Suggestions for getting LO to nap in crib?

anythingelseplease · January 2013

So I did a bad thing and let LO get into the habit of napping while I held her. I can't remember how we got to this point, but here we are and she will only nap if I hold her. There was a time when she napped without me holding her, but I think we ran into some sleeping issues and I started holding her and now she won't nap any other way.

Does anyone have any suggestions to get her to nap in her crib?

We did CIO a while back to get her to sleep at night and she goes to sleep great at night and sleeps through the night no problem. But with naps it's a totally different story. I started this week not allowing her to nap on me and when she was showing signs of tiredness I would nurse her- she would fall asleep and I would move her to her crib (nursing to sleep is the second bad habit I will be trying to break once I get this one under control). As soon as she touches the crib she is screaming. She will scream as long as I let her. I have tried letting her cry for 20 minutes, if she doesn't relax I take her out and try for a nap later. I have tried staying in the room with her and rubbing her back, trying to get her to calm down, but she just gets angrier that I am not picking her up. Every day this week she has gone until at least 4:00PM without a nap. Today she napped for 30 minutes. She is so cranky during the day and I don't know what to do.

Ya Never Know · January 2013

This is what helps me when I can't get DD down in her crib easily.

Hold your LO until she falls asleep. Once she's asleep, gently place her in the crib, if she wakes up, hold your hands on her, not forcefully, but just lay them on her back or side (or however she sleeps) and just leave them there. If she's like my DD and falls asleep again, gently lift your hands off, if she's still sleeping once your hands are all the way off, walk away quietly. If she stirrs, leave your hands there for a minute or two then try again.

Not sure if this will work, but it works for us most of the time.

ETA: I should add sometimes it takes 5-10 mins, but it's worth it for the hour to hour and a half nap she'll take.

poobear2015 · January 2013

Ya Never Know:
This is what helps me when I can't get DD down in her crib easily.
Hold your LO until she falls asleep. Once she's asleep, gently place her in the crib, if she wakes up, hold your hands on her, not forcefully, but just lay them on her back or side (or however she sleeps) and just leave them there. If she's like my DD and falls asleep again, gently lift your hands off, if she's still sleeping once your hands are all the way off, walk away quietly. If she stirrs, leave your hands there for a minute or two then try again.
Not sure if this will work, but it works for us most of the time.
ETA: I should add sometimes it takes 5-10 mins, but it's worth it for the hour to hour and a half nap she'll take.

I do this whenever she goes in the crib. We are in the same boat as you though - add in no STTN cuz I gave up on CIO when she was sick at christmas.

goldenleaves · January 2013

I have no suggestions. We're in the same boat. Lauren will only sleep in her bed if DH puts her down for a nap. Luckily he doesn't work so he almost always can!