Pick up put down, does it work?

[itsMYNutella]

Hello Ladies,
DS is 6 months old and reading some of the other threads here his problems are fairly standard.
Somehow we have recently turned a corner with nighttime sleeping and he will sleep 7:30 ish - 23:30ish then back down after feeding 23:45- about 3am and then sometimes a third waking sometimes not and we normally get up out of bed around 8am.

The big problem is daytime naps. He has only ever really done 30minute daytime naps. Previously he has managed 3-4 naps in a day (so up to about 2 hours total napping). Now he is down to 2 naps a day - still only 30mins each. I can live with a lack of napping but he is tired and it often takes a fight of 30mins to an hour before he sleeps for 30 minutes . If he is whinging I try to leave him so that he self settles but he seems to have ramped up to full on crying and I can't do controlled crying; I'm a wimp!

Does the pick up cuddle and put down technique work? Do I need a set routine for him to help him get into a habit and nap better?

Anyone have little baby sleeping pills? - JOKE! Please ladies I need some tips! My poor little man needs a bit more sleep and I can't figure out how!

And after 1 hour trying to get him to nap this morning we gave up (DP working from home today). Got him up out of bed and let him play. Cue lots of whining from my poor tired mite. Tried the pick up put down for about 20 mins... then I cheated and boobed him to sleep (took all of 5 mins) he is now fast asleep but I can't breastfeed him to sleep for daytime naps forever!! or can I.... ok I can't.

I will try pick up put down for the next few days but if anyone has any tips please please let me know!

I'm no expert but did pick up put down and hush pat as per the baby whisperer. It worked for us, took only a few days but then every child is different. Now ds (22 m) can easily self settle and had done for a while (unless poorly). I think consistency is the key.

Thanks. I've spoken to DP about it and that's why we're going to try it out because with cry and leave or CIO we couldn't do it. Plus DS is only just 6 months so want to try something a bit more gentle.

Hi - I tried it with my dd between 4-6 months (she was a 30 min napper too) and it didn't work at all. She just got more and more wound up because I was there picking her up then putting her back in the cot. I should have realised it wouldn't work as she's never wanted to co-sleep or be rocked/cuddled to sleep etc.
In the end I used a sling for her naps for a few weeks then once she was weaned managed to get her to do a 30 min morning nap and a 60 min (at best) afternoon nap. As long as she had an early bedtime she was ok.
We did do CC for night wakings when she was older (9-10 mths) and it worked better for her. She needs to be utterly bored to go to sleep.

I'd suggest give PUPD a go but if you think its upsetting your ds more don't feel you have to persevere. I wish I hadn't!

When my DS was 5 or 6 months he suddenly stopped napping and it fair did my head in - I used Elizabeth pantley no cry nap solution and found it really useful.

The key seemed to be to create a wind down routine which we still do at 15 months. We go in his room, change his nappy, put him in his grobag (or just vest in this heat), have some milk (when we were bfing, that was a bf obviously), a story, a song and then I put him down in the cot with his cuddly toys. When I first started the routine I would do story and then feed him to sleep.

Thanks Million he did just seem to get more distressed with being picked up repeatedly so I have rather given up on it

Mumof thank you, I will look that up. It is sort of what I have started trying to do. Slowing down putting him down to sleep. I can live with it taking a while because his tired whinging is really fearing too.
The only problem with feeding to sleep is that he sometimes will sometimes wont (babies eh!) and then I just end up with chewed nipples.

And thank you both for your replies. It's good to know we're not the only ones.
I managed to cuddle him to sleep this morning... He slept for 5 minutes once I put him down

Pupd worked for us.

Have you got set nap times?
My DD1 goes to sleep really easily because it is always the same time, same phrase 'it's sleepy time', same twinkly music, cuddle in rocking chair and down. She can be chatting and playing but asleep with five mins.
DD2 on the other hand is asleep on me as she is not quite getting it yet - 15 weeks.

Sleep Not really we get up between 8 and 8:30 and then first attempt at napping is at 10:00. We fight, he cries, he feeds, we give up after about 30-40 minutes and play or feed to sleep. Then he sleeps for about 10-15 minutes and then about 1.5 hours later when he starts to whinge a lot we start it again....

Its really been the last two weeks or so that this problem has started. Before that he wasn't great but was a breeze compared to now.

He actually napped "well" today. Two very decent naps (30-40 mins) and a couple of power naps

Nutella - you might want to try longer wake periods between naps. His night time sleep seems to be a decent 12 hours overall and 8am is quite a late waking (mine was 6am!). Maybe try a later morning nap, say 11am? Then an afternoon nap around 2.30pm?

Try lots of stimulation in between (I used to take dd to classes or childrens centres in the morning which seemed to tire her out. Then have lots of play at home or on a play date after her morning nap).

I second what pp said about routines, it helps my dd if she knows what's coming.

Millionmiles I tried longer wake periods, didn't work ... just ended up with an even more whingey overtired baby who still only slept for 30 minutes... oh well.

Even after baby groups when he conks out he only does a 30 minute nap.
The only thing that seems really successful in getting him to nap is to feed him to sleep :( it bugs me but I'm clinging to the motto and repeat ad infinitum.

Today we have managed three naps and he went off to sleep happily this evening... the last couple of nights he really hasn't slept well (and neither have I) so I'm hoping he is a bit more chilled tonight.