Tips for putting LO down for naps after wakefullness

LoveMoose85 · May 2014

So lately I have been trying to get LO down for a nap after she has been awake playing for 1 or 2 hours. Before I have been just letting her do her thing and she will sometimes fall asleep after nursing, but there have been many days of no naps or only really short ones, which we all know make for quite a lovely evening, NOT! LO is 7 weeks old and I am by no means trying to set a schedule, but simply trying to get her to nap more during the day. I would love to know how other moms "put their baby down." What do you do when you start to see the signs of tiredness? Do you swaddle during the day? Do you let LO nap wherever, or always put in crib? Do you rock until fully asleep, or try to have LO drift themselves to sleep after putting in the crib? Any sugguestions would be greatly appriciated!

lazyreader · May 2014

we are on a loose 3-4 hour schedule.

J eats (15 mins + burp + new diap). She's alert for about 45 minutes (or an hour after the start of the feed) then she starts being tired. so we calm down by no talking/playing. she gets swaddled. then usually rocked or in the swing or carried.

she's usually napping an 1.5 hours after she started eating. then I let her nap til she's hungry again.

8 weeks old. at least one nap a day in the crib (and one in the jail in the kitchen/noise every other day). Usually rocked to BIG heavy blinks or just after she's out. then I move her to where I want her (this wakes her a little. I put the binky back in...) and she drifts back to sleep.

myfriendscallmemeg · May 2014

I wrap her in a blanket & hold her tight. She gets a binky & then I get a couple of hours to watch trash tv.

BTBergstrom · May 2014

Mornings she is usually only up for an hour or so which includes diaper, feeding and then some talking/play time on my knees. She starts yawning is I take her back to the nursery swaddle her and sit in the rocker with her usually she wants her paci and I put on white noise. If she wakes when I put her down in her crib she will usually put herself back to sleep. Morning naps last maybe an hour give or take.
We do the same thing for the rest of the naps throughout the day but she has longer periods of awakeness. Sometimes she has car seat naps if we are out and about.

Sanibel21 · May 2014

I'm just getting around to working on this too. Trying to be conscious of when she's been up for a few hours or pick up on her tired cues. The 5 s's are my first attempt and it atleast gets her drowsy if not asleep. Then I usually put her in her swing. She only sleeps well in her pack n play at night, although I haven't tried it again during the day in awhile. I haven't even tried her crib yet. They're both upstairs and I still want her close. Of course it's all thrown off if I decide to actually leave the house and do something, which is most days. So I hope that's not detrimental. She's had days where she's only mapped like three twenty minute blocks all day. That's why I'm realizing I need to work on this. Glad you asked as I'm interested in others responses.

lindsey1031 · May 2014

He can stay awake about 1-2 hours at a time, then he will sleep for 30 min - 1 hour. He takes one good long 2.5-3 hour nap in the afternoon.

I do what I can get away with depending on his mood. Sometimes I have to hold and rock him the whole nap, other times, I can just put him down awake, stick the paci in and walk away. He will usually take a nap in the swing (these are the naps I put him down awake for) and a few naps in the pnp (we are working on transitioning to all naps and eventually nightime in the pnp. Sometimes, I put him down on his play mat on his stomach and this always guarantees a long nap! It's on the floor, is very flat and doesn't have much cushion, but I still check on him lots throughout the nap.

At night, I feed him, then lay him down and he stares at me until he falls asleep, usually 15-20 min. I can't get away with that during the day though!

stephcrosby09 · May 2014

Swaddle, paci or post-nursing, noise machine, and rocking. Most of all the 5s' needed here. Worked like a charm for the nap this morning. Haha but not always. She is 8.5 weeks old.

SandiaLiz · May 2014

I started the same thing this week! When Violet was little she put herself to sleep but now that she is a little older I really have to pay attention and help her nap during the day. It was an unpleasant few weeks until I figured that out!

If I want her to nap in her bassinet I have to swaddle and rock her to sleep. She will usually sleep for about an hour like that. If she is going to sleep on someone generally cuddling and sushing works, but you have to be ready to stay under her for 2 - 3 hours because she'll wake as soon as you put her down. She also naps really well running errands in the car seat/stroller which is awesome!

I have to say that no matter how hard I have to work for those naps it is so worth it! Much happier baby and much smoother evenings!

ErinE683 · May 2014

I'm jealous of moms who have babies that sleep in their car seat. She'll sleep while we're driving, though not deep sleep. But if we're walking around, or the stroller stops moving, she's awake. Makes it a little harder to run errands... I have to time them right.

As for naps at home, I always swaddle her, and she sleeps in her crib unless she's fallen asleep in her Mamaroo. She usually does one good 2-3 hour nap per day (it's what she's doing right now), and then some random cat naps. We swaddle with a Halo sleep sack swaddle at night, but for naps I swaddle her in an A&A blanket (the real, bigger one, not one of the 3 or 4 pack from Target/BBB/BRU). I have to snuggle, rock, etc. to get her to sleep. She usually does best nursing to sleep, especially for her long nap. We'll use a pacifier sometimes, but she doesn't always like it.

Good luck! I find we have much better days when she gets good naps. But it does take some balance, because I want to get out of the house sometimes, too!

KTdid81 · May 2014

1st nap after wake up is usually in bed with me still swaddled. 2nd nap used to be in his rnp, but he doesn't like it as much anymore. Now he falls asleep swaddled in my lap after nursing and I lay him on the couch. Then his later nap is while wrapped up and I'm wearing him.
I let him cue when he's tired and rock him if needed.

BethRN1987 · May 2014

Daytime I have to bounce the crap out of the bouncer to get her out then transfer it to the swing for her to stay asleep. Usually an hour-2. My swing has a detachable bouncer.

Nighttime she's a camp- hope it doesn't change. Rock until drowsy put down with paci in mouth and she will fall asleep, sometimes we have to replace paci .

amdecker1016 · May 2014

Mia she is a no napper.

Not my plan. She'll fall asleep for maybe 20 minutes. Twice a day.

But she isn't fussy from being tired either...recently we have been both laying down at noon and four to see if she'll sleep better that way. We get an hour nap this way.

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Tips for putting LO down for naps after wakefullness

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