Nap time - when do you swaddle?

bikitybinx

My mat leave ends in 3 weeks.  Thankfully I have an amazing boss that is allowing me to WFH indefinitely.  My problem is that LO only naps on me and this will seriously impede my ability to work.  For those of you whose LOs can nap without being on you, at what point do you swaddle for the nap?  When she is drowsy?  When you have reached the threshhold for wakefulness?  After they have fallen asleep?   Any routines, methods or products that have worked for you? I want to start trying to put her down for naps so that when work time comes she is used to it, but i am clueless how to do it...TIA

poobear2015

I don't swaddle anymore - but when I did, I swaddled ahead of time, knowing nap time was around noon and bed time was around 10. All her other unpredictable naps - I just let her sleep either without a blanket, or I tuck the blanket around her sides all the way to the middle of her back, then tuck the bottom to meet the sides. I don't know if that's a safety issue or whatever - but it's what I do. If you don't feel safe doing that - then I would try getting her to learn with no blanket.

Jeanine88

We're not in a nap schedule yet, but I do swaddle when I see the signs of sleepiness. I know we have to stop swaddling soon but it helps our little guy so much!

88eve88

I swaddle ahead of time as well.  LO goes down for his naps after about 2 hours of awake time.  Normally, I change his diaper, swaddle and then nurse him to sleep. However, for the past 2 days, he screams instead of nurses, so today I just rocked/bounced him to sleep instead.  Hopefully he'll be hungry when he wakes up!

I find that LO will fall asleep easier if I make sure he's not overtired, so I watch for sleepy cues as well.  Sometimes it's less than 2 hours of awake time. 

ETA: If you don't want to swaddle, you could always use a sleep sack.  Swaddling works so well for us (I think DS associates it with sleep) that I'm nowhere close to giving it up yet! 

88eve88

Ainslie325:

88eve88:

I swaddle ahead of time as well.  LO goes down for his naps after about 2 hours of awake time.  Normally, I change his diaper, swaddle and then nurse him to sleep. However, for the past 2 days, he screams instead of nurses, so today I just rocked/bounced him to sleep instead.  Hopefully he'll be hungry when he wakes up!

I find that LO will fall asleep easier if I make sure he's not overtired, so I watch for sleepy cues as well.  Sometimes it's less than 2 hours of awake time. 

Sounds like "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child." I also let sleep cues and the two hour rule guide his naps. 

 

Yes! I've been reading that book and even though I'm not finished reading it yet, it's already made a big difference in how I view infant sleep. 

MollySm

I wait 90 minutes after she's woken up (I tried 2 hrs, but it was too long).  I then swaddle her, and cuddle her with her paci in.  She gets drowsy quickly, and then I put her down.  She usually falls asleep about 10 or 15 min afterwards.  If she's flailing her arms and legs around, I give it a minute, and then pick her back up and cuddle some more until she is drowsy again.