What Are We Doing Wrong?

[JollyHostess101]

Our 4month old does not nap unless she falls asleep in her swing and then it’s hit and miss and only for about 30mins! If we can transfer her to her cot without waking!

And no matter what time we start bedtime routine she won’t settle til done midnight sometimes even 1/2 am….. but once she’s down she sleeps through for 8/9 hours? Friends think we’re lucky as she’s sleepy through but the days seem so long without her napping!!

what can we do to try and egg she down earlier? Any advice appreciated!!

Lean onto letting her nap in the swing or bouncy chair during the day. Supervise the naps, rather than going to sleep yourself. Don't try to move baby once asleep. And use the movement to lengthen naps as much as possible.

Once awake from a nap, doubt the length of time the nap was and that's when to start the next nap (in swing/bouncer). So 30 min nap means 1h awake between naps.

More daytime sleep will make it easier to get baby to sleep in the evening/night and result in overall better sleep.

Thank you so much!!

Sorry OP the advice from the above poster is really dangerous advice. Babies have died from napping in swings. Swings and bouncy chairs are not sleep safe, when the baby is in certain positions their oxygen level drops and they can die. Please don't listen to this advice.

Sleep is developmental and I know you're at your wits end with trying to get the baby to sleep right now, but their sleep will fall into place eventually if you keep doing your bedtime routine as this underpins the daytime routine too. Some babies go to sleep a lot easier than others. DD went to sleep like clockwork but DS (our first) did exactly what yours does and I know how hard that is.

One thing that worked for us was taking DS out in his pram until he fell asleep, then transfer to cot at night, we got him to go to sleep at 9/10 instead of 12/1 doing this. Prams are sleep safe so this is a lot safer than letting them sleep in their toys (as tempting as it is - DS used to fall asleep easily in his bouncy chair as well).

During the day they can just be left napping in the pram safely after a walk but the temperature change can wake them up which is why they leave the pram outside in Sweden but that's not really the done thing in the UK.

When they get to 6 months the SIDS risk improves massively and they can hold their heads up better with improved neck muscles, which means it's not as dangerous to let them have the odd nap in the bouncy chair or swing, but not when they're very little, sorry.

That's why I said supervised naps.The baby's oxygen levels do not just drop, there is a cause. It helps to understand that cause, so that you can make informed decisions. The danger comes from positional asphyxia - generally caused by airway obstruction due to the extreme flexion of the infant head in an unsupported seated position. ie, babys head slumping forward. Supervising the nap means you spot this happening.Also worth putting the danger in context. There is little evidence on the use of sitting devices (such as bouncers, pushchairs and swings) and sudden infant death. One 2015 study that reviewed incidents reported to the US CPSC between 2004-2008 identified 47 incidents in sitting devices, that included four in bouncers and four in swings. The proportional numbers are very, very small.I mention the numbers because SIDS risks can be viewed disproportionately. For example, the risk of SIDS death is greater if you don't use a dummy. Or bottle feed rather than breastfeed. Or cosleep. Or use a wearable sling. That's not to mention the biggies of smoking, prone sleeping or falling asleep on sofa with baby in your arms.The best possible place for baby to sleep is always a clear, flat, firm surface without any loose bedding, with a dummy, with care giver in the room and the room being 16-20°. Managing the risks in real life ends up being a balancing act between what is ideal and what is practical.At risk if writing a cliché - you do you.

There was paragraphs in my post when I write it! Apologies reader.