8 month old only naps on my arms

[Melby1]

Hi,
My baby will be 8 months old next week. He will sleep in the car or pram when we're out and about, but at home he'll only sleep in my arms.

I had a little day time napper that he used to nap in until he waa about 6.5 months, but then he got too long to fit in it. So I wanted to start putting him upstairs in his cosleeper for his naps, but he won't go asleep up there during the day at all. I follow the same routine at night and same conditions (black out blinds etc). I try for an hour and he just wants to play. When I give up and bring him back down to play, he plays for about half an hour, gets cranky, then I breastfeed him and he falls asleep feeding in my arms.

I would love to get him napping upstairs so I get a chance to do things around the house or even have some time to myself. Any advice?

Also, somewhat related - if he falls asleep in the far for the 10 min journey home from town, he always wakes when i move him and won't go back to sleep, so I end up sitting in the car for his full nap. It's driving me mad!

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

I could never transfer mine from the car seat asleep. They generally wake up when the car stops anyway. It's a pain!

In terms of napping in the cosleeper, does he wake if you put him in there once asleep? I have to feed, rock or pat my 8 month old to sleep. It's not ideal but he will then nap in his cot.

I would say if you can just hang in there he’ll stop napping in your arms eventually. It’s one of the fondest memories a lot of parents with older children have now, it’s not forever.

At that age I fed mine to sleep on a cot bed on the floor and just rolled away once they fell asleep. I could diffuse a bomb. Like a bloody ninja.

Just keep trying. Around this age I thought my DD would never sleep in her cot but one day I put her in there and she just stayed asleep and napped in her cot every day from then on. And then I missed the cuddles!