Babies: 3 - 6 Months
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Tell me about your nap routine
We have a solid bedtime routine which works well. DD goes down without the slightest whimper these days. However, we need a routine for nap time. She naps in her swing (another issue entirely) and sometimes she goes down without a problem. Other times (like right now) she fusses and complains for ages before giving in and going to sleep.
I'd rather not have a long, drawn out routine. Just a few simple cues that it's time to sleep. I think it would help transition her out of her swing too since she's starting to get a little big for it.
TIA!
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Re: Tell me about your nap routine
My son has a very good schedule right now and he naps amazingly for me. Has since we started him on the schedule at 3 weeks.
Breakfast 9am.
Usually takes a "cat nap" right after for about 20 minutes.
He stays awake and playing until
Lunch 12pm
Then it is nap time. Usually goes down for a nap between 12.30 and 1.
He sleeps for about 2 hours most of the time.
All I did was when I gave him his lunch bottle I would make everything dark and quiet. right before his lunch he got a nice clean diaper, a lotion rub and then he got his bottle. it took about 3 days of him just being fussy and not wanting to go to sleep before he finally figured out...it is nap time now. Because I would just leave him alone. after he ate he went into his crib and he had to take his nap. sometimes he would talk or play instead of napping, but he had quiet time for at least an hour.
then he takes another "cat nap" around 5.30ish and then bedtime about 9. and he STTN.
my suggestion is just to make everything quiet and dark when you want her to sleep. then just leave her alone. she might be fussy, but if she starts to figure out that after this routine she gets completely left alone for X amount of time, she will start taking her nap with no problem.
My son just immediately lays down and gets comfy when i put him in the crib now.
good luck!
Adele goes down for a nap about every 90 minutes right now. This is her nap time routine:
1. Story
2. Sleep sack
3. Lovie
4. Turn on white noise (sleep sheep)
5. Kiss on the cheek, a pat on the tummy, and the pacifier in the mouth
It takes about 10 minutes -- we typically read a shorter story. She usually goes down very easily and will sleep at least an hour, sometimes an hour and a half in her crib.
Ours is easy.
1. Diaper change (if necessary)
2. Sleep sack
3. Put musical seahorse on.
4. Leave room.
Swaddle
Sing a soft song (the same one each naptime)
"It's nap time; I love you."
A kiss and her pacifier
I have figured out that LO needs to nap almost to the NOSE an hour and 45mins after being awake. Wake for earlier cues too just in case. I basically just watch for that first yawn when he's playing and snatch him up. Sometimes however he just would keep on playing and I have to take him upstairs right at an hour and a half of waking up.
If I catch him right at the perfect time (usually 1.5 hours in the morning maybe 1.75 in the afternoon), I take him up stairs, he'll yawn 1-2 times, I'll put him in his sleepsack, turn on his music/humidifier, sing a some with him rocked on my shoulder, say I love you...and put him down. All takes like 5 minutes max. He'll sometimes squirm and fuss for 5 or so minutes but lately its been working like a charm.
He's a cat napper usually so he'll take3-4 naps a day depending on when he wakes up and how long his naps are. Bedtime is typically 6:30-8ish...He used to STTN 10+hours straight but now has 1 waking usually, eats and goes back to sleep.