To find getting baby down for 3 naps a day nauseating ?

[dontfollowmeimlosttoo]

6 month old baby - 3 naps a day. Needs these naps and he sleeps through the night great when I make sure he gets the naps. I am finding getting him down soul destroying ... it's usually around 2 hours after last wake up .., look out for eye rubbing yawning .. current method is rocking him in the pram in the living room . Sometimes it can only take a few pushes and he is off other times I am pushing for 30 minutes. It's embarrassing sometimes when I have anyone over obviously they go into another room but they know how long it's taking and I'm there sweating pushing away. Any tips for getting baby to nap in cot and to reduce the overall time it takes to get him to sleep? I just feel like I spend my whole day trying to get him to nap all for a good nights sleep and so he is alert and happy in awake time ( which he is but I have cried sometimes through frustration at just pushing pram back and fourth with him holding his feet messing around - it sounds like he isn't tired but he is ) any advice would be really appreciated

I've never bothered with three naps a day in the cot - at least one is in the buggy while we're on the way to somewhere more interesting. Often I'd pick a class a walk or bus ride away and they'd sleep on the way there, then after I'd have coffee with other mums or pop to the shops and then walk home and they'd sleep that way in the buggy or sling too. It's good to get out, and good for them to be able to sleep other than in their cot.

Yes I currently just do it in buggy but I'm so fed up of pushing pram going husssh husssh husssh. When I take him for a walk it's the same can take 40 minutes for him to go down ... with all the noise of cars etc . I use white noise. Like I say though sometimes can just take a few pushes other times im trying 40 minutes

I was much happier when I stopped doing the things you are.

I let them fall asleep on the bottle, let them sleep on me, didn’t force it.

I have two sons - the first was a dreadful sleeper. The second is fantastic. He has no strict routine and is generally happy.

I know many will disagree with me but all that rocking is futile - I waited for big yawns and a bit of grumpiness before putting them down.

Not sure if awake time should be longer it's been 2 hours since 5 months old. He used to go off very predictably but now I'm finding he is rubbing Wes showing signs but I'm pushing a lot time with him babbling away. Just makes me sweat.

Sorry OP but it sounds like you’ve made a rod for your own back and you need to start just leaving the house and letting him nap when you’re walking to / from places.

@Merryoldgoat thank you , I know I only became a nap slave last 2 months because he would be up hourly in the night and I was so tired it was dangerous nearly fell down stairs . But since being strict with naps he sleeps 7-7

Try for 5 minutes and if he doesnt go off or look like he might soon, leave it half an hour and then try again.

I was doing that @Babooshkar but the noise outside would mean he would only get half hour here and there ... which led to poor nights sleep. Since ensuring he gets 3-4 hours nap in total he sleeps through the night

I don’t really have any advice but I have a five month old (3.5 months corrected) and he naps for 20-30 minutes 5 times a day. He fights, and I mean screams like he’s being murdered, for sometimes 5-10 minutes or longer when I put him down. I know he’s overtired but he goes from absolutely fine to shattered in about 5 seconds flat. I’ve tried reducing his awake time but same thing happens. It is absolutely soul destroying and I get nothing done because when he’s awake he also need my full attention!! He does nap in his cot when we’re in the house though. As far as I know we do everything right, I put him down awake generally.
I keep presuming it’ll change but who knows!!

My saving grace is that he does sleep through 8-6 so at least I have enough energy to deal with him in the main.

When I go to classes and all these other babies are snoozing for two hours with little effort it makes me feel ill haha.

Anyway I’m sorry I can’t really help. Maybe try just persevering putting him down awake in his cot when you know he’s tired, or a little earlier (1 hour 45) It’ll be awful for a few days but he might self settle once used to it.

It won’t last for ever. Very soon you’ll be down to two naps and then one, which you could make always a walk.

I feed him then he has awake time then I try to get him to nap ... he has never fed to sleep always goes for nap after whinging abit . He has just started to accept dummy but feel stupid introducing that so late on

@PullingMySocksUp thank you is it usually 8 months they drop the 3rd nap?

@Abouttimemum thank you. I know it is hard as you like you say you spend time getting them to nap and then when they are awake it's full attention. Same with my baby sleeps through night great so in a way it's worth it with the naps ... before when I just let him nap whenever and wherever he was up all night.

I will add that my little lad hates noise and light, he absolutely despised white noise when everyone was recommending it to me. Seems odd given he was in a noisy neonatal until for 6 weeks

My baby is 6 months and has 2 naps, seems to follow the awake time 2-3-4 rule, ish

If up at 5.30 he sleeps at 8. Etc

I don’t usually put him down at first eye rub either sometimes 10 mins later I think at times we follow ‘rules’ which baby hasn’t read

Thank you @MyNameIsRachel what times do you tend to feed ?

At that age i just put dd in her cot and left the room.

If she cried, i'd pop back up every 3 or 4 mins to shh snd resettle.

Never took more than 15mins, now she just goes straight to sleep

What happens if he doesn't have 3 naps a day?

Don't make this harder for yourself than it needs to be. Babies are individuals and they don't always run the way the manual suggests.

Well yes to be honest while it is a daily wrestling match I’d rather that than up three times through the night!!

I didn't bother with formal naps, they just fell asleep when they needed it, I just went out and about - walked to the supermarket most mornings and they slept, at home they fell asleep feeding usually and I just watched tv. By 6 months they are going down to 2 naps anyway. Occasionally in the afternoon they would nap in bed but it was a rarity

@Toneitdown he would. Grumpy in awake Time and up all night . Everyone comments on what a happy baby he is I always have from MIL " he is always happy " but that's because I make sure he has his naps. It's strange as sometimes it's 2 pushes off the pram other times it's 40 minutes and soul destroying

I have no advice but my 10 month old still naps in his buggy twice a day as it's easier than being tied to the house. I have never even tried his cot as he goes down ok at night and I want him to associate it with night time. know what you mean about noise (lorries and buses are the worst) so I often push him to the park, find a quiet corner and take my Kindle!

@Abouttimemum yes I agree. I guess I just have to keep reminding myself that letting him nap when and whenever ( which was usually 3 awful cat naps ) resulted in him up all night

I demand fed though, not sure how it works with bottles

He has just gone down I was pushing from 8.15 ! I know it was only 35 minutes but felt like a lifetime . He would keep yawning but then crying and grabbing feet. Sorry just having one of those days. I think it's because partner at work during work during naps 7-5 so I am getting him down for 15 a week and can just get frustrating .