How to get 10 week old to nap in cot?

[mashpot]

Hello sleep gurus,

Wonder if anyone can offer me any tips. My 10 week old is a good sleeper at night. I put him in his moses basket once he has already fallen asleep but he only wakes a couple of times in the night when I feed him and he generally sleeps well (thanking the heavens and keeping fingers crossed it continues).

In the daytime though I can only get him to sleep in a sling, or the pram - but he won't sleep for very long in the pram and certainly won't stay asleep in it once we get home and I've stopped walking! How can I get him to start having naps in the moses basket/cot? If I put him in awake he cries and once he is asleep in the sling I can't get him out of it without waking him up.

Any advice welcome.
TIA

Just marking my space, waiting for replies. We're having the same kind of problem (but ours doesn't sleep brilliantly at night! :-/ )

How long have you left him to cry when you put him in the cot during the day? My breakthrough came when I was so frustrated one day that I left my DD, who was about 12 weeks I think, to cry for a bit, and found she fell asleep within 5 minutes. Am not advocating leaving a tiny baby to cry for ages, but sometimes they need to grizzle a bit to get to sleep. My DD is now 5 months old and always naps in her cot, but still cries a bit each time. If she's still crying after 10 minutes I get her up, and try again in a bit. Good luck! It's worth persisting as it sets them into good napping habits, and gives you some time to yourself.

I leave him for no time willsing can't stand the crying! But this is ridiculous actually because he nearly always has a cry in the sling and often in the pram before falling asleep so maybe I need to sit with him and let him cry for a few minutes and see what happens. I don't feel so bad when he cries in the sling because he's close to me but fir some reason can't bring myself to let him cry in the basket.

Good luck Rubys.

Another mum of a 10 week old here. Had been struggling with naps here as DD is starting to get more interested in the world. Where before she would nod off wherever has more recently been resisting sleeping like mad and getting over tired and inconsolable.

I think the trick is to pre empt the over tiredness and pit them down calm and happy. So if they would be happy in bouncy chair for exame try popping them in basket/cot. Also try using sleep cues, I use sleeping bag, quick feed if shell have it and a little rabbit comforter. Non of this is as full blown as bath at bedtime, but are associated with sleep.

DD had super long lunchtime nap today using this method (first try today so may be fluke). I was in dilemma as to whether to wake her after 2 and a half hours!

Sorry for all the phone typos!

All 3 of mine napped in the sling or pushchair for the first few months. I found once they were a bit bigger (4 months, maybe 5?) they started to nap more consistently in the cot.

I used whatever method worked (e.g feeding/rocking) to get them to sleep, then just tried putting them down awake until eventually they got it.

Am still feeding my 10 month old to sleep when we are at home and she usually stays asleep for 1-2 hours. I remember dd1 was found it much easier to settle herself - I really do believe a lot of it is down to the baby rather than what you are doing.

Anyway, long winded way of saying it is really hard in the early days when you have to keep moving to get them to nap, but hang in there as it may well resolve itself in time.

Thanks all - I tried putting him to nap in the basket today, it was a disaster! He was yawning, but happy in the bouncy chair and it was time for a nap so I put him in the moses basket and carried on normal activities with him with me like I would if he was in the sling. He was fine for 15 mins and then started crying. I gave him 5 minutes, stayed with him but then got him out when he didn't show signs of dropping off.

But then I couldn't get him to sleep in the sling, or by feeding, or by any method! He had missed his window and finally went to sleep in the pram when I went out at 1pm! (nap was supposed to be at 9.45!). He hardly had any sleep today but is in bed now so hopefully he'll catch up...

I guess maybe I just need to keep trying, or accept that we stick with the sling for another month.

mashpot you sound just like I did when DD was 10 weeks. I know this is probably not want you want to hear but both DD and myself were much much happier hen I finally accepted that she needed to fall asleep in the sling in day. I was much less stressed when I stopped fighting it. She still has all her daytime naps in the sling and she's nearly 7 months. DD just fights and fights sleep if she's anywhere else.

I personally can't do the leaving them to cry thing, we had an awful incident with the hv making me leave DD to CIO which really put me off any form of cc/CIO. But I think it does work for some people.

It is hard and don't beat yourself up about it too much.

We tried leaving her to cry for 10 minutes today - just ended up with me and her getting worked up crying and giving me a headache! It's sooooo hard!!!
I feel awful because I know I've created the problem by feeding her to sleep up to now! Ah well...I suppose we'll get there in the end.....