When did you start putting your baby down for proper naps?

[ginfizzliz]

Just wondering what others have done and found worked/didn't work for them really.

My baby is 5.5 days old and although she sleeps relatively well in her sleepyhead/bedside crib at night (fingers crossed I don't jinx by saying that!) she's always been cuddled for her daytime naps and has only slept in her carry cot by chance when she's stayed asleep after we've been out. If I put her down while she's asleep to have a shower or something she usually wakes up within ten minutes.

I know she's still really wee and I'm happy carrying on the daytime cuddle sleeps for now (in practice she still sleeps most of the day anyway!) but I'm also really really keen to do all I can to encourage her to be a good sleeper and I'm not sure if I'm doing the right thing by not giving her proper daytime naps yet.

Other people's experiences and advice would be much appreciated!

[crazycatlady5]

Mine went ‘down’ at about 4 months for naps! Sometimes she did within 12 weeks but it was very hit and miss.

[ginfizzliz]

By the way I meant 5.5 weeks old!

[Unihorn]

Mine is 11 months and still will only sleep on me or in the buggy during the days she sleeps 12 hours at night so I try not to let it bother me. But sometimes she will only nap for 30 minutes total during the day. She has always been shit at day sleeping but good in the night so I don't feel I can complain!

Just thought I'd prepare you that sometimes it can be a lengthy process

[Prusik]

I only really bothered putting down for naps at about 4.5 months. It didn't seem worth it before then. Ds is a pretty good sleeper - he settles independently, takes good naps and although he doesn't sleep through he's only up once for a quick feed. I know this isn't anything to do with my superior parenting but what I'm saying is you can't wreck your babies sleep by holding her

[Justanothernap]

8 months in & we're still trying and failing. Friends managed at 4 months. I was so jealous! Hope it's closer to 4 for you than whenever we get there

[FATEdestiny]

Try a swaddle. It makes putting baby down to sleep much easier because it reduces stimulation. Tight around the shoulders, loose at the hips.

[babsthebuilder]

My nosey 7 month old is the master of power naps. Will get all he needs from 20 minutes in the car, pushchair, or being cuddled. He’d sleep longer but he gets disturbed, and won’t have a planned nap for fear of missing something. Sleeps amazing at night though, so won’t complain about getting to see more of his cheeky chops during daylight hours

[Newmum26]

Babsthebuilder Sounds just like my LO been stressing myself over it for months but like you say he is a great night time sleeper just won’t and doesn’t want to nap for very long in the day. Crib in the day is a no go. At night goes down awake and goes to sleep himself.

[Cuppaqueen]

We used pram carrycot for daytime naps from about your baby's age. DS was a pretty chilled baby though and didn't mind being put down once asleep. (We usually rocked to sleep.) Naps moved to our bed around 4 months when sleep regression hit and he outgrew the carrycot. In the cot itself consistently from 5 months.

[eeanne]

5 months. Pregnant with #2 and going to start trying much earlier this time!

[Lallypopstick]

At 11 weeks we started putting the baby down into a recliner bouncer chair for naps. My partner was the one who started this because he was willing to persist with bouncing back to sleep whereas I would just want to pick up baby and settle him back to sleep on me.

I made a deal with myself that I’d hold him for naps until the end of the fourth trimester. Currently he’s asleep on my knee after a feed. He was in the bouncer and started to stir so I picked him up to feed - I have no plans to move him because I’m quite happy here, but at least now I know he will settle somewhere else if I have things to do.

[WowserBowser]

Dd is nearly a year old and mostly naps on me. If I want a nap too, we nap on the bed.
She will also sleep in her pram if out and about.

I think it's probably pure laziness that I haven't attempted to just put her in her cot and I like the cuddles.

Did the same for Ds who has always been a great sleeper. I'm just going to let it all fall in to place naturally!

[ParkheadParadise]

From about 3mths I put dd2 in her pram outside in the garden. She would sleep for hours. Did the same with dd1. Maybe I was lucky they were both good sleepers at night. During the day they would settle outside even if they didn't sleep.

[tomatoandcheese2009]

With DS (now 3) we started at 8 weeks. The first time he actually slept in his cot (for a whole 45 minutes) the freedom felt unbelievable. I think I messaged everyone I know I was so pleased.

With DD (now 5 months) we started at 2weeks! But she was am extremely sleepy baby and I needed my hands free for DS once DH went back to work. We are also in a teeny flat so she was never far from me and I checked her every 10 mins or so

[ginfizzliz]

Thanks for your replies! Good to know that daytime cuddle naps don't necessarily equal poor night time sleeps as that's what's the most important to me

Maybe I'll try and start putting her down once a day over the next few weeks. Or maybe I'll just make the most of these snuggles as I guess before I know it she'll have outgrown them anyway and I'll miss them!

[RidingMyBike]

I put mine down for naps from the beginning (in Moses basket in living room) but she napped in the sling or the pram when we were out. She would occasionally sleep on me in the evening if she woke up whilst we were watching tv. I found it really claustrophobic holding her for naps so put her down as much as possible!

She slept thru at night from six weeks (6 hours), then 8 hours at eight weeks and 10-11 hours at five months. We went through a grim phase with naps between four and six months when she grew out of the Moses basket so all the naps at home ended up being in the sling, which nearly drove me mad. Once she was six months she would have a morning nap in the sling whilst we were at a toddler group and then her afternoon nap would be in her cot at home.

[DaisyRaine90]

He’s 3 months and goes down regularly at night (12 hours with one dream feed) but his naps during the day are not in a routine yet.

He’s definitely much more alert during the day though, and this will change to fit around DD’s school day soon as I will be taking him to activities etc. While she’s at school and in January he will be in nursery.

It was the same with DD- nights sorted and naps sporadic.