Cannot get 10-week old DS to nap at home during the day....

[LittleDoe]

He naps if we go out in the car or pram although usually wakens again the minute we get to where we are going or get back home...so annoying. It's driving me mad! I really want him to take a nap in his cot for an hour or so each day, not just to give me some time to get stuff done in the house (or rest), but because I think he should get used to napping there (and also because he needs the sleep - rubs his eyes a lot and gets girny if he hasn't napped all day).

How can I get him to do it though...he just screams if I tuck him in and leave him.

Can you not feed/cuddle him to sleep? Unless really tired, 10 week DD won't self settle and is usually cuddled until she falls asleep and is then put down. Normally wakes up in the process but is by then too sleepy to stay awake (most times!)

I dunno. IMO babies sleep when they need it. It only all goes pearshaped when you start to enforce a regime. If left to it from birth, most babies will sleep wherever they are whenever they can. There are YEARS for getting used to sleeping in particular places.

I remember this exactly at 10 wks - as I despaired to GP at 10 wk check. He suggested we change feeding patterns as he never had a really full tummy (which would help him to sleep contentedly). It worked. If you're pulling your hair out it's worth a go?

My dd was like this - very tiring in lots of ways. The only way I could get her to sleep when stationary at that age was to let her fall asleep on me, usually whilst feeding, and not move. I often dozed off myself. Not sure why, she just seemed to need movement/body contact to feel secure enough to doze off.

Have you tried a sling or a mechanical swing? My DD didn't nap in her cot at all 'till at least 3 mos. (though slept well at night) - the sling and the swing were lifesavers.

We had the same thing exactly, and as with Rosebud dd would only nap on one of us unless she was out in pushchair or car. I got very fit with lots of walking . Since around 20 weeks she has got better at napping in cot. Used to only do half an hour at a time, but since a couple of weeks ago she now sometimes goes up to an hour or more once or twice a day. But still sometimes won't go down in cot, especially in the afternoon. We just kept trying - not forcing it, but trying it out every now and then. Would let her cry for 5 mins, then get her, until one day she cried for two mins and fell asleep. 10 weeks is still tiny, so I would say just keep trying and in the meantime be glad he will at least sleep in the pushchair or car - some won't even do that.