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Sleep

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Original poster

9 month old will not sleep ‘on the go’

21 replies

MCMP13 · 30/05/2023 12:10

Does anyone else’s baby not sleep out and about or in public? My baby will only sleep in bed and with no noise. He used to sleep anywhere until about 4/5 month old.

I’m not looking for tips or anything tbh as we don’t mind planning our days around his naps. Im just curious and looking for bit of reassurance really that my baby isn’t the only one and I’m not doing anything wrong.

Recently had comments off family members at events ‘why can’t he just sleep in his pram like other babies’ and it’s made me not feel great.

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

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PeppermintTeaThenBed · 30/05/2023 12:20

Hi OP! yes my 10 month old is like this too. I think she just loves her bed. She's the same with the car (won't drop off). If she does eventually nod off in buggy (after constant rocking) the most she'll stay asleep for is 20 mins. She's still on 2 naps so if we have got plans I just make sure one of these is a decent one in her bed and then just hope the 20 mins or so keeps her from the brink 😅 xx

Infusionist · 30/05/2023 12:27

I know a toddler like this.

It drives his mum mad now he’s on one lunchtime nap, because it’s really tricky to do days out. So I’d try to crack it if you can!

Sockbogies · 30/05/2023 12:28

Yup - DD was the same. Incredibly light sleeper, would not drop off if there was light or noise or anything remotely exciting going on. Might occasionally dose off in the pushchair but the minute there was any noise, or going from cold to warm (if putting pushchair indoors) she'd be wide awake. Didn't sleep in the car either. We had to do a long drive up north when she was 18 months old, and were told by lots of friends to do usual day routine, teatime, then pop her in her PJs and head off at her bedtime - plan being she'd fall asleep and we could transfer her into the travel cot at the hotel.

Ha ha. What a joke. Stayed awake the whole 4 hour journey. Then wouldn't go to sleep in hotel room as it was new and exciting.

I really envied those that could go anywhere and their baby would sleep. Its just luck (or lack of, in our case!).

Sockbogies · 30/05/2023 12:29

She's now 11, and still light sleeper. We tried everything, but that's just the way she was (and still is).

ArseInTheCoOpWindow · 30/05/2023 12:32

Mine was like this. Got over stimulated apart from her cot.

Later diagnosed ASD

PinkCheetah · 30/05/2023 13:01

Mine was like that too around that age. Still is to be honest. I think it's just a quirk some babies have. Nothing to worry about.

Tdcp · 30/05/2023 13:14

My DD would never sleep in the car / pram / anywhere other than in her cot, in the dark, in silence. The amount of times I heard "she'll sleep whilst we're out / in the car etc" NO, no she won't and she was horrendous if she didn't nap as well. She's 8 now and fell asleep in the car the other day for the first time since she was about 4 months old lol.

bussteward · 30/05/2023 14:34

DD would only do 20 minutes in the pram, ever, but 2-3 hours in the cot. And slept better at night for the big nap, and was less of a ratbag in the afternoon for it. So we just planned our days into mornings and afternoons, and never went far. The nap years don’t last long, it’s not a hardship.

Mamoun · 30/05/2023 14:36

My three were like this.
It meant no long day out but I enjoy the break at home.
Bring the travel cot to friends' house and pay a babysitter if you want to go out to a restaurant. It's what we've done. Doesn't last long..

24HoursFromTulseHill · 30/05/2023 19:31

My 14 month DS is like this - hasn't fallen asleep in his pram since he was 3 months old apart from a couple of times when he was unwell.
He's too interested in what's going on to fall asleep and when I tried a pram snooze cover he just got really angry.
I spent a week trying to make him nap in his pram when he was 5 months old with no success so I just had to accept that it doesn't work for him.
He's now on the cusp of dropping his morning nap and I'm excited about being able to take him out for longer trips in the morning before we have to be back home for his post-lunch nap.

solomumbychoice · 30/05/2023 22:40

Am trying to crack this too with a 14 month old. He will sleep in a pushchair with the snooze shade on but only 40 mins. Same at nursery. At home it's 90 mins. Not reassuring all these people who say it doesn't change! I wondered if it happens more if he would just get used to it

Sussexcricket · 31/05/2023 11:46

Almost two year old here
Will still nap 60-90 mins at home in her cot but in a push chair even with a snooze shade on and white noise wakes after 40 mins.
My first was the same to.
She's never just got used to it so she just has to have a short nap sometimes.
She won't even sleep longer in it Indoors.
40 mins in the car to or on someone's sofa if visiting someone

Original poster

MCMP13 · 01/06/2023 10:00

Thanks everyone for your replies, it is reassuring to know my baby is not the only one. I look after him 99% of the time and I am happy with arranging our days around his naps, they are only this young once and he won’t nap forever 🥹 x

OP posts:

Sussexcricket · 04/06/2023 14:48

Def not the only one. I've never understood why mine won't do more than 40 mins unless in a cot at home. It's so annoying

bussteward · 04/06/2023 14:51

I mean thinking about it I’ll always jolt awake on the train, in the car, definitely if I were in a sling! But would doze for hours in a bed.

Questionsforyou · 04/06/2023 15:03

I've got one of these babies but I'm trying to crack him, because I can't plan my days round his naps or my four year old might destroy me 🤣

YouJustDoYou · 04/06/2023 15:04

Mine didn't until he was over 4 years.

Sussexcricket · 04/06/2023 16:45

questionsforyou I've given up trying to crack it haha with my almost two year old
She has to lump it and have a 30-45 min push chair nap as I'm not spending lunch time indoors every day anymore with a 7 year old to
She'd do 60-90 minutes at home
She's never just got used to it 🤣😭

CoodleMoodle · 04/06/2023 17:03

DD stopped napping in the buggy at around the same age (4ish months), all her naps were at home after that. If we went to visit someone I'd have to try to get her to sleep in a bedroom or something, which wasn't always fun! She dropped her nap at 2y3m precisely and I was semi-relieved.

DS napped in the buggy if we went out (had less choice as we also had DD to consider) but he'd only do 45mins. That wasn't so bad when he had more than one nap, but when he transitioned to a single, two hour nap it could be very difficult because once he was awake, that was it for the day. He stopped napping entirely at 20mo, first day of lockdown. I wasn't so relieved that time!

Sussexcricket · 04/06/2023 17:21

My daughter pinged awake at 40 mins exactly in the buggy today again 🤣
Thankfully now at almost two she can be very grumpy when she first wakes but it's just enough to get through a day now at least 🤣

WeightoftheWorld · 04/06/2023 17:50

Yes my DC1 was like this from being about 12 months old and DC2 from about 3/4 months old. They have both slept in pram and car when necessary, but not well. We did a lot of planning around naps which was easier with one child than now that we have two as it's not fair to limit eldest all the time just cos of littlest's naps. Although eldest will be in school from September so that will make things easier in the week. It's particularly bad if we go on holiday.

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