8 week old refusing to nap in the day

[FlipperSkipper]

My son is 8 weeks old (4 weeks corrected) and in the last few days has started refusing to nap in the day. He'll fall asleep on me but when I move him to the carrycot or crib he'll wake. He's obviously tired and has become quite cranky. According to wonder weeks it could be his first leap, but what can I do to help him settle?

Moving him is the issue .
You need to work on getting baby to sleep where they will stay asleep

Don't move him unless his arms are completely dead. They all wake up if you move them outside of deep sleep.

I have no advice as I just let them nap on me until they were about 7/8 months old and I had the energy to start figuring out how to lay them down without waking. Before then it was the path of least resistance.

No advice but just wanted to say I'm having the exact same issue. She falls asleep on me but every time I put her down she wakes up. I've given up and just letting her sleep on me.

I've tried putting him in the crib / carrycot when he's sleepy but not asleep and he just wakes up. I've tried shushing, having my hand on his chest.

When he's on me I wait until he's in a deep sleep before moving him and sometimes he stays asleep and other times he doesn't. Sometimes he's obviously in discomfort with wind, but other times there's no reason.

He cries and I'm sure it's because he's over tired. He can only be getting 10-12 hours a day.

Actually that's more like 10 hours a day.

I don't like sitting still, but think it might be worth holding him as he sleeps to get him into the routine of it. Then after a week of this, transfer him when he's totally dead to the world. Hopefully after a week of holding him, he'll stay asleep as sleep begets sleep.

My son is 6MO and only naps on me still. He wakes whenever I try and move him.
I've now got into the routine of getting a cup of tea and boxset ready for nap time. Put my feet up and just enjoy having an excuse to not do housework for a couple of hours!
Assuming you have no other DC to run around after.
Personally it took me a while to get used to but now it's my favourite time of day.

Also 8 weeks is still young and they do change all the time so he might grow out of it soon.

Or if he will sleep in the buggy maybe go for a walk round he block or pop to the shops at nap time to get him off and leave him sleeping in the to free you up? xx

He might not like lying completely flat, my dd1 was very much like this. I got a poddlepod in the end and it was absolutely revolutionary, wish I'd had one from day 1!

Yes at 8 weeks a lot of your battles are losing ones tbh.

Try transferring onto his side. Then after 5 mins if he's still asleep, gently pull on his clothes so he sinks a little onto his back.

I've tried putting him in the crib / carrycot when he's sleepy but not asleep and he just wakes up

Ideally you want to go from fully awake to fully asleep in the place baby will stay asleep.

You are unlikely to get this to happen in anything static. A full tummy and something to suck (dummy/nipple) are are key factors.

Have you tried swaddling baby, putting in pram with dummy and rocking/walking the pram until asleep?

Or my person favourite (because it can be done from the comfort of the sofa) is into a bouncy chair, dummy in, foot bouncing relentlessly until asleep.

If you are breastfeeding, try lying baby in a sleeping bag in the middle of your living room floor, breastfeed lying down, roll away once fully asleep and leave baby there.

Honestly, just enjoy , this time goes so fast and I would give anything for a lovely sleeping cuddle nap again. Just about everything can wait

I had this problem. Only thing that occasionally worked was feeding her to sleep on my side then rolling away. I have a weak bladder and sneeze a lot so letting her nap on me never really went well!

Sometimes it's just the way it is, my DD barely slept during the day until at least four or five months old, and then only for short spells, provided that I didn't move at all, and by that I mean that I had to keep her on my lap after a boob and leave her there. If I so much as stirred, she woke up and that was it. Moving her to the cot or the sofa or lying her down sleepy but not asleep were out of the question.

This needn't be your case (she didn't look sleepy or get grouchy in spite of sleeping significantly less than other babies) but you really should remember that at the end of the day, babies are people and everyone is different. Some people need more sleep, others less, their sleep patterns and depth are different as well. She now sleeps rather well, even if not through the night, but even that has taken time, effort and loads of patience.

If your baby is a light sleeper, I would suggest that you forget about moving him for the time being. Stock up on drink and snacks, find a comfortable position and keep your smartphone/tablet/TV remote close at hand before you start cuddling or feeding him to sleep. And don't forget to visit the toilet right before that. This way you can maximise his sleep without much discomfort and hope that his sleep patterns improve over time.

No one suggested a sling yet? That or a bouncy chair might help. Or just let him sleep on you if he's tired out (make sure you have water, and either Netflix, phone or a book in easy reach!) I agree that putting them down drowsy is bollocks - just undoes all the effort of getting them drowsy. Get him from awake to asleep in the place you want him to stay. Personally I still let that happen on me at least once a day. I've watched a lot of quality Netflix.