You guessed it.... napping nightmare. Please help!

jeffnstef

So I'm going nuts. An ongoing issue. Lydia will ONLY nap in my bed. I have tried her crib, she wakes up within a half hour (I really think it's because any noise downstairs travels right up the stairs and into her room). She screams bloody murder when I put her in the pack n play. I can put her in there asleep, and it doesn't matter. She wakes up very soon after. Today I put her in there awake but sleepy and she screamed non-stop for 15 minutes to the point where she might have thrown up if I hadn't rescued her. Now she's passed out on you guessed it, my bed. What would you do? Part of me is thinking if she's warm and comfy and wants to sleep there and takes a good nap, fine. But it makes me nervous to leave her in a "big bed" where she could fall. I have tucked pillows into the fitted sheet and tucked the blankets in all around her at the waist, and check on her often, but it still makes me really nervous.

JulesFo

It's tough when they do this! ;-) My opinion -- babies adjust to most things after a couple of days, even though it is hard on us moms. If you'd like to transition her, I'd try to make it as easy as possible, but that doesn't mean it won't be without tears.

So, try a white noise maker in her room to help with the noise traveling issue. Put her to nap in her crib (sleepy, asleep, whatever you feel will work best). If she sleeps only 30 min., then hey -- at least she got that in her crib, get her back up and maybe give her a catnap later. The naps likely will get longer and longer.

If she is clearly tired and starts crying right away when you put her down, give her a few minutes and go back in, calm her down and try again. If that doesn't work, do what keeps you sane (it may mean a nap on you or whatever you feel is best).

 Remember, just bc it doesn't work one day doesn't mean it won't work the next, so keep trying. Babies are way more adjustable than we think, even if it's not as instantaneous as we'd like! Give her a chance to transition and that may mean a little trial and error.

 GL!! Remember, this is just my opinion having dealt with my two girls -- you need to do what feels natural to you and you'll be fine.

jeffnstef

thanks for the advice. We just bought some room darkening curtains to help with the issue of the room maybe being too bright during the day. I'll drag out her white noise machine and start trying again in her room. She seems to like her crib, maybe the pack n play just isn't comfortable for her for some reason.

JulesFo

Yep, both my babies hated their PnPs but adjusted well to their cribs. Good luck with it! And yes, darkening shades are awesome.

unaveragejane

I definitely recommend the sound machine or some kind of white noise. We have wood floors, so things tend to echo up the stairs a lot at my house. I keep a small fan running in DS's room when he is sleeping, and it drowns out most of the noise.

colemangal85

Maybe it is also your smell? Your bed has a smell that is comforting to her? Try sleeping with her crib sheets for a few nights and then putting them in her crib and see if that helps?