Getting daytime naps done in the cot

[lbandrb]

How to do this? 3 month-old DS can fall asleep quickly if we catch him at the right time and use the strategies that work for him (sling or a walk in the baby carrier the best), or if he happens to be sleepy and hungry at the same time. But if we don't use these approaches he can easily just stay alert and awake and simply get increasingly grumpy/upset.

Problem is that our current approaches are pretty tiring and limiting, and mean that he is far from napping in his cot. Even in a deep sleep, when I try to transfer him he seems to keep waking after 2 mins. So I figure life would be easier if I can gradually 'train' him to go to sleep in his cot in the first place. Strategies...?

Watching this! My 4 month dd is an awful napper!

We did this from the get go with the Gina Ford routines. Dd1 responded like she had read the book herself.

Dd2 responded the same at first, then realised the book was shit so it took more time to persuade her.....

Both napped/slept in cots though as we never had Moses baskets so sleep was always upstairs in cot, except if out and about.

I tried to catch them before they got too tired iykwim.

Iwaswatchingthat, what does the 'shhhh' routine involve?

I use slings for daytime naps but he uses crib at night and I think I prefer that tbh as I think it helps differenciate day and night and means I can get on with things whereas if he uses the crib during the day i'd be resigned to staying in the bedroom during nap times.

I'm watching with interest though as sometimes it would be good if he'd nap somewhere other than the sling.

Have you tried swaddling? We do at night and have had done success with this for daytime naps.

Am also watching this. Dd (5months) will sleep for 30 mins max in the cot or pushchair or for 1-2 hours if in bed with me. No idea whether it is better to persevere with the cot or not... (Oh and she's fed or patted/jiggled to sleep on me - counts rods for my back).

She sleeps fine at night though...

lbanddrb
Just put shhhh cos Gina Ford is usually slated on here for being mean to babies and forcing them into a routine, but it worked for us.

The approx Gina routine for your age baby would be:
6.30am - 7am feed (depending on when wakes)
Play with etc.

Then two hours after waking (usually half eight/9am) put baby in cot in darkened room with door shut for nap. I started off taking her for a walk in her pram at this time so she got used to sleeping at this time.

Then feed on waking at approx 10am

Then play etc.

Then feed again at 11:30am/12noon and out down for nap fully awake after that in darkened room with door shut. Dd used to sleep until about half past two.

Feed at half two.

Then feed at 5pm. Put in bath after this feed. Then feed again starting at 6pm

Then awake in cot in darkened room to settle self to sleep.

It sounds impossible, but for dd1 it really worked!

I may have got the timings a little wrong, but they are all in the Contented Little Baby book by Gina Ford.

TBH regular naps saved my sanity and I think is the key to settled evenings too.

Good luck!

PS: at first you have to wake them from their naps - e.g. Don't let them sleep for two hours at 9am tempting though it is!!!

PPS: I started the 'routine' properly in the house from about 4 months I think and prior to that I followed the feeding times as best as poss (EBF baby) and tried to take out in pram during nap times.

Gina ford timings, into grobag, darkened room, white noise. Run away, put kettle on!

I had a real nap refuser-he was unbelievably resistant. So at about 4 months I got him by taking him for a walk or a drive at the same times every single day for about a month to get those sleepy times ingrained. Then when we'd got those sorted I started a mini bedtime routine at naptime-so nappy change, grobag on, quick bf and into cot. Once he started weaning and we had mealtimes that made it easier, and once he started getting more active it did as well.

Thanks for all responses! Bit slow to notice as have been off Mumsnet dealing with an unsettled baby - night sleep the main current battleground!

I let dd sleep in a sling for all day naps (or on me) until 4/5 months. Including when I was at home.

As she got older I started putting her in the cot once sleep - if she woke I'd resettle. If she didn't, bonus. As she got closer to 6 months, I used a light up sea horse with a woosh noise and put her in the cot after a cuddle and feed (blackout blinds on the windows) and she started to settle herself. Not always but most of the time.

Now she's a champion napper and asks for the cot if I'm cuddling her after a feed!

I also used a loose routine based around her brother who was older.

Gina ford is slated because it doesn't really offer any flexibility or tell you what to do if it doesn't work. I read a book called Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child - whch did explain it all and was excellent. I then used gina ford from 6 months and had confidence to flex it.

Thanks - will look that book out!