Napping

JulesET

Ok I know this is probably going to sound really dumb but, here goes...how am I supposed to put DS down for a nap? I really feel clueless when it comes to getting him to nap. He doesn't fall asleep on his own and I don't want him to have to have bottle to sleep....so how am I supposed to get him to fall asleep? He will usually fall asleep in his swing but I hate having to rely on the motion...or is that okay still? How do you get you LO's to take a nap (if you can)?

curlycasey

I say let him nap in his swing. DS1 napped in his swing until 7 months and he's a great sleeper now.

TMNTgirl

After he's been awake 1.5 to 2 hours and starts to look tired or get a bit fussy or rubs his face then I take him to the nursery. I change his diaper and put a sleep sack on him. Then read a book and rock a bit as I sing to him and put him in the crib with white noise on. He kinda cries and fusses on and off for 5 to 10 mins and falls asleep. He usually only sleeps 35 to 45 mins, so that sucks. But oh well.

It took us a long time to get to this point. And I remember with DS1 his naps didn't get long and regular until he was about 6 months old.

If the swing works for now, then I would use it.

No longer works for us since its out in the living room and he won't sleep with the lights on and a crazy toddler running around.

BransonsBecca

This is what we've started doing this week and so far, she's napped twice a day for 5 days straight. I get about an hour in the morning and 2 or 3 in the afternoon. I BF, so when I see her getting tired, I nurse, and then sometimes, I'll do a small bottle, just to push her over the edge...

Then, I put her in the swing, cover her with a blanket, put paci in her mouth, and walk away. I usually go sit at my desk, so I can keep my eye on her, but I don't talk to her. If her paci gets spit out, I walk over and put it back in, but I still don't talk to her.

It usually takes about 15 minutes of silence, but she eventually goes to sleep. I think the silence reminds her of our nighttime routine. When I take her back to bed, I nurse her silently and don't say anything to her until the morning.

FWIW, DD has never liked her swing. But I got tired of rocking her for 2 hours only to get a 30 min nap. So I decided that for now, the swing was where she was going to have to nap!

 

ETA: She's not crying when she's in the swing, I don't let her CIO for 15 minutes!!! She is usually talking or just looking around. Just didn't want to get flamed!

JulesET

Well I guess it is good to know that I am not alone in the napping failure department. : (

 I guess I will just let him stay in the swing for now, I am just so not looking forward to when he grows out of it....