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Contact naps - how to get out of them?

9 replies

Maisie2019 · 24/09/2022 13:26

My son is 9 weeks old. We have a pretty good structure in place which we have been working on past few weeks and makes him a much happier baby - 1.5 hour wake windows roughly and a 1.5-2 hour nap x3 daily. This does adjust depending on what he is doing or if we are out and about etc. Problem is he will not nap at all unless on me or his dad!!! I love the cuddles but it isn’t practical and I’m worried he will become dependent on sleeping on me. Nighttime he is fine and sleep in his next to me crib. He has reflux so is held up after last bottle propped on my legs and falls asleep on his own without me holding or touching him. But daytime is another matter he needs rocking or cuddling and can’t be put down which is a bit problematic if we can’t do anything. I know he is still young but I’m really conflicted - should I be trying to get him to nap in a dark room in his next to me? As downstairs in the light he seems to just wake up (if I can put him down) at every sound. I don’t mind even sitting upstairs with him whilst he naps if I can get him to go down on his own. Or will he just grow out of needing me to hold him? Should I be putting him down drowsy but awake or is he too young for this? So confused with conflicting information, I know he needs his mum and he is only little but I would like to get a good structure in place. Does it just come with age? Would appreciate ideas from anyone who has managed to change this situation at this kind of age 2 months.

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ChittyBang1987 · 24/09/2022 15:57

I didn't get out of contacting napping until 6 months.

You can certainly try and imitating what you do at night time. You have nothing to lose. Just make sure you stay in same room as lo.

You can try drowsy but awake but I found it never worked and had to do from fully awake. We found a dummy helped with self soothing. Also nice loud white or pink noise.

Looking back I wish I didn't stress about independent sleep and enjoyed cuddles and watched netflix. And making sure I have a lunch and flask with me.

Tangfastic91 · 24/09/2022 16:09

Embrace the contact nap! My LO is 8 months now and will only sleep in the cot unless they are ill. I miss the snuggles. Set low expectations of doing things/chores etc then you won't be disappointed. At around 3 months I was able to get LO to nap in their next to me for 20 to 30 mins and then contact napped the rest to get a decent chunk of sleep in. Implementing a nap time routine similar to a bedtime routine may help. Good luck!

FrizzledFrazzle · 24/09/2022 20:23

I think just go with it for now.

At 9 weeks DS was only really contact napping or sleeping in his car seat in a moving car. Then he started napping in the pram. Now at 3 months he will also let me put him down into the stationary pram at home. And has also managed a short nap in his cot.

I didn't do anything special to encourage this, I think it just comes with them feeling more comfortable and safe as they get used to being in the world.

trrk · 25/09/2022 10:20

Watching as I have a similar situation with my 11 week old. She will also nap in the moving pram but not when stationary or in her cot.

GinnyBee · 25/09/2022 11:16

Just cuddle that baby! I promise you that in ten years you will not be thinking "I wish I cleaned more!" Contact naps are super healthy for baby's development, they are biologically wired to want to be close to you and will sleep better when in contact. It also aids with developing healthy emotional regulation.

He will grow out of it. Not for a few weeks yet, but will eventually. Trying to get infants to sleep independently at such a young age is purely 100% for adults' convenience, babies benefit from being held and carried.

sunflowerandivy · 25/09/2022 13:55

Forget it. 9 weeks old?! We contact napped until 6.5 months and then did some sleep training for the cot. One week at around 5.5 months we tried cot naps and she wouldn't sleep / cried and I thought we were doomed but then at 6.5 months tried again and went very smoothly. I'm currently contact napping now as we are at granny's house but at home she does 1-2 hour naps in cot where previously failed. Give it time!

sleeplessinyork · 25/09/2022 15:27

At 9 weeks we did a lot of sling naps with DD. Would that work better for you as then you're at least not stuck in one place?

Around 4 months I slowly started to do some shush patting to get her to nap in her Moses basket which worked eventually.

poppet131 · 01/04/2023 13:14

@Maisie2019 Did you end up doing any sleep training to get your little one to nap in the cot? Or did she eventually grow out of contact naps? X

Maisie2019 · 11/04/2023 10:08

@poppet131 my son is almost 9 months now and still loves a good contact nap now and then! He has never napped in his cot. However what we did instead was pram naps we realised he would fall asleep on a walk and so when he’s ready for his nap we pop him in his pram and push it around the kitchen for a bit. At the start it was a bit of a battle but after a while he got the hang of it and now it’s just a few pushes and he closes his eyes. At nursery through he naps on a floor bed no idea how they manage that - nursery magic!

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