Using swings for naps at 11 weeks (9 weeks adjusted)

masked_rose86

The girls are sleep fighters during the day (see post below) but I wonder if I just have been allowing too long of "awake" time at a time.  It is hard though because this morning, I've been putting them down/winding them down for sleep, it has been less than an hour of awake time, 30+ minutes which includes eating (they eat about every 2 hours!).  

Their second nap of the morning started at 9:30 (first nap was right after their first morning feed about 7/7:30).  I put them in their swings after they had about 10 minutes of play time on their mat.  In all, they probably only were awake 45-50 minutes if that!  I put them in their swings as I saw them quiet down on their mats, not really paying attention to toys (and since their first nap was only about 20 min).  I started the swing so it would rock them to sleep because they were still pretty awake.  I tried to stop it after they fell asleep but they would wake up.  So I just left the swings running after the 2nd time of trying to stop the swing.

In some ways I feel worried about starting a bad "habit" or sleep association.  But at the same time, I feel like fussiness and "overtiredness" is much more of a problem right now (my girls are still SUPER fussy throughout the day :-( ).  Is it okay for me to be using swings/rock n plays/nursing etc as a tool to get them to sleep for now and worry about breaking those later after we get some sleep patterns/times established?

ETA: They went 80 minutes so far in their swings and their naps usually last 20-30 minutes (at most!) so this really extended out their sleep too.  One just woke up but seems content still so I haven't yet picked her up....

*Those of you who used these tools, when and how did you transition them to their cribs for naps?* 

OrangeSmoke

At 11weeks, I wouldn't stress about it.  Give them whatever comfort they need to go to sleep.

My boys slept in bouncers until they were 8 months old.  They transitioned to the crib without a peep.

 

kkghotty

At that age, I wouldn't worry.  My twins slept in their swings (naps only) until they were 9 months old.  They go to daycare 3 days/week and slept fine in the cribs there at naptime, but refused to nap in their cribs at home.  When they were 9 months old, my husband and I decided to go cold turkey on the swings.  We put them away one day and put the twins in their cribs at naptime.  There was some crying/fussing for a day or two, but they transitioned quickly. 

MrsLnt

I stressed so hard about swing sleeping because I had Dr. Weissbluth's info about "motion sleep is junk sleep" in the back of my mind. But, at that age, the swings were the only way we got a decent nap. I started using the swings around 8 weeks or so (which was 5 adjusted and even though mine weren't preemies I believe in adjusting age that early on for sleep stuff, based on my experience). I would swaddle and put them in their crib for naps but if they woke midway (which they almost always did), into the swing they went, in the living room, with the swing white noise going. 

By the time they were 6 months old, the swings were history and they were sleeping in their cribs.  I think always starting the nap in the crib helped them realize that crib = sleep. 

Just do what you have to do to get sleep at this age. It won't be forever.  

Kristi1971

I don't know if this has been a good idea or not, but we have been keeping our girls in the livingroom during the day and in their cribs upstairs at night.  I was hoping it would help them get the night/day thing straight.  I just felt like if they used their cribs for naps, they would just always be in them (up until recently).  Now yesterday my husband was home and he kept the girls in the cribs for their naps...they were in their cribs all day.  So I'm up in the air about what to do.  I like to be downstairs during the day, and I like them to be with me.  So as soon as I got home, I brought the awake baby down.  Ugh.  Our girls are also 11 weeks (3 weeks adjusted).

kiwi443

My girls are a few weeks older, but they only have about an hour of wake time. If I keep them up longer, it's really hard (particularly for one of the girls) to fall asleep.

As far as the swings, do what you have to do. I just transitioned my babies to pnp naps. They had been using vibrating bouncy seats. It was rough the first day, but today has been a breeze.

ougrad1

Let them sleep when/how they will sleep.  Emerson slept exclusively in her swing until 4 months and the babies exclusively in it until 6 months.  I didn't have an issue when I finally got enough courage to transition them to their cribs.  I was able to put their bouncies on vibrate in the cribs and let them sleep like that for about a week and then, right into the cribs.

Let them sleep....worry about transitioning later. 

LakeGenevaBride

One of my boys napped in his swing until he was 9 months old.  It was seriously the only way I could get him to nap.   It took him 2 days or so to transition to the crib.  Well worth it in my opinion.  Let them sleep wherever they will nap and worry about the transition later.