Daytime naps don't happen unless we're on the move. Any sleep training success stories?

[Babyisaac]

My DS is 6 months old. He is what I would describe as a "high-needs" baby. Cries at the drop of a hat, hates his buggy, car seat and bumbo. Hates being put down, wants to be carried all the time.

Anyway, he has always been hopeless at sleeping in the day. It basically doesn't happen unless we're out and about - buggy or car seat. Now, after 6 months I'm getting a bit fed up of having to be out of the house most of the day. He has about an hour in the morning, 1.5 hours at lunch and then another half an hour late afternoon. It's exhausting having to be out all the time!

Does anyone have any success stories of getting their LOs to sleep in the house during the day (cot would be brilliant!) - I don't want to be tied to the house but having the option would be lovely and I might actually get something done!

Have you tried a sling? I have not used one but I know several mums who have and seemed to like them.

Oh also, how is he at night? Does he sleep in his cot then??

K999, yes he does get carried around in a sling but won't sleep in one. That has only happened on a couple of occasions. He is an extremely light sleeper and only very firm pram pushes will get him to sleep and keep him that way! And yes, he will sleep in his cot at night and can self-settle.

Oh gosh - dont know what to suggest then. If he can self settle at night I cant see why he cant do this during the day? Is the room dark enough etc? Is he put down at the same time every day?

My DS is now 2 and I still have to take him out in his pram or in the car to get him to sleep during the day. He is fine settling at night, but just won't do it during the day.

Just think of the exercise and its a great excuse not to get anything done in the house!

My dd was the same - it was ok at first, but when winter came and I was out in the p*ing rain it got ridiculous. I ended up having to do sleep training - pick up put down. My dp always had more success - think I was getting too stressed - it will happen and when it does it is bliss - I was able to have lunch sitting down, make calls, do a bit of housework. Now 3 years later my ds is even worse, plus he won't settle at night - here we go again - good luck

DS didn't nap in his cot til about this age -- had to be buggy or car. I started by putting him in a bouncy chair and jiggling it while shushing and stroking his head and gradually this started to work (I also found using a dummy at naptimes helped at this time). After a few weeks of this, I was able to put him in his cot and jiggle/cuddle him to sleep. It was slow going and frustrating sometimes, but by 12mo he was a consistent cot napper. IMO it is worth trying because the ability to have an hour to yourself is a very good thing.

meant to saymy dd is now a fantastic sleeper - just need to get ds to do the same

blackout blinds helped with day time naps here

And the realisation that five mins crying in the cot before dropping off was preferable to 30 mins crying on my shoulder before putting him down asleep.

Sorry if neither applies

has he had cranial osteopathy? It could well improve this, he may not be comfortable lying down which makes it difficult for him to drop off and stay asleep?

DD was like this at 6 months. I decided that the cot obviously wasn't the place for her to sleep in the day & focussed on the pushchair. I went from walking her whole nap to walking a little way & parking her to just putting her in her pushcahir to sleep. DD now happily (most of the time) goes for her lunchtime nap in the pushcahir on the veranda (or in the spare room when it is really cold in winter) She much prefers to sleep in a semi upright position too, never sleeps well in the day if I lie her completely flat.

I second MegBusset's suggestion about the bouncy chair. I never used to be able to get DS to nap in the daytime, and carrying him in a sling is just exhausting (he's a heavy boy!). I bought a Chicco Relax and Play bouncy chair, which is nice and padded and also has a reclining back, so safe and comfortable to sleep in. I can now wait till he was asleep in my arms, then put him down, rock him a bit if he stirs. Sometimes I can also put him down before he's asleep and rock him to sleep, he cries a bit but usually for no longer than 10 mins or so. I also have a white noise CD which I think helps him. Good luck...

Sorry for the long download but here goes....
My DD was like this - basically she couldn't nap or sleep in the day if there was anything to look at or stimulate her. She'd sometimes go off in the pram/car seat but not in the house.
I just started to put her down for a nap - the morning one - in the house - consistently everyday. She wasn't happy about this and I generally had to pick up/put down a lot to start with (I also put her on her front so that there is less to look at). It was hard work but I think that doing it e very day worked, I then started to do it with her second nap - same process. It can be frustrating as you have to be in the house but I too like you just couldn't cope with having to be on the go the whole time.
When I first started this she would go for 40mins max (though could quite happily self settle at night and always could). But eventually started taking longer naps at 4 months.
She has never needed more than 2.5-3hrs sleep in the day - even as a newborn - but she now will go down for a main nap middle of the day for about 2-2.5 hrs and then will cat nap in the morning/afternoon for about 20 mins.
She still fights sleep at every nap every day - even though I can clearly see that she's v tired - yawning, rubbing eyes etc and will squawk/chunter for a good 10-15 mins when I put her down but does settle herself. She never settles on me as she wants to play/lookaround.

Help. My 4month old DS will ONLY nap during the day in a sling. He goes down to his crib at night for a solid sleep 7:30pm-1:30am FEED - then sleeps again till around 4am FEED, then wakes to come into bed w/ us around 6am, and sleeps till around 7 or 8am.
HOWEVER, during the day he cannot sleep in his stroller, the car, his swing, or even my arms. The sling is a SWIFT solution....he drifts off in less than 5 min every time . But at nearly 8 kg, my back is complaining! Any tips??

Was having quite a few sleep issues with DD (5 months) prompted by growth spurt which got her into a new habit of not napping and being v. disturbed at night. Once that was over I went down the CC route, which was something I thought I would never do, but have to say it has worked well. It got the night times sorted out in 3 days and then started doing it for the daytime naps in her cot as before the only place she would sleep was the sling. She now always does her morning nap in the cot and whilst she still isn't great at doing long naps, she will generally grumble (not full blown crying) for max. of about 10 mins before she falls asleep. The afternoon nap is in the cot if we are at home - sometimes this one is harder and she will really resist. If it is a different cry to just grumbling I put her in the sling.
The one thing I have decided around naps is that I will be grateful for all daytime sleep she gets. I was getting v. stressed about her not sleeping for the requisite amount of time in the requisite place to the point where DH and I were arguing about it because I was getting obsessive. I have read a LOT of sleep books and a couple of things I remind myself now when she wakes up after 45 mins is that a) overall hours of sleep in 24 is the most important thing and b) be very very grateful she is like this in the daytime and not at night.
Weissbluth (Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child)says that some babies take a while to mature into a good daytime nap pattern and some will just not sleep where you want them to so you have to go with what works and just keep trying.
So sorry, no magic solution - keep going with the routine, right intervals between naps, watch sleep cues and hopefully it is one of those things that will sort itself it.

Thanks for the encouragement. Tried the crib again (swaddled and rocked before han, and lots of white noise), but after 1/2 hour of whining, the crying started. into the sling, and out in 4 minutes. I'll keep trying the crib for naps once a day. Thankfully he takes to his crib w/out problems at night.
Best of luck with your DD and her grown spurt!

Hi Crysostomus - I could have written your post a week ago! My DS is same age and just as addicted to the sling. We've been trying Pick up Put down (baby whisper) for the last week and it has worked. He'll go to sleep in his cot now for 30-40 mins. However, he can't seem to sleep longer than that lying flat yet, so we've decided to let him have one sling sleep each day to catch up the time. What I'm hoping is that he'll start to go longer in the cot soon and I'll be able to drop the sling altogether for sleeps. Message me if you need more details on the PUPD for a 4 month old.

We had this problem and got through it by changing our routine - started having afternoon nap at home in the cot EVERY DAY consistently, and also started putting on baby music and laying next to the cot and pretend to sleep, or read a book - so I was always there, but preoccupied and this eventually worked. Also did lots of cuddling and rocking before putting in the cot and putting on music.

My 11-wk DD is also used to morning naps in a sling, which kills my shoulders/back. Today, for the first time, she is sleeping on her own!!! Took 15-20 min of picking up and putting down. What really helps is a dark room and white noise on full blast (Becky77 recommended that -- thanks!!!). The trouble is, I don't know whether I should wake her now! She's been going 1 hr and 10 min so far.