Nap training 11 month old?

[Saffagette]

Anyone nap trained an 11 month old successfully? And can describe in full detail how you did it? I'm at the end of my tether here!

I aimed for a 9.30am morning nap - they'd go down in their buggy (lay flat) in a darkened room, with a full tummy and a clean nappy. They'd get a blanket and their soft toy comforter. The room was blacked out.

The reason I used the pushchair was if they were unsettled I'd stand in the dark and push it back and forth. I'd count to 100 pushes, then listen and if they sounded still awake I'd do another 100.

Morning nap I'd go in when they woke and got them up.

For the after lunch nap I'd go in around the 40min mark and rock them for a good 5 mins. Sleep cycles are around 45mins so I wanted to join 2naps together. Rocking eased them through the lighter sleep and put them into a second wave of deeper sleep.

I did this for a couple of weeks then just left them and they just started napping for a full 1.5h minimum, sometimes more.

It rather depends on your start point Saffagette, what are you doing now?

Well, long reply follows! my main issue is trying to break the feed to sleep habit for naps and achieve that ultimate dream, putting him down in the cot drowsy but awake and for him to sleep a couple of cycles for at least the afternoon nap (and not wake at 5am every morning, which I know is probably linked to lack of good daytime sleep) . At around 8 months we managed to achieve this by doing a pickup put down every 2ish minutes. After a few days it worked and for 2 blissful weeks I would put him in cot awake for 0930 on the dot for half an hour, then 1230 when he'd sleep for 2 hours. Awesome! Then he regressed and lockdown happened at the same time. I've a 5 year old too and we're not doing the school run anymore which I think impacted too. Whatever the reason I went back to feed to sleep and am now trying to change that because I can't abandon the eldest for hours at a time while baby sleeps on me!

Anyway my first plea was written in desperation while he fought his morning nap (i gave up after 30mins of screaming). I have just put him down post lunch and what do you know, he went quiet after about 2 minutes of lacklustre fussing! Maybe he just doesn't need the morning nap anymore....if this nap turns into a long one maybe that's it. 11 months is young for one nap isn't it?

Bernadette that sounds great - I can't fit a pushchair in the room (and it's upstairs) but going in just before the cycle ends for a while is a good idea...

Can't help but I'm watching with intrest, 9 month old has decided to stop feeding to sleep. That is my usual fall back, and work on my eldest until he weaned at 2. I'm completely lost without it.

The only thing that works now is walking up and down the kitchen with her in the sling. I don't mind the 20 minutes or so getting her to sleep, but as she's getting heavier I'm less keen on lugging her round for hours while she's sleeping.

Ps bernadette what age did you do this and did you suffer the 9ish month regression?

My 14 month old went to one nap just before his first birthday and it massively helped him. He sleeps 11:30-1pm most days and it’s easier to put him down at night because he’s tired in the evenings.

I just feed him to sleep on our bed then leave him surrounded by cushions. I can do this as he can get down from the bed safely. At 11 months we were still doing naps in the buggy - white noise, dark room and some rocking back and forth.

I did this right from about 6mo (when they also had a 20-40min snooze at 4pm til about 7 or 8mo) right through to them not napping at all. So the 9am one dropped first after 1yo, the lunchtime one then got a little earlier and a little longer but always in the buggy in a dark room.

Dc1 would only nap this way, would never nap out and about. People used to wonder why I was happy with that but I just used those few hours at home alone to rest or get stuff done. She was (and still is) an excellent night time sleeper.

Dc2 would sleep put and about if needed But not for long. He slept much better in the dark room.

I should add, aside from the rocking (if needed) in the pushchair, they went down awake. Same with bedtime in their cots.

Btw when I say I rocked in the pushchair, it was if needed. The usual was clipped in, given teddy, light off and leave the room.

Thanks all, so helpful. If yours wakes after say an hour like mine has just done 😬, do you leave them for any amount of time before getting (unless crying up in distress of course)?

If my son wakes up I just get him up straight away. He usually shouts or cries.