Cracking destination naps

[firsttimemum15]

My little girl is 7.5 months old.

The only predictable nap of the day is morning one approx 2 hours after waking. All other naps are dependant on what we are doing. Now we are less busy die to summer hols there's often an afternoon nap at home. Similar things happen for this nap too

She will sleepily feed while napping. I've found I've never really been able to put baby down for a nap. I'll occasionally get her in bouncy chair for a bit but not a long nap. She will sleep longer if on me.
I will often hols her to let her sleep as I know she will sleep whereas if i try to put her down she will wake and get cranky.

I love cuddling her and don't mind if I don't have anything to do. She's only tiny for such a short time. But wondered how to crack cot naps if required.

I've never really been able to get her down
Has anyone else found this?

DS2 is almost 1 and still has nap laps. With DP he sleeps in the pushchair. He has never had a nap in his cot so no advice but you're not alone! I'm with you though, it's for such a short time and he sleeps a lot better like this so I just go with it!

My little one will nap in pram and car etc. She's getting a bit big for bouncy chair and they occasions she's been in are few and far between.

She's not in own room yet. Oh well I'll enjoy the cuddles while they last.

I just feel like it ant get anything done but then I think we'll what else do I need to do and what's more important?

I think it would be very different if I had another older child though.

It's not very good practice for if we have a second

I find it impossible to get anything done with DS2 in the house so we work it so I do a few jobs while DP takes him out. Either to visit family if I need a couple of hours or just for a walk. Today he took him for half an hour just so I could put some washing away in peace

I have no idea how people manage more than 1 little one. My DS1 is 12 and he's very helpful with DS2.

I'm the same coconut

Can anyone help

Bedtime waking are a problem at the mo too

Do you put her on her tummy for naps? That helped us.

Also my ds napped on me until I had to force the issue on my return to work. So I put him in the cot for every single nap at home. If he woke then fine he didn't nap or we went out.

I got a bit stressed but he got there eventually! I would go out for some naps to make my life easier.

Ds was the same. At about 6 months I started ensuring he had to set maps a day with an occasional late cat nap. He's never been a great napper, and didn't need as much as many babies. I picked my times, and settled down with him every day. I bf him to sleep and let him sleep as long as he wanted. After a few weeks I started transferring him to his cot. Sometimes it worked, sometimes not. But it got so that every morning I could feed to sleep and put in cot.

It took several weeks of persistence but it paid off. All went to pot when I went back to work though and dm and Mil did pram naps.

I think I need to try a transfer really wanted to crack it over summer while we don't have much in. But after waking every 2 hours at night sometimes it's nice to have a rest even if it means it's under a sleeping baby and I do love the cuddles. It won't be forever. Each day I think "oh well, tomorrow..." tomorrow hasn't arrived yet...

I know how you feel. I have started gradual retreat at bedtimes about two weeks ago (very gradual.......) I put it off for ages! But it's been really great. I'm pleased I started.

I'm glad it's working.

Well night times are a problem again for me. The first part of sleep is usually the longest but 8 mo is up pretty much an hour later and on the hour. Every hour. I struggle to get her in own bed. She either won't go down or wakes after 10 mins.

Help

Does she sleep on her back? I had a definite improvement when ds started sleeping on his front. I think he felt like he was more cuddled up to something. At nighttime a good routine helps, we do bath, sleepsuit, two stories and milk. It used to be just bf to sleep but now he has warm milk then a little bf then into his cot awake. He has his light/ music mobile on and I sit nearby until he goes to sleep. It took about 75 minutes and now it takes less than 20. He is also getting better at putting himself back to sleep when he wakes. I have probably been doing this a month now, and am at the stage of sitting in the doorway where he can still see me but am happy with the progress and the fact that there have been no tears.

I've tried it for daytime naps, disaster.

Yes we have a routine definitely couldn't put her down awake I don't think x

It's worth bracing yourself and giving it a try first I always laughed (in an exhausted, hollow way.......) when I read the threads where people say ' put them down awake......' because ds would never fall asleep, he would cry. I wish I had started this bedtime gradual retreat sooner though.

I worked myself up about it for weeks but it's been much better than I expected.

Maybe give it a try, and if it's awful leave it for a few weeks and try again?

Maybe. I'll see. I want to try to crack actual sleep first. Up every hour at the mo.

Although last night I tried something at quarter to 2 I put her in own bed on tummy and she slept for 4 hours. The most sleep in a row for 3 months. Hallelujah.

How did you begin your gradual retreat as you call it. 😃

Ds woke almost every sleep cycle until he started sleeping on his front. Glad of got a good stretch!

I started (is it not called gradual retreat?) by doing bedtime, story, milk etc, cuddles then into cot. Mobile on (lights/music) the first few nights I had to stand over the cot after a while patting singing etc (anything to prevent tears) and started putting the mattress saying time for sleep, lay down etc. He did a bit of tired moaning but that was all. I have moved away a bit every few days, and now i put him in, he often stays laying down and watches his mobile, and is asleep in 15 minutes

Tonight he did stand up a few times but I was sitting in the door way, reading. He chatted and sang a bit then laid down and went to sleep!

Oh and this week he has started to settle himself back to sleep if he wakes!!!!

Hiya

I don't know I've never heard it called anything. Sorry.

But how did you get to the point where you put him down awake. I tried a few weeks ago it didn't work so stopped worrying about it and just went bk to doing what works.

I know she would cry if I did that and ssshing and hand on tummy etc doesn't work.

Ah OK I thought I was getting it wrong. It's basically where you sit next to the cot and gradually get further and further away, the idea being they get used to it bit by bit. The thing I read said it took 10 days or so, I have taken much longer as I don't want tears.

Feeding to sleep had become very hit and miss for me, I was often cuddling and singing. He is happy to play in his cot and although he complained a bit the first few times he didn't carry. He has cried once, and I have picked up and cuddled and then put him back. The mobile helps as he watches that and now he smiles when I say time for night nights and put him in his cot.

Ah I've never heard of it. So did you one day just put in cot awake?

My baby is BF. If I take her of and put her down she's upset. If I put her down awake she doesn't really like it either. I'm hoping she will get there eventually and there will come a point where that will be our norm as it will just work out that way. Fingers crossed.
I've put her on stomach last night again and did get a bit more sleep and longer stretches.

X

I bf too, and honestly, I couldn't put him down at all for about the first 5 months. I used to cook dinner with him in a sling! Then one day he fell asleep during feeding about about 5 months and I put him down on the bed, and he slept for several hours (it was evening) after that I kept trying to do the same every night. It helped to feed him on a blanket, so the blanket was between my hands/arms and him, made it easier to put down and slide hands out. However, it got MUCH easier to put him down on his front once he startedrolling to sleep on his front himself.

I was already putting him down (asleep) in his cot at bedtime, from when I couldn't safely leave him on the bed. He would sleep for an hour or so. I fed him each time he woke, and gradually he woke less often. He goes to sleep around 7/8 most nights, and was waking between 11/12. I Co sleep after the first wake up. Since doing this gradual thing though, he often sleeps to 2/3 and a few time 4!

I have always put him in his cot with toys while I dress etc so he's happy in there, and yes one day just put him in awake and sat/stood next to him. I think you're not supposed to help them go to sleep, but I did stroke and sing and lay him down etc, because he would have got upset otherwise, and I like to avoid crying!

I keep thinking I should have started it earlier, but then maybe it's working so well because he's a bit older? I don't know, but I will try it earlier with dc2!

How old is your baby.

When you do the last feed did you take him off or did he take himself off?

Was he awake but sleepy ish? Is his how he was for the first time.

Sorry for the questions.

I got another 4 hour stretch last night which is great compared to every hour. X

It's OK, I used to be on here asking question daily just about! He's 13 months now. He stopped falling asleep on the boob. He would and still would occasionally but went from feeding to sleep every night to about 50/50. I give him warm cows milk in a soft sippy cup first now, then bf. Because he's had the milk he doesn't bf much, and stays awake. He wasn't all that sleepy the first few times but I think is getting the hang of the routine now and tends to be sleepy, i cuddle and say time for night nights, kisses etc and put him in. He didn't even get up tonight!

Ok thanks and what age did you start?

About a month ago. So a bit older than your lo. I wonder if it's easier to do before standing and walking, or whether learning those things will throw the routine out a bit.