How do you get your LO down for a nap?

Jbunny100 · March 2014

DS gets nursed to sleep for his 2 naps. He even continues to suck just for comfort until he falls asleep. We are going to be weaning soon and I am really nervous as to how naps will go. At night he plays in his crib alone for about an hour until he falls asleep so I don't think that method will work for a nap. I would love to hear how you guys work a routine for nap time.

lars1226 · March 2014

I also nurse my LO before naps, then lay him down in the crib awake and turn on his musical seahorse. I hope when we stop nursing we can rock him a bit instead and he'll have a good sleep association with the seahorse to make the transition easier. He also has a lovey that he gets only in the crib.

You could try nursing your LO somewhere other than his room first and then rock or snuggle him in his room for a bit before naptime.

DanandVan · March 2014

I nurse dd to sleep for naps and bedtime. Is there a reason for weaning? I let my older 2 self-wean, at 15 mo and 18 mo. I've found they naturally switched from nursing to sleep to reading books/snuggle to sleep for both naps and bedtime. It was a natural, easy transition! Definitely planning to do that again with dd!

Jbunny100 · March 2014

@ DanandVan

I am looking to wean DS because I am pregnant and my supply is suffering a bit. I am trying what I can to keep the supply up, but it is tough. I will probably keep nursing for another month.

MamaMuslima01 · March 2014

I flip DS on his belly and pat his back or rock him back and forth by his little booty. He is out in 10min at the most. We weaned already.

VPGIRL06 · March 2014

i just put her down with sleepy monkey, and a lullaby while I stroke her hair. Recently she's been waving at me mid song saying 'nigh night! nigh nigh!" and then turning her back to me. Which is great that she loves sleep, but also a little rude LOL

emmyfreeman27 · April 2014

Our routine for naps and bedtime is the same- nurse for a few minutes, get up, hold her with her lovey, sing our "sleeping songs," then put her in her crib. We've been putting her down awake since she was about 6 months old, and she usually goes right to sleep. Typically, as I'm walking out the door of her bedroom, she cries for about 30 sec or so (all part of the routine, I think!), then she is usually out right afterwards. She is a great sleeper (although I didn't think so when she was a newborn!) now and generally sleeps at night from 6:15p-7:30a without waking, then naptime from 9a-10:30a, and second naptime from 12:45p-2:30p. I don't schedule her by any means, she has naturally fallen into this rhythm, and I keep her to it as much as I can (ie, plan outings around sleep times).

(I thought the book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, by Marc Weissbluth, was so key in getting great sleep habits established. I'm really strict with sleep- because I know she is growing while she sleeps, her brain is developing, and she is happier when she is well-rested. We do NOT skip naps in this house, and bedtime is pretty early.)

egb+jaf · April 2014

@pavlovcat‌ i am late to the party but this is us a lot of days too! And it's crazy because at night she sleeps great but naps seem to be a struggle sometimes and I was wondering if it was just us.

Jbunny100 · April 2014

I am afraid DS has dropped his afternoon nap. For the 3rd or 4th (I lost track) day in a row I try to put him down for his nap when he is clearly exhausted and he just lies quietly in my arms while I rock him and listen to lullabies. His eyes are wide open. I am so sad because I really liked that 2nd nap he was taking. I still put him in his crib for "quiet time" (aka Mommy needs a break) and leave him there for an hour. He just plays and babbles while he is in his room.

jesselayne8 · April 2014

I nurse DS and then lay him in his crib awake.

Jbunny100 · May 2014

Thank you @Pinkie78

He is now just doing 1 nap in the morning from 10:30-12. It makes for a long afternoon, but that second nap just wasn't happening.

Elizabeth043086 · May 2014

I still nurse ds to sleep as well. It's relaxing and peaceful for both of us and I plan on doing this until well...for a long time. I don't care what the critics say. I nursed #1 until 2 months before I had #2 and I plan on letting 2 nurse until he's done or I'm pregnant with 3.

How do you get your LO down for a nap?

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