Getting babies to sleep during day

[Rob1n]

Any ideas as to how I can get my 6 month old to sleep in his cot during the day? He doesn't have any trouble going to sleep when we put him down at bedtime, but during the day the only way I can get him to sleep is by pushing him round in the pram. This is fine at the moment, but he'll be too big for it soon and will be going to nursery in a couple of months, so I need to try and get him out of this. Sometimes I spend nearly an hour trying to get him to sleep, even though he is tired, he just doesn't seem to be able to get to sleep on his own in the day. I don't think it's the light because that doesn't bother him in the evening.
Any ideas please? Thanks

He probably settles at night easily as he's exhausted. However perhaps if you try the same routine for daytime naps that you do at bedtime except the bath, that may help him get the message it's sleepy time?

I always advocate the pick up put down method for sleep training, this is from the baby whisperer and it has been great with my DD with helping her to learn to settle in her cot for sleep. By this age both of mine wouldn't settle with just a feed, so I needed to train them. As I knew they were tired and they couldn't cope without sleep in the day (in fact they slept worse at night, if they didn't have a good nap or two in the day) and I couldn't rock them to sleep in a buggy everyday. With my DS I actually ended up leaving him for 5 mins at a time and going into settle, as PUPD didn't work quite as well for him but eitherway I'd try PUPD first, you need to do it consistently for 3 days without giving in

Hope things improve for you soon x

Maybe keep doing the pram thing but at exactly he same time every day, then move to his cot? Need to be pretty anal sticking to times though.

Sleepsense worked for me, its a book I would recommend and will follow again for number 2.

We got a blackout blind and that helped a lot (it was just too light in the room during the day).

TBH the nursery might well help you get out of the pram routine as they will no doubt get him to sleep without it. I found our DD got slightly better at napping during the day once she went to the CM as she didn't feed her to sleep like I do

All babies are tierd after being up 2 hours. If you go beyond that then they are over tierd and over stimulated, it's too late. They won't be able to settle themselves easily.

I read that in GF when PG first time and although I don't follow hers or any particular routine, this one bit of info has made my life so much easier.

So, if he is up at 7am, settle him at 8.50am/8.55am, it will be much much easier.

Hope that helps a bit. x

My DS was like this, as others have said in our case having a realy=ly strict routine for a couple of weeks and doing PUPD (baby whisperer) sorted it out. Was a LONG couple of weeks though and I felt trapped at home, but the resulting long naps in his cot was worth it all!

Second what whensmydayoff said about being over tired too (hence strict routine bit!). Still has real trouble settling if over tired and he is 2 now!

i also reinforce the routine thing. it is worth it in the long run - DD gets wrapped up, a quick cuddle, then is put down in the cot and I walk out. She settles herself to sleep in under five minutes (generally speaking). At five months, she is still doing a 45 min nap in the morning and late afternoon, and between 2 to 2.5 hours at lunch. routines are a godsend, i don't care what anyone says.

Relax, your routine will be different from nursery anyway, i have a ds of almost four, he doesn't have an afternoon sleep in bed, never has, he has a little doze when we collect his big brother from school, not a big deal, it works for me as i don't like having to stay in at "nap" time just because its that time of day, aren't we all getting a little hung up on routines? Maybe i a too laid back, who knows, but gina and i will never agree

Relax, your routine will be different from nursery anyway, i have a ds of almost four, he doesn't have an afternoon sleep in bed, never has, he has a little doze when we collect his big brother from school, not a big deal, it works for me as i don't like having to stay in at "nap" time just because its that time of day, aren't we all getting a little hung up on routines? Maybe i a too laid back, who knows, but gina and i will never agree

Some nurseries ask you to adopt the same routine as them before they begin nursery so they can adapt to it.

I never read Gina Ford but I do agree that babies often need a nap every 2 hours but by 7 or 8 months both of mine moved to a nap at 9am, 12, 3pm and bedtime at 6.30pm and then it changed to one at 10.30am and 3pm and now my DS at 18 months has one nap a day of 90 mins to 2 hours. Both my DCs couldn't cope on no sleep or just a quick cat nap and would go defcom 5. Sounds like you have a seriously chilled baby Char x

cripes, a nap every 2 hours? Some days after his morning kip he is awake all day. His daytime sleep has kept reducing as he's got older. For weeks he was sleeping at 9.30 and 1pm for half an hour then maybe another little kip later in the afternoon, but last few days i've struggled to get him to sleep in the afternoon, then he is zonked after his 6.30pm milk, and he has been grumpier.
TeaandCake - what is the 'pick up put down method'?
Thanks

I'm not surprised he's grumpier, he must be one tired little man. Look for his cues on tiredness, rubbing his eyes, going quieter, yawning and get him to bed tomorrow if possible at these points.

PUPD: The idea is to get them to feel safe in their cot and able to self settle to sleep. It works well if you always follow the same ritual, such as taking them in their room, closing the blind, playing their mobile or singing a lullaby etc. Always do the same every time. Once you've done the same ritual, you lie them down reassuring them, saying its sleepytime or similar. When they begin to cry, you pick them up, calm them and once calm you lie them down again. You never leave the room and you basically keep picking them up and calming them and then lying them down again. The first nap time you do this will probably be the hardest and you may have to do it 60 times, however the next nap time if you do everything the same again, this time it should take less pick ups, and so on and so on and after a few days they should have cracked it. If the habit is entrenched it may take a little longer but be consistent and things will improve. The thing I preferred about this to leaving them to cry it out, is that you never leave them to scream, but you're showing them you love them but that it is sleep time and that they must go to sleep.

You may actually find it helpful to read her book to be honest: www.amazon.co.uk/Secrets-Baby-Whisperer-Connect-Communicate/dp/0091857023/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8& s=books&qid=1279665494&sr=1-1

As these are my own words and it will be better explained in her book.

The routines that I preferred for both my children and worked the best were from Rachel Waddilove's book though. I preferred the sleep training in the Baby Whisperer book though. I think I just enjoy taking the best bits from these books and applying to my children though

Sorry the link again: s=books&qid=1279665494&sr=1-1