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Stop rocking baby to sleep

4 replies

Adamsapple89 · 12/07/2025 15:49

Hi all, I have 6 month old who isn’t able to sleep without being rocked and loves a contact nap. I don’t mind a contact nap but I try out her down and she wakes up

I’m aware it’s my own fault for getting in this situation. I can get her to nap in the cot for her morning nap this lasts half hour after rocking her to sleep. She does fight her naps crying while being rocked/patted till she doses off this can take up to ten mins.

She always naps on me longer and I want her to get good longer naps in. Any advice would be much appreciated xx

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
RidingMyBike · 12/07/2025 16:38

I aimed for at least one sleep a day putting down “sleepy but awake” as then I knew she was capable of drifting off on her own. It was more a case of seizing the moment so it varied which sleep it was.

LegoHouse274 · 12/07/2025 17:20

I don't have advice except to say that all my children grew out of all this eventually without me doing anything about it. My youngest is usually breastfed to sleep still (8 months) but he almost never wakes on transfer anymore so it's not an issue.

OtterMummy2024 · 12/07/2025 19:59

@RidingMyBike I did the same, contact naps later in the day but trying for a morning cot nap. If you put them down sleepy but not asleep there's no wake up on transfer.

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AmyW9 · 13/07/2025 19:50

OP it's not your fault! Your baby is tiny and you've given them the support they needed. It's only a problem when it becomes a problem for you :-)

Try 'habit stacking'. So, rock but also sing / pat baby's back / shush. They will start to form associations with these and sleep too. Then perhaps try rocking slower, or stopping ocassionally, to 'wean' baby onto these new ways of settling.

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