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Parenting

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Original poster

naps??!!

26 replies

alright · 23/05/2008 20:36

i currently let my 4 month old just fall asleep wherever whenever, when hes bounced himself silly in his bouncy chair i just let him have a little doze right in the chair or if we go out he generally will nod off in the car seat. should i stop this in favour of an arranged nap time in his cot? im not bothered the way it is, just wondering im creating a bad habit

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Tinkjon · 23/05/2008 20:47

If your ultimate goal is for him to nap in his cot then I'd definitely try and get him into that now. But if you are happy for him to nap wherever long-term then just keep letting him do what he wants.

Original poster

alright · 23/05/2008 20:52

older children have afternoon naps in thier beds tho dont they? when is the progression from baby naps into big boy naps?

OP posts:

Tinkjon · 23/05/2008 20:54

alright, not sure what you mean by baby naps and big boy naps... do you mean napping in cot versus napping in bed?

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Original poster

alright · 23/05/2008 21:01

i dunno what i mean, just that mates with older kids have a pre arranged afternoon nap time where they go upstairs for a nap, do i need to get into this habit now or can i just carry on letting him doze wherever. will i be making a rod for my back when i try to implement this when he is 18 months or whenever. do all kids need an afternoon nap and when should you start implementing it.

OP posts:

learningallthetime · 23/05/2008 21:05

My DD is 7 months and she's always fell asleep wherever she wanted in the daytime.

She's been sleeping in her cot at night in her own room for about 4 weeks.

This week, I used her cot for the first time for her naps with no problems. She sleeps better in the cot and wakes up happier.

So finally after 7 months of trying I/we finally have a routine ..hooray!

Set feeding times, set nap times and a set bedtime.. I feel like I'm coming out the other side IYKWIM!

Thankyouandgoodnight · 23/05/2008 21:20

My DD just won't settle for naps in her cot in the day but we do have a nap time in the buggy which starts at approx same time each day with me taking her for a walk in it and then wheeling her home once she's dropped off and finishing her nap inside. Most tedious but it works.

Umlellala · 23/05/2008 21:44

Kids learn new things all the time.

If you want to teach a new skill (eg learning to sleep in cot/bed) then there will be ways to teach it at whatever age you want to do it.

Your baby will also change things themselves and you will find you just adapt as they get older.

I think what is confusing you is

some people try to create routine for their babies so do have regular naptimes (and always put their baby to bed/cot at the same time every day) and 2. babies DO fall into patterns as they get older.

We didn't 'set' a routine (still don't) but dd has changed and we've changed and now she pretty much regularly has a nap in our bed (I sometimes sleep with her, sometimes go downstairs) at 11-12.30ISH. At 4 months, I was exactly the same as you - sleep wherever (bouncy chair/swing/buggy/on me/carseat).

IMO just accept the sleep however you get it .

HeadFairy · 23/05/2008 21:49

My ds (8.3 mo) started doing proper naps himself at about 4 or 5 months. It coincided with him being much more alert and active during the day, loads of bouncing in door bouncer or kicking about in baby gym. He started getting really bad tempered late morning so one day I lay down on my bed with him (I was shattered too) and he just fell asleep in seconds (so did I!) and we've done that every day since. He goes down at about 11am for a couple of hours. He then used to have about half an hour in the afternoon but he's started dropping that. I have absolutely no idea what he does at the cm though, I'm sure her routine is totally different!

SpecialOffer · 23/05/2008 22:42

I waited until my DS had fallen into a set pattern for naps, and then started him having them in the cot more. Up until then he slept anywhere and everywhere due to napping all the time.

I worried a lot about all of this, but they do eventually fall into a routine of some sorts (if you call my ds two naps of 30 mins a routine!) and it all becomes easier!!

Go with the flow, as long as you are relaxed it will all work out!

wasabipeanut · 23/05/2008 22:48

Whilst my 8 month old ds doesn't have fixed sleep times I do prefer him to nap in his cot as he sleeps better and seems to wake on better form than he does when in car seat, buggy etc.

When I know he's tired I just put him in his cot and he's fine. Been doing that since he was about 3 months - he always hated his moses basket so we co slept at night for a while.

If you are concerned about creating bad habits then maybe you could try transitioning to a cot? If you're both happy though I wouldn't worry too much.

cruisemum1 · 24/05/2008 13:14

alright - i had terrible traumas with ds napping/notnapping, only napping in the buggy, only taking 30min capnaps throughout the day. tbh it drove me bonkers as i have dd and needed some semblance of order to my day. when he got to 8mths i could take no more of it (he was an appalling night time sleeper too, waking every 90mins to 2hours every night ), i had to take control and instigated cot napping ( also did cc for nighttimes too which, despite being horrid, worked a treat. he has napped in his cot ever since and it is fantastic! he will also nap in car seat/buggy if we are out and about which is important too. i wouldn;t worry myself about it if i were you unless it upsets yopur day. one consideration though is that once they can roll over they often prefer sleeping on their tummies which they cannot do unless they are in a cot. hth

BellaBear · 24/05/2008 13:34

I could have written the OP - thanks for reassuring me!

Tinkjon · 24/05/2008 16:47

sorry to hijack, but cruisemum I think our ds's were separated at birth I am thinking that CC is the only option left to us but I'm worried DS will wake DD - did that happen with you? how long did it take to work?

cruisemum1 · 24/05/2008 20:17

ds did not wake dd - or dh for that matter . i was very concerned about that but dd slept right through it. cc was a diff choice and not one i came to lightly but i was utterly desparate .

cruisemum1 · 24/05/2008 22:16

are you considering cc tinkjon?

Tinkjon · 24/05/2008 22:26

At the moment I'm considering anything, including shooting myself in the head

cruisemum1 · 24/05/2008 22:30

i know that feeling! before you end it all tthink about cc. it does usually work

Tinkjon · 25/05/2008 17:54

thanks cc. I was going to start a thread asking if CC hasn't worked for anyone - but am nervous about the response I'll get when I mention the dreaded evil-mummy CC Oh what the heck, I'll do it anyway - today really couldn't be any worse than it already is

Original poster

alright · 25/05/2008 20:59

we have done cc to get him used to going into the cot at bedtime, took around three nights for him to get used to it. went from 40 mins crying which was awful, i felt sick doing it, then next night he cried for only 15 mins then next night 5 mins then settled himself off. now we have him ok in the cot i wondered if i should start day naps there, think im going to leave it for a while tho

OP posts:

cruisemum1 · 25/05/2008 22:03

alright/tinkjon- just to let you know what i did....once i had done cc for nighttime and was sure he could fall asleep without a boob in his mouth or being rocked in a buggy, i did the same for naps. it made a world of difference to the length of naps and the quality of them too. cc feels horrid to do and goes against every maternal instinct you have but the benefits far outweigh the few nights of tears. ds is happy, well adjusted, loves me unreservedly and, most importantly, beautifully well rested! hth

cruisemum1 · 25/05/2008 22:03

just a footnote - i would not even attempt cc before baby was at least 6mo. i shudder at the thought!

madmuggle · 27/05/2008 21:44

My son will nap wherever and whenever, but if we are at home he goes to his cot at about one for a good hour and a half and wakes up a very happy camper.

cruisemum1 · 27/05/2008 22:22

wondering where op is? Collapsed ina sleep deprived heap .

cheesesarnie · 27/05/2008 22:22

i remember naps-sigh.

LuckySalem · 27/05/2008 22:37

alright - my 4mo DD sleeps where she wants in the day too. Mainly cos DP works nights so she can't go sleep in her bed.

I have recently moved her to her cot and brought her moses basket downstairs and tried to get her to sleep in that but whereas at night i'm happy to let her winge a little during the day I panic about waking DP and so find myself bouncing her in her chair or rocking her etc so she doesn't get to her basket.

If I were you leave him be - if he's happy and you're happy don't worry.

I think its easier to implement something like that when they're older and understand things better.

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