Naps during the day- am I doing this right? :s

yellowdaisies84

Hi all,

My 2 1/2 month old is a good sleeper at night (although wakes frequently to nurse) and I was able to successfully transition her to sleeping in her crib at night really easily. The only thing is that naps during the day have always been in my arms. She is different during the day- she falls asleep often especially after nursing and has nice long naps in your arms. I've tried off and on to put her down for naps but she always wakes up as soon as you put her down. So I just held her. I didn't mind too much- I would get a "break" and watch TV and she would get some good sleep.

The last couple of days I have noticed she is getting pretty big (she's a tall baby) to sleep in my arms and I think I disturbed her sleep a little bit from little sounds or movements I would make- even a sigh or an itch could wake her a bit. Anyway, I decided yesterday it was time to train her to nap in her crib. The first nap of the day was a long one in my arms. Then, for the rest of the day I tried to keep putting her in her crib. 

It was not super successful. She hardly napped at all yesterday! At one point I did get her down in her crib and it felt amazing! But it only lasted 15 minutes (usually she naps for hours) And most of the time she fell asleep for a few minutes and then when I put her down she would wake up.

If I nurse her and she falls asleep (common) I am waiting 3 minutes then putting her in the crib. This is what worked once yesterday (but only for 15 mins). If she falls asleep in my arms I am walking around with her for 5 mins and then putting her down (this did not work yet.) If she seems sleepy, like this morning, I am putting her down right away to let her fall asleep on her own like she does at night. (This did not work this am.)

She is just skipping so much sleep! Last night her sleep was fairly normal, she woke often so skipping naps didn't give her a better quality sleep or a longer sleep. Should I just keep going and try again today? Will she eventually get it/get tired enough that she will go down in her crib? Am I doing this right?

My MIL thought it was really bad that I was still holding her for naps so I'm a little sensitive about it. I know this is somewhat common- my friend with an older baby still holds their baby for naps and I think at night too. I just want to know how to get her to sleep in her crib during the day! At night it was really simple for me. I just fed her and put her down and she was agreeable but she's in a different mood during the day. 

-K

niesp

Rest easy. Naps were my favorite part of the day with my son before I started back to work. He would only nap in my arms and I loved it. After i returned to work he had a few rough days but learned to sleep in his crib for naps. Just enjoy holding her. She is only this small once. You won't ruin her and haven't ruined her just start the transition slowly. Our evening naps are still filled with cuddle time, and he is doing just fine.

cam12345

Have you ever heard of the EASY method, it is eat activity sleep, so that your baby doesn't get used to always being nursed to sleep, so after she eats do some kind of activity with her she should be awake for an hour or so (every babe is different) and then you notice her sleepy cues and you can try putting her down without nursing her to sleep, so she can learn to put herself to sleep, my girl used to have this problem too and even now when she goes down after being asleep on my arms she snaps awake quickly, during the day I actually put her down on her stomach and she loves it, when she naps I just keep her in sight, I dno why but she won't nap on her back during the day but will knock out for hours on her stomach. Don't know if this will help but I also follow the suggestions in the book the baby whisperer! Also the idea that baby sleeps less during the day means they will sleep more at night isn't really true. When they are well rested during the day and happy they will usually actually have a better nights sleep.
Sorry that was a long rant I hope it helps I do know how you feel!

alvarez7285

Same here! My son will only sleep in my arms during the day it's always a battle to put him in his crib during the day he wakes up immediately no matter how long he's been asleep me holding him. But a night huge difference he falls fast asleep in crib right after his nightly feelings! Although I do enjoy holding him and this time but momma has things to do still so i got a sollybaby wrap and I put him in there during the day he'll rest easy and I'm able to get some things done. Good luck!

yellowdaisies84

I gave up today. I'll try again another time. It took me so so long to finally get her down and sleeping in her crib. She woke up 10 minutes later and she looked exhausted. Normally she would have already had two naps by that point. Next time I nursed her, I let her sleep in my arms and have a nice long sleep and she woke up so smiley I felt like I did the right thing. I'm proud of myself for trying- REALLY trying and now I know for sure that it's not because of me that she's in my arms for naps. It seems like that is what is natural for her right now. 

cam12345

Baby carrying may work great for you then she can sleep close to mom and you can still have some hands free to accomplish some things around home, worth a try!

yellowdaisies84

You know how I said she sleeps great at night in my OP? Last night she woke up a lot starting at 3am and needed to be picked up, held for like 10 mins then put back down. Repeat! Ugh!


Although I don't know the cause, I'm suspicious that I screwed up her rhythm by "keeping her up" so much during the days when she fell asleep putting her in the crib and waking her. She is having the longest nap ever now- she's been sleeping since before 1pm and it's 6:30 now. She only woke to nurse.

I seriously hope and pray that she's going to do so much better tonight after having this sleep she obviously needs but it's kind of scary- what if this is a sign of her rhythm being wonky and she'll be wide awake in the middle of the night? She was such a great sleeper, I kind of wish I didn't muck around with that.

Before I had her I was very "by the book" with my pregnancy and I actually worked with babies and preschoolers and was very "by the book" with them. Being a parent is so different. I feel like its best to use my best judgment based on what I observe in my baby, and there's no one-size-fits-all approach. The only problem is that sometimes the answers seem so mysterious! And she keeps changing!

kerry0528

I let my little guy nap during the day on his tummy about 2 hours after he eats. I just make sure that I keep the monitor with me and check on him every 20 min or so. He lasts an hour to and hour and a half which is way better than the 30 min on his back! Right now it's all about survival and you gotta do what you gotta do!

blairdavis99

My DH and I are planners & definitely routine-type people. We set up great routines, follow them to a "t" and then end up changing them two days later because our LOs (twins) keep changing. Most everything I've become concerned with and researched the heck out of ends up resolving (or changing) on its own lol. So my advice to myself is usually "this to will pass." But I am not trying to minimize any serious issues or concerns (or issues that feel serious in the moment because I have absolutely been there). Just saying hang in there - it may be perfect one day then terrible the next but you are dealing with the most lovable, unpredictable little being and you are usually just along for the ride!

yellowdaisies84

She did the thing again where she kept waking up to be held. Never did that before. Urgh!!