Why is the cot apparently so evil in the day?!

[MrsP81]

My DD (7 months) generally goes down fine in the cot for night time sleep but when it comes to naps it's a very different story!

It's not a huge problem as I am happy to let her nap in sling/pushchair/car, although I do worry about what will happen when she goes to nursery in three months.

So not looking for advice as such, just wondered if there is a reason why the same cot can produce such different reactions depending on the time of day?

I've always wondered this too as getting my DCs to nap in their cots during the day has always been one of my main parenting holy grails and not something that has come easy for us with either DC.

I think though that it's partly due to different sleep rhythms / cycles that babies have during the day compared to at night (i.e. their own internal body clocks seem to make it easier for them to settle at night, plus the fact that they are probably more tired) and also partly due to parents generally not being as consistent at putting down babies for naps during the day. Even if parents do try to get their baby to nap in the cot, they might not persist with the actual settling for as long as they might do in the evening (as, let's face it, you can always resort to a walk in the buggy or a car drive during the day to get baby to sleep). At night-time, many babies are in very consistent routines and parents "expect" the baby to go to sleep (i.e. the parents' mindset seems to help).

Could be talking rubbish of course!

I know you said you weren't looking for advice as such but I have found that perservering with naps really helps. I mean REALLY perservering! Same routine every day. We are still not quite there with DD (almost 8 months) but she now is put down (and sshh/patted to sleep - she won't self settle yet) for a nap after breakfast and a nap after lunch and this seems (touch wood) to be working. But we've been at it since she turned 6 months so it's been a real slog (and as I say, we're not quite there yet). I live in hope!

Thanks littledoe, that does make perfect sense. I haven't had the patience to stick with trying to get her in the cot in the day because, as you say, you can resort to other methods for sleep. Looks like I need to find some patience then!

Perseverence works! We also had trouble with night time and naps, when DD was 6 months we did CC for night time which took a week. Then I tackled daytime naps as she would refuse to sleep in the cot.

We make sure she goes down for her morning nap 3 hours after waking (she often doesn't appear tired) but as soon as in dark room with lullaby on she rubs her eyes. Again lunchtime nap is 3-4 hours after she has woken from morn nap. This nap has gradually got longer so for the first time in recent weeks she has slept for an hour or hour and a half. I had to do CC in the day too and be consistent - it took a few weeks of not going out in day to establish it. Just keep trying!

Good luck!