrop09 · 14/05/2017 14:34

Ok not strictly pregnancy related but something I'm sure first time mums are thinking about.

My niece is 2.5 years old and her parents still creep around her when she's napping. No ringing doorbells, no flushing toilets, no doing anything (they wouldn't get something out of a cupboard in the room next door in case it woke her).

I'm pregnant with my first so have no real experience of this, but it seems excessive to me. I don't want to end up in this situation though, if it can be avoided. Can you teach a child to sleep through noise from an early age by not creeping around them? Or are some children really just such light sleepers that anything will wake them up?

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PerfectlyPosed · 14/05/2017 14:42

I never tiptoed around when DD napped. We were in a one bedroom flat and it would have been a nightmare. She now sleeps through anything and pretty much anywhere.

MaisieDotes · 14/05/2017 14:45

I can only speak for myself but I creep around while my younger two are napping because I need a break from them and I don't want to jeopardise my precious me-time!

kel1493 · 14/05/2017 14:48

I never when I had my lo.
He always slept in his crib upstairs, but I still did things as normal.
I mean I never hoovered upstairs or do anything loud in the room while he slept. But I did things as normal downstairs

NameChange30 · 14/05/2017 14:50

DS is 9 weeks old and it is hard not to creep around when he naps because it's such a relief and we really don't want to wake him up! I try to avoid loud, sudden noises but would still potter about, and maybe put or keep the radio on low for example.

It sounds as if your niece's parents are being ridiculous tbh. Not opening a cupboard in the room next door is extreme!!

fruityb · 14/05/2017 14:53

We always carried on as normal - Ds sleeps pretty soundly. I don't know if it's as a result of this but I don't believe in tip toeing round just because he's sleeping. Ds sleeps better with music on we've noticed - if he's fighting sleep we put music on and he's out like a light. He's always liked white noise as well.

I suppose I was quiet when he napped in the afternoons as there was only me home but I always had the tv on or I'd put a load of washing in.

Tilly28 · 14/05/2017 14:56

Wait until you've had your baby! If you've got a baby like my DD was you'd sit in complete silence and not breath just in the hope of a few more minutes of sleep/peace! My DS on the other hand sleeps through any noise but he is in general an easy baby and if he's woken from his sleep he wouldn't be grumpy!

Lemondrop09 · 14/05/2017 14:57

I absolutely see how easy it is too fall into the trap. Relief they are finally sleep and don't want to wake them up but I don't want to be stuck in a long term cycle. I wonder if short term pain (making noise early on and risking them waking up until they learn to sleep through it?) for long term gain might be the answer?

OP posts:

Lemondrop09 · 14/05/2017 14:58

That's it Tilly. It's easy to judge when you don't have a baby yet, which is why I was curious whether some babies really do need such silent or if it's overkill.

OP posts:

fruityb · 14/05/2017 14:58

Hoovering used to send Ds to sleep! He'd zone out completely.

P1nkSparkles · 14/05/2017 15:09

TBH - from the experiences we've had within our (tbf limited sample) NCT group it depends on the actual baby & is not necessarily down to what the parents do.

We've all tried to do similar stuff - some of the babies will sleep through a bomb, some will wake if you creak a floorboard & I think it's luck of the draw as to which you end up with.

Alexandra87 · 14/05/2017 16:07

My youngest has 2 older brothers 5&6 he would sleep through world war 3. They get used to usual noise I think. I can't vacuum when he's sleeping because he's not used to hearing that noise every time he's asleep but everyday noise fine

Caterina99 · 14/05/2017 17:02

My DS is nearly 2. He's napped in his cot in his room from about 6 months. I go about my business in the house but I don't deliberately make a lot of noise like hoovering the bedrooms while he's sleeping. Sometimes the recycling bins get emptied during nap time, or my neighbour mows their lawn, which is annoying but it doesn't seem to wake him. It would disturb him if he wasn't yet sleeping though as he'd have to go look out the window and see what was happening.

I recommend a sound machine. Ours plays various tunes and white noise etc.

ElspethFlashman · 14/05/2017 17:08

I had a light sleeper and tbh for the first 18 months I wouldn't use the loo beside his room for fear the flush would wake him. Cos it would. So not worth it!

We also had an airing cupboard next to his room which had a sticky door that you had to yank and it gave with a big sucking noise that you could hear through the house. Needless to say I never went near it when he was in his cot!

But his sleep really deepened at 2 and we could do anything. It was great!

And my next child was a much deeper sleeper from the get go.

So it depends on the child really.

Emma2803 · 14/05/2017 20:36

My 2yo is a ridiculously light sleeper!!! I do hoover in the living room and kitchen when he's sleeping but not down the hall (we live in a bungalow) and we will shower and flush toilets at night but I only recently let my hubby have a shower and flush toilet in the bathroom beside Los bedroom about a month ago for fear of waking him up!!!

I've seen me tiptoe into his room to check him for him to sit bolt upright in the cot and me have to run out of the room before he woke up properly!!!

Mustbeinsane1984 · 14/05/2017 23:16

When my son was a tiny baby we always had music of some sort in our house especially when he was awake. I would also wheel his pram into the kitchen and sit it by the dish washer as the noise was pretty quiet anyway. I also would sit his pram by the bathroom door when I took a shower and 9 times out of ten the washing machine was spinning in the room next door too. I also would Hoover but start in the furthest away room and obv as I got closer to him the noise got louder. I think after about 3 months and in a routine I could sit him in front of the dishwasher or start hovering and he would actually fall asleep. If I tip toed around him then I would never have got anything done.

Oysterbabe · 15/05/2017 07:14

It really does vary baby to baby so wait and see. We have a You Wake Her You Take Her policy in this house so are both very quiet.

newmumwithquestions · 15/05/2017 07:35

I also used to think creeping around was way OTT and thought I'd never be like that. DD didn't nap properly until she started walking. I tried everything. She'd occasionally have an overtired 20 mins preceded by lots of screaming. Then when she started walking she started to have 1 nap a day. It was amazing. But flushing the toilet, talking outside her room or too loudly elsewhere in the house, clomping around etc all woke her up. I'd have stood still balanced on one leg if that's what was needed. Now at 2.5 she's a much better sleeper and I don't have to be as quiet. DD2 has always been a pretty good sleeper and tolerated noise well. It really does depend what you get!

SnapAttack · 15/05/2017 20:20

With my first we took the Advice to carry on as normal and ideally get them used to lots of noises easly on so they get used to sleeping through them haha! My little one who is almost 3 now wakes up only to unfamiliar sounds even if they are really quiet! Is nice to be able to flush the toilets etc and turn on and off lights etc with or worrying!

SnapAttack · 15/05/2017 20:21

But yes sone babies are different haha.. if he hd needed quiet I wouldnt have dared to risk waking him.up for love nor money!!! I had a sleepy newborn so it was easy enough ti do!

TittyGolightly · 15/05/2017 20:25

Expose them to noise whilst in the womb. DD's lullaby (a dance record) still works and she's nearly 7! Noisy car, music, Hoover etc - she sleeps through the lot!

Ditsy1980 · 15/05/2017 20:28

I just carried on as normal with DD. Didn't really get the fuss with creeping about, whispering voices even though baby is upstairs.
Then SIL had a light sleeper and it was all different! At first I mocked her silent approach but then I had dn overnight and I swear even deep breathing can wake him up!
So each baby is different I guess.

Sprogletsmuvva · 15/05/2017 20:44

We live on a main road, police & ambulance sirens every couple of minutes (we joke it's what passes for a lullaby round here ) and single glazed windows. Couldn't keep it quiet if we wanted to!

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TittyGolightly · 15/05/2017 20:50

even though baby is upstairs.

Babies under 6 months old should sleep in the same room as an adult for all sleeps.

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