Daytime sleeping help

[Jellycat2020]

So our current set up for our 6 week old is in a Tommee Tippee Grobag swaddle, in a moses basket inside a next-to-me crib in our room overnight (she won't sleep in the next-to-me otherwise, we think it's too roomy for her) and the moses basket or bouncer downstairs during the day. Overnight sleeping is actually pretty good. She sleeps for between 3 and 7 hours in one go and settles well in her sleeping bag. However during the day, she'll really only sleep on us. Sometimes she'll nap in the bouncer for short periods before waking. But when placed in the moses basket, even if asleep after a feed, she'll wake and just chatter and laugh to herself before it evolves into crying after around 30mins.

How do we get her to nap not on us during the day?! We've tried warming the moses basket and using a t-shirt as a sheet and white noise on. She's also not a great fan of a sling as she gets very hot. Do we just have to have her crying it out til she settles? Do we use a Grobag during the day too?

I would use the swaddle in the daytime too. It is best to be consistent for all sleeps with swaddle use.

We have an 8 week old and had the exact same issue until a week or so ago! Thought I would make the most of my husband being at home over Christmas and just persevered at putting her down verrrrry drowsy (eyes closed but not in proper sleep) for her first 2 naps of the day. We are slowly seeing progress and she will go down (very) drowsy and sleep, but only for 45 mins or so. In the next few weeks I just plan to put her down as much as possible and gradually less and less drowsy!

We use swaddle, pitch black room and white noise for day naps too! Hope this helps.

Thanks ladies!

@cheeseandwine2019 this is what is confusing me - I'd always read to just act as normal during the day, keeping lights on and not attempting to be quiet. How can you put them down in a dark quiet room during the day if it's meant to be in the same room as you?

I know what you're saying, but with my first daughter I asked the health visitor and she just said that if they seem to know night and day (I.e. sleeping longer periods at night, which yours seems to be doing!) then just pop them in the dark room during the day too and use all the same sleeping cues you would for proper bedtime.

I did this for my older daughter and it was absolutely fine, she clearly distinguished night and day. It definitely helped her stay asleep in the day. The only thing I would say is that she got quite reliant on these sleeping cues, so if she had a nap in the pram or car seat she would only sleep if it was pitch black (I bought a snooze shade to solve this).

I think it definitely helps, but as I said, it does make things a bit restricting e.g. if you're going to a friends house, as she needed pitch black to fall asleep. This time I'm trying to make the room not quite so dark to hopefully resolve this!

Hope this makes sense, but let me know if you have any other questions. I'm no expert but I literally can't believe that other babies can just fall asleep in a noisy bright room in their Moses basket!!

It was probably around 6-8 weeks with DD2 (now 20weeks) that I had to start putting her in a dark quiet room with white noise for naps, as well as to swaddle her like at night. The daytime chaos downstairs (noisy 3.5yo, crazy dog etc) was just too much for her. We did persevere with a bit of routine & putting down drowsy but awake etc too. Started off very drowsy and over the days & weeks gradually put her down more awake.

I think by about 6 weeks, especially if you have been differentiating between day & night, they don't really go back to day / night confusion.

I know the guidance but DD just wouldn't settle downstairs once she was out of the drowsy newborn stage. We have a video monitor so can see her, but ideally baby should be in the same room. I guess you just have to try & weigh up risks vs benefits etc.

Anyway what we did seemed to work, from about 12 weeks she started taking longer naps, & settling herself to sleep. She now has about a 2hr nap in the morning, 1.5 in the afternoon & a catnap before bed.

Some of it is developmental & luck, some of it you can influence. I'd try dark / quiet / white noise if you use it & look at age appropriate wake times to try & put her down at the right sort of time. It might help but it might just be a case of waiting it out.

Great information, thank you! I have a health visitor appointment tomorrow so will raise the ideas with her and see what she says. Now is the time to try things as husband is still off work for another 4 weeks.

My DD wouldn't sleep downstairs in the bassinet either but would sleep fine when held and also fine at night in her next2me. Took me a little while to realise that my house was colder downstairs so she was heat-seeking for her naps! Relocated the thermostat and she sleeps in her bassinet in the day too and it's warmer for her.