Advice - co sleeping and contact naps

[rosesarentred]

My 6mo Co sleeps and contact naps. With the contact naps I've just started to put him in his cot (once already asleep) for at least 1 nap a day for my own sanity. If I'm luck he does 1 sleep cycle. If I'm not then he does 10 minutes but I thought maybe I persevere he will get used to waking in his cot so it will be easier to keep him in it down the line?

Does anyone think this is worth it?

I have no idea how to stop bed sharing as at night time he absolutely will not sleep in his cot. So I thought maybe, naps is a good place to start?

Just looking to hear others from experience of this.

For the record we bed share safely so no advice on that is needed. I would just prefer if he slept in his own cot, for my relationship and back 😂

It is ABSOLUTELY worth it. Without a shadow of a doubt. Persevere.

The easiest way to get your baby sleeping well in their own cot is to get them able to fall asleep on their own, in their cot. We did that via Ferber, but there are other, gentler methods.

For his most recent nap he roused when I put him down in his cot, opened his eyes and then turned to the side and dropped off. Did this 3 times before finally falling asleep. Does this count as falling asleep on his own?

As above, ideally, he needs to fall asleep in the cot.
You can do it gently by adding more sleep associations when he is falling asleep on you pat his bottom. Then you'll be able to do it in the cot. You could also get him a comforter toy to get attached to. This worked for us.
Once he is happily being shush patted to sleep in the cot, you can leave him. we returned every 3 mins and it didn't take long for my son to fall asleep. Maybe 20mins the first time.

He’s on the cusp of grasping object permanence so soon he won’t appreciate waking up in a different place to the one he fell asleep in. If you use the gradual retreat so he falls asleep in the cot you can achieve a real, lasting change to his sleep habits.
You can bring him into the bed on the first wakeup at night if you don’t want to stop cosleeping altogether

Hi OP, I do empathise... watching with interest for advice as my LO is like this but is only 2 months old. We have been doing much as you have, trying a cot nap for one nap a day (transfering once asleep). My plan is to also start attempting to settle her in her cot at bedtime (currently anytime between 7-8pm), just so she gets used to that as a routine (even if unsuccessful). My husband usually sits up with her currently until after her later bottle (11pm) so that I can get a chunk of decent sleep, as I do not sleep well co sleeping. This does not feel like a good long term routine for us.

If we are still in this boat at 6mo we will be doing some form of sleep training if I feel she is ready- probably Ferber which as I understand is difficult but relatively short lived compared to the gentler methods which are more strung out. Can I ask what other sleep aids you use if any? Like white noise/swaddle/dummy etc? Do you stay with your LO and shush/pat if he wakes? We have tried it all and nothing has helped so far. I know she is still very small and 4th trimester and all that, but they must form habits and sleep associations at some point!

DD will sleep in the car which is helpful for school runs, and I will often let her sleep for a short time in her car seat when we are home to make a quick coffee and go to the loo! I hope you find some useful advice on here (which I can steal!).

Keep persevering.

My now 20 month old DD did exactly the same.

Though there was a point around 9/10 months where I just couldn't get her to sleep by rocking for her third nap, so I would take her for a walk to fall asleep in the pram.

Now myself or hubby lay with her in bed until she's asleep. She goes through the whole night on her own.

Never once did we sleep train.

My child is a terrible sleeper - so my advice may be useless…

I got DS a single bed. Slept in there with him, but could sneak out once he was settled. Slowly, slowly he became able to sleep there on his own. He still likes company to fall asleep, but mostly I can get out and sleep in my own bed. If I do need to get back in with him, at least it is a full-sized single so I’m fairly comfortable.

@Richtea67 we use a sunny, shushing, gentle circular back rubs and just this week began introducing a comforter during contact naps to try and build an association.

Thanks for all the advice to persevere, think I needed the motivation especially when he only does 5 minutes and wakes up but hopefully the more time he spends in his cot knowing it's safe the easier it will be to transition to cot at night time

A dummy * 🙈

Any update? I am in the same position with my 6 month old!