Last post...Cat naps

MsZoeB

My baby has become a cat napper! He is sleeping pretty well over night with one feeding but during the day is another story.

Hhe will nurse and fall asleep but wake when i  burp him, we change him, do a little bit of floor play both back and tummy, then he starts to get cranky so I try to put him down to sleep but he isn't interested. We swaddle, unswaddle, rock, walk, swing, carseat, bassinet with and without vibrate, and finally he dozes off. The entire process is about 2+ hrs. Then he naps for ab out 20-40mins and the process starts all over again.

I assume this is normal for some kids but I really want to get him on more of a nursing sleeping schedule if possible. Any suggestions?

NikCole

How old is he now?... I forget, since you don't have a ticker. But, that is totally normal. Evan went through a similar phase when he was about 6 weeks. Once they become more aware of their surroundings, they don't want to miss anything! I found that taking him out of the house (eveb just out on the front porch, a short walk around the block, or a car ride to the bank drive-thru) gave him enough stimulation that he would fall asleep easier and stay asleep longer. He slept best in his swing, but once he outgrew that naps became a nightmare! Until he was about 7 months and we CIO. He has been a great night sleeper from the begining, but naps were always tough.

Telyco

Yep - the EASY method from the baby whisperer! I've done it with both kids from the beginning and I swear by it. EASY makes it so you know exactly what is coming next....Eat, Play, Sleep. If he falls asleep while nursing...wake him up - make sure he eats a "full meal"...play - which at a newborn stage just means to diaper, change, talk to...and then maybe an hour later he'll be ready for a nap...so when he starts to get whiney you are sure he is tired, not wondering if he is still hungry because he fell asleep while nursing. Another added benefit is not getting him into the habit of nursing to sleep - which seems like a tough thing to break down the line.

The only time I didn't do activity after eating is the middle of the night feeding - just fed in the dark and rocked back to sleep.

It may take a bit to get him going on this - but well worth it!

jnk062602

Telyco:

Yep - the EASY method from the baby whisperer! I've done it with both kids from the beginning and I swear by it. EASY makes it so you know exactly what is coming next....Eat, Play, Sleep. If he falls asleep while nursing...wake him up - make sure he eats a "full meal"...play - which at a newborn stage just means to diaper, change, talk to...and then maybe an hour later he'll be ready for a nap...so when he starts to get whiney you are sure he is tired, not wondering if he is still hungry because he fell asleep while nursing. Another added benefit is not getting him into the habit of nursing to sleep - which seems like a tough thing to break down the line.

The only time I didn't do activity after eating is the middle of the night feeding - just fed in the dark and rocked back to sleep.

It may take a bit to get him going on this - but well worth it!

Yup, we do this exactly!  Naps are getting to be rougher again though now because if I am out doing errands she no longer just falls asleep in the carseat like she used to.  We also still use the swing for naps, which I'm sure the time to stop that is coming up too soon!