Can’t put baby down for nap in the day

[daisy50]

Ds is 15 weeks and will not sleep anywhere but on me or dh during the day. Good thing is he is not too bad at night, even though he still wakes several times to eat he goes straight back into cot. In the day however, when he gets tired he falls asleep on me and wakes as soon as I put him down. Then he is grumpy because he wants more sleep. I have tried putting him for naps in his cot being as he sleeps there so well at night but it doesn't work during the day (I have black out blinds). Also tried letting him sleep in a crib and in his comfy chair in the sitting room during the day but this doesn't work either. If I stay still and let him sleep on me he will stay asleep for around 2-2.5 hours but I get nothing done this way and it is quite uncomfortable acting as a bed for a couple of hours. Has anyone else had this problem? Any ideas of what might help or will I just have to sit it out!

Daisy, my ds (10 wks) was like this until about a week ago. I think I started being able to put him in his cot for naps when I realised he just can't stay awake for more than 1.5 hours. Can you try putting your ds down before he shows signs of tiredness? ds often grumbles for 5-10 mins max when I put him down for daytime naps too. hope that helps a bit.

Have you got a lullaby machine thing? I have a star shaped one by Tomy I think and it plays for 10 mons. If he hasn't fallen asleep after that I will go in and check otherwise leave him to settle with music playing.

oh yes, good point. I have a light show thingy that projects stars and teddies on ceiling with a lullaby playing - lasts 10 mins. think that helps.

When they are settling they quite often have 2 or 3 little cries to themsleves (not screams) this is normal I think

I never out mine down for a nap until they started crawling......but don't let that you put you off. I'm sure all these other suggestions are excellent and I wish I'd done something sooner!

In the morning I always put ds down 2 hours after he got up as he is tired enough by then for a nap of about an hour. At 15 weeks it may be a bit less as ds is 12 months now.

Read the Baby Whisperer book - she has lots of good tips especially on the first signs of tiredness.

same, Janeybops, except ds only lasts 1.5 hours max at the moment. it's the easiest nap to get them down for, isn't it? ds can't wait and zonks without a sound.

Yes definitely. He is toddling around the house loking full of energy but as soon as he goes down that's it he is asleep! Fab

I try putting him down when he gets tired (when he starts yawning and losing interest) and before he starts crying. He lies there for a bit but always starts crying (works his way up to a scream in a few minutes not just a whimper). I have one of those lullaby machines which projects light and he will lay there watching it for a while but when he gets fed up screams and never goes to sleep watching and listening to it.

can you try before he even yawns? maybe 2 hours after he woke up? I put ds in Grobag and then tuck him in with a sheet really tight, think that may have helped too.

I went for the 'helping her to learn how to sleep by herself approach' i'm afraid, i.e. putting her down in the same place consistently when she was not overtired but showing signs of tiredness. At first she would grumble/cry for 5 - 10 mins (I always picked her up if she got distressed), then soon she got the hang of it and she's the world's best sleeper now. We have a sound and light show thing too (a miraim stoppard thing), an impulse buy which has been the best thing since sliced bread. My dd also slept better with music playing (nursery rhyme type things).

We have the ugly bear one from Mothercare (was on sale and had lights, music, nature sounds, etc) - it's great, but ugly. I'm sure it has a more 'twinkly' name than ugly bear too... However, DS loves it and will fall asleep watching it. It's part of his nap routine now too.

If he really won't fall asleep in the cot during the day, could you try using a sling? At least you'll get more done!

Hi daisy,

my dd was exactly like this. She wouldn't sleep during the day unless I held her, had her in a sling or pushed her in a pram. As soon as I put her down, took her out of the sling or stopped pushing the pram, then bang, the eyes would open and she'd be wide awake. It was quite uncanny.
The good news was that once she got to about 4/4 1/2 months she started sleeping on her own during the day. She's 9 months now and has two naps during the day, one for about an hour, the other for about two hours - it's great.
The bad news is that I can't really think of anything I did to get her to start sleeping during the day, so I can't think of any handy hints to tell you. She just started doing it herself.
Anyway, I have lots of sympathy for you and just wanted to tell you that you're not the only one. Fingers crossed that your ds will soon learn the knack of daytime sleeping on his own

With DD the trick seems to be consistency. So I take her into her bedroom, read her a short story then put her on my shoulder, pat her back and sing twinkle twinkle once. Then put her in her cot and these days generally its works. She's 6 months BTW. It wasn't really working at 15 weeks so at least there's hope.

I've had the same thing with my dds. All my friends had babys that slept all the time in their cots - friends had loads of time to themselves - I had zero. I realised that I should just go with it and find ways to get my jobs done in the day. I carried my sleeping baby everywhere with me. I now have strong arms! Also used a baby bjorn sling around the house as well as outside. You'll be amazed at the amount of things you can get done with a baby in one arm. In fact there are many advantages to carrying your baby. I didn't feel constrained when I had my baby with me as we were used to being together. Friends felt that they couldn't do anything for themselves when baby awake. Also my dds were used to sleeping where I was so I could travel, go anywhere without being tied to them only sleeping in their familiar cot. Breastfeeding was easy as I carried my dds around. After not sleeping with my first dd for the first few months I tried co-sleeping and have done this with my other dds. Works wonders - I got more sleep than any of my friends whose babys slept in cots! So, based on my experience, I'd say carry your little one as ds sleeps. I had no trouble getting my dds to sleep in their own beds when older or with sorting a bedtime routine. Compared to my friends I've had an easy time.

I had the same problem with DD now 26 weeks. She would only sleep if being cuddled and the minute I tried to put her down she would wake straight back up. I tried everything. Putting her in the pram, carseat boucy chair. Nothing worked. She would sleep if in the pram but then woke up when we stopped moving. Shes still not a great sleeper now and wont sleep in her cot during the day or if she does its only 40 minutes. Im envious of all those mums with 2hour nappers. The thing that helped me was to find something to do while holding her. ie I come on mumsnet. We used to go out to baby groups/other mums houses and coffee mornings etc where I would cuddle her while she slept. Because I was out of the house it never felt such a chore holding her while she slept. What we did during the day never impacted on the night sleep. She goes in her cot awake and falls asleep on her own. She will never do that during the day and if I try to leave her she screams until she makes herself sick. My advice would be go with the flow. If she will only sleep being cuddled then just cuddle her. Maybe with age she will get better. Sorry I dont have a solution but at least you know your not on your own. I think its more common to have a baby who wants to be cuddled than i prev thought.