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Sleep

Join our Sleep forum for tips on creating a sleep routine for your baby or toddler. Need more advice on your childs development? Sign up to our Ages and Stages newsletter here.

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Original poster

Daytime naps - help needed!

57 replies

MichelleM · 09/09/2003 18:35

Having real trouble getting my 13 wk old DS to sleep during the day, other than when he is in the car or in the pram. Up until 2 weeks ago he would settle in his cot or bouncy chair for a nap, as long as I picked up the tired signs in time. Now he only sleeps when we're out and about! Any tips for how to settle him in the house?
Thanks

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

codswallop · 09/09/2003 18:38

what time is he sleeping?

codswallop · 09/09/2003 18:40

At one they go form two sleeps a day to one inconvenently timed one from say 11 30 till 2pm

codswallop · 09/09/2003 18:42

DUR!!! thought it was 13 months, sorry

codswallop · 09/09/2003 18:43

Have you a lambskin? Mine likes thta but my baby sould only sleep on my chest for ages and napped a lot in his cot. I think they grow into it.

rainbow · 09/09/2003 18:44

Had same problem with ds3. I just rocked him off in his bouncy chair and transfered him to his cot if poss. Is it poss for him to slep in his pram while your indoors?

Original poster

MichelleM · 09/09/2003 18:52

He used to nap for 3/4 hr around 12pm, 2pm, and 4pm. But in the last couple of weeks he has become so much more alert and initially seemed to be happy to do without sleep all day, and not be grizzly.
That grace period unfortunately seems to be over, and he is getting tired and grumpy again, but just wont settle to sleep unless he's in the car or pram.
I have tried leaving him to cry, but give in after 10mins as I just find it too distressing.

He so far is still settling to sleep quickly after the bedtime feed at round 8pm, wakes once during the night, and has morning feed at about 7.30am

OP posts:

Original poster

MichelleM · 09/09/2003 18:57

Rainbow - did try rocking him in his pram in the house today, and it got him over to sleep for about 10 mins, then bawled his head off, so rocked him off to sleep again. This repeated about 4 times, but at least he got some sleep.

Codswallop - will give the lambskin a try. Where can you get one from?

OP posts:

Karen99 · 10/09/2003 21:21

Hi MichelleM - I think our children were separated at birth - my 11.5wk DS is exactly the same.

He is a good night sleeper, but will only go to sleep during the day on my chest (atleast that's for 30-45min at a time rather than your odd 10min). I'm finding that he's not giving the same tired sounds that he used to and that new ones have developed. He now starts to suck his hands (which used to be a hunger sign) and promptly drops off in my arms within minutes (with mouth still attached to hand!), no yawns or anything. I then find it very hard to get him to transfer to his cot without waking up and bawling the house down.

I did start to settle him in is cot during the day with about 10-15min of crying before each nap (which lasted only 35mins at a time), but we've currently got builders in our house so its back to nap time on my chest..

Let me know if the sheepskin works!

AliP · 11/09/2003 12:00

I also can't get my 11 week old to sleep in the day unless on me or in car or baby swing or out in pram. I was beginning to despair of my parenting skills so glad to find that there are others out there with the same problem. Do let us know about the lambskin.

Mind you he also doesn't sleep in the night unless in bed next to me with his head on my boob!

Help! Any tips gratefully received.

Karen99 · 13/09/2003 17:46

AliP & MichelleM - they must be triplets separated at birth!

Well, we've had some success today with the day time naps!

My mum said she thought my ds likes sleeping on his tummy as he finds laying on my chest to fall asleep the most comfortable place in the world. And she said that all three of hers (me, my bruv and sis) slept on their tummies for naps and night sleep. Obviously she understands why its important to have babies sleep on their backs now, but she suggested I try a "tummy nap" during the day when I can listen to the baby monitor really closely. One of DS's tired signs is hand sucking (can't quite find that thumb yet). So at 9am and 12pm DS was put down on his tummy with hand-sucking still going and eyes practically closing and all it took was 10 sucks and he was asleep! When he sleeps on his back he quite regularly loses his hand when he starts to drift off as it falls down to the mattress which wakes him up. So lying on his tummy seemed to solve that problem plus the "startle reflex" waking him up..

Ofcourse my ear was to the baby monitor every other minute and I popped into his room several times, but he slept peacefully for 1hr each nap - HURRAY!

Tonight he goes back to sleeping on his back, with 5-10mins of grizzly crying I'm sure...

Just hope this is the answer and lasts..!

Redwood · 13/09/2003 20:29

MichelleM,

My dd who is 9 months has always slept in her buggy or in the car, and I just let her as it has never been a problem. However I have wondered if this will become a prblem as she gets older and would be intested in the views of mothers with toddlers,a s if I have to wean her into the cot I had better start soon !

SofiaAmes · 14/09/2003 23:11

My ds has never napped in anything but his buggy or car. Even my miracle childminder who seems get all children to do everything couldn't get him to nap in a cot. He is now almost 3 and I have found the buggy napping absolutely invaluable. It means that I can be anywhere at his nap time. I just plop him in the buggy and off he goes. Sometimes if I'm at home I have to walk him around a bit, but our last house was absolutely teensy and even small circles in the front room was enough to put him to sleep. (Try covering the buggy with a blanket or sheet to make it dark and keep him from being distracted by what's going on around him).

Original poster

MichelleM · 15/09/2003 20:19

Just a quick update on the "sleep trials" ....
My mum gave me a lambskin rug she had at home, but unfortunately DS has not taken to it yet. Will keep trying and see if he gets better used to it.
He doesnt like "tummy time" so leaving to fall asleep on his tummy is unfortuately not an option.
Am getting him over to sleep by rocking him in his pram in the house, but can take 15mins for him to go over, and he only sleeps for about 10mins, then needs rocked over again.
Ah well, will just keep trying

OP posts:

Karen99 · 17/09/2003 14:46

Hi MichelleM, I'm finding the tummy time works sometimes and not others (ie. sometime he goes down for 1hr, sometimes 10mins). I think the key with that was that he loves to suck his hand for comfort and he can fall asleep with it in his mouth on his tummy, whereas on his back it drops away as he goes to into his sleep.

Does your little one suck his hand or something else for comfort?

If it's the rocking he likes, do you have one of these automatic swings? That was another suggestion a mum mentioned to me..

Hope it's getting better. Karen.

Azure · 17/09/2003 15:47

To my regret, I never could get DS (now 2) to sleep anywhere but his pushchair, or in the car the rare times we use it. Such a pain when it was raining - walking the streets getting soaked. Of course, he sleeps perfectly well at nursery on a mattress. I'm hoping to pick a few tips for when #2 arrives next year.

Original poster

MichelleM · 19/09/2003 20:33

Karen - DS is a thumb/finger/fist/fists sucker!! I think that the snugness of the bouncy chair or pram helps him get his thumb to stay in, and that does help him go over. Have tried putting him on his tummy, but instant wailing match, so no luck there.

Azure - I'm still rocking him over to sleep, but trying to reduce amount of rocking.....a slow process

Keep finding excuses not to leave him to cry himself over to sleep. Has anyone got any success stories on this? How long do you leave your baby crying, how often do you go back in, and how to you stop yourself giving in?

OP posts:

Karen99 · 20/09/2003 09:30

Hi MichelleM - just off to the hair-dresser for a rare morning off, so I'll catch up later.

I must admit my ds hates being put down on his tummy unless he is ABSOLUTELY ready to go to sleep. If he cries once I put him down I pick him up and cuddle him on my chest, fist in mouth, and when he drops off again I try him in the cot. Sometimes it does take a couple of times before he takes the final four-five sucks and he's asleep.

Don't mean to keep going on about this one, just as you're still having to "rock" I've just thought about my ds in more detail and hope these extra bits might help. Maybe try tummy time naps again in a few weeks, it's surprising how quickly they change their minds about things!

Good luck, will talk again later!

kaz33 · 20/09/2003 13:26

With a toddler also in the house I am not quite as gentle with nearly 4 month old DS2 as you ladies - he can do a morning nap in his cot though sometimes it takes 5-10 minutes crying but the afternoons are more of a tribulation - I get him to sleep with a dummy in front of the dryer the sound of which he loves. He is a thumb sucker so am hoping to remove the dummy shortly - I hate seeing toddlers with dummies. Didn't have one with DS1 but it really helps....

Original poster

MichelleM · 25/09/2003 15:48

Just another quick update.....the daytime naps have improved substantially in the last week.....but mainly due to his nights being up the left, and the poor wee man is knackered in the daytime . At least he is happy again to go over to sleep by himself during the day if I pick up his signs in time. Guess you just cant have it all !!!

OP posts:

aloha · 25/09/2003 15:54

KS33, did you know the British Dental Association recommends dummies because they prevent thumb sucking which lasts longer and is much worse for teeth?

aloha · 25/09/2003 15:55

Sorry, mistyped. I meant Kaz33

Karen99 · 25/09/2003 19:43

MichelleM - is he in his cot during the day or still in the pram? Great news on the improvement

Unfortunately the tummy naps are starting to back-fire on me. When I first started this he could fall asleep sucking his hand with eyes partially open and drift off. Now he needs complete rocking in my arms to drift off and then a careful transfer to his cot. I guess atleast I have my hands free for 45mins (each nap) but I don't know if I'm making a rod for my own back with the rocking.. but then again I prefer to do that than listen to him cry for 10mins on his back...

Argh, I wish it was more simple!

Original poster

MichelleM · 26/09/2003 03:04

Hi Karen, sorry to hear that your little one is playing up. I think they just like to keep us on our toes!

DS is now napping in his cot in the morning, without any fight. Afternoons are in his bouncy chair. I just give him a tiny rock to stop him crying, and once this has settled his crying, leave him to fall over himself.

But as I said, this doesnt seem to be any great breakthrough in my part, he's just so tired now as his nightsleep is more interrupted!

Only tip I can give with the rocking, is try to reduce length of time you rock him for, so that instead of keeping rocking until his eyes are closed, rock till they are half closed, then next day rock till they are very heavy, etc.

OP posts:

Karen99 · 26/09/2003 09:24

Thanks Michelle, I'll give that a go today.

Any ideas why your ds is having night problems? (Sorry if you have this on another thread)

I'm STILL trying to get my ds to drop one of his night wakings. He seems to regularly (4/7 nights a week) go 6hrs,4hrs,2hrs in the night, last feed of the day around 5:30/6pm, then up at midnight, 4am, and if we're lucky 6am (but usually more like 5:30!!). I've been trying to reduce the 4am feed down to 5mins each side, but he's still wanting something, won't just roll over back to sleep after a few pats and soothing words.

Arrgh, I'm already zombie like and starting to wobble through-out the day now. I WISH I COULD GET SOME SLEEP!!

Feel the same?

Karen99 · 26/09/2003 09:34

Sorry MichelleM !! I can see you are having bad nights when posting at 3AM !

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