How not to nurse to sleep for nap ?

[babyfiorina1]

Day 3 now and DD is down to 3 naps at pretty much around the same time +/- 20-30 minutes at 9,11:30,4. I can tell he's still kinda struggling at 1-hour mark after waking up from last nap and his nap is still short (all three of them). The noon one is around 1 - 2 hours but that's only if I keep nursing him when he wakes up at 30-40 minutes of napping. The 3rd nap I just let him nap for 30 mins and bed time is around 6:30 pm.

Philly Mom, if your DD nap is short like 30-45 minutes, do you move the next nap a bit earlier ? I know you don't move her bed time, but how about nap time ? DS only took 30 minute nap in the morning and I often have to move 2nd nap to 11:30 because he could barely make it to 12, if he does, he is super difficult to settle down. So, I'm just wondering if moving the nap time about 2 hours from his wake time would mess things up . Thanks.

[Philly Mom]

Day 3 now and DD is down to 3 naps at pretty much around the same time +/- 20-30 minutes at 9,11:30,4. I can tell he's still kinda struggling at 1-hour mark after waking up from last nap and his nap is still short (all three of them). The noon one is around 1 - 2 hours but that's only if I keep nursing him when he wakes up at 30-40 minutes of napping. The 3rd nap I just let him nap for 30 mins and bed time is around 6:30 pm.

Philly Mom, if your DD nap is short like 30-45 minutes, do you move the next nap a bit earlier ? I know you don't move her bed time, but how about nap time ? DS only took 30 minute nap in the morning and I often have to move 2nd nap to 11:30 because he could barely make it to 12, if he does, he is super difficult to settle down. So, I'm just wondering if moving the nap time about 2 hours from his wake time would mess things up . Thanks.

I will move a nap time up a bit if the first one doesn't work. For ex yesterday DD napped for 50 mins in the am, I moved her next nap time up 20 mins but should have put her down even a little earlier. She napped another 45 mins, not enough for a day so I gave her a third nap in her swing. Bedtime remained the same. I do try to get her out of the house to stem the exhaustion but she doesn't fall asleep on short trips in the car.


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[babyfiorina1]

Ok, good to know the nap time can be move around a bit, otherwise, he is so exhausted that he doesn't even want to nurse to sleep.
It's hard with our winter here in Minnesota because it is still cold outside at this month and I couldn't get him out of the house We just got a new stroller so I did put him in a stroller and push him around the house and he's content a little bit.

He treats nap time and night time differently, just like most babies do I believe. When he's awake at night before it's time to feed, I usually let him settle on his own and he's capable of soothing himself back to sleep and it's been like that from day 1 and a very good night sleeper. But for nap, geez...he will just cry once he wakes up or just whine up to one hour and just won't go back to nap. So, I kinda give up on that part for nap for now at least and probably just wait until he's a bit older, around 6 months or so and try the nap coaching again if he still can't fall asleep on his own for nap.

I will move a nap time up a bit if the first one doesn't work. For ex yesterday DD napped for 50 mins in the am, I moved her next nap time up 20 mins but should have put her down even a little earlier. She napped another 45 mins, not enough for a day so I gave her a third nap in her swing. Bedtime remained the same. I do try to get her out of the house to stem the exhaustion but she doesn't fall asleep on short trips in the car.


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[Philly Mom]

Ok, good to know the nap time can be move around a bit, otherwise, he is so exhausted that he doesn't even want to nurse to sleep.
It's hard with our winter here in Minnesota because it is still cold outside at this month and I couldn't get him out of the house We just got a new stroller so I did put him in a stroller and push him around the house and he's content a little bit.

He treats nap time and night time differently, just like most babies do I believe. When he's awake at night before it's time to feed, I usually let him settle on his own and he's capable of soothing himself back to sleep and it's been like that from day 1 and a very good night sleeper. But for nap, geez...he will just cry once he wakes up or just whine up to one hour and just won't go back to nap. So, I kinda give up on that part for nap for now at least and probably just wait until he's a bit older, around 6 months or so and try the nap coaching again if he still can't fall asleep on his own for nap.

Both my kids are the exact same way. With DD1, she was a horrible day time sleeper until 5.5 months (it was an overnight change) but slept 12 hours from 9 weeks. DD2 settles herself really well at night and has for a long time. She still wakes up once or twice but goes right back down. Her naps started improving when I started with these set nap times. We were helped because we spent time in Florida so she napped in her stroller at set times. I then transitioned that to a crib when we got back north.


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[almostmom]

This sounds so stressful, but you'll get there! At least he does nap, right?

I am a very laid back person, but I was pretty strict about our feeding/playing/sleeping schedule, and my kids were (and still are) amazing sleepers). I fed my babies when they woke up (which for me took about 10-15 minutes, if that), then we played for 45 minutes or so, and then wrapped them up while they were still small enough and got them to sleep, however I could, without feeding. They did take a pacifier which I'm sure helped as they were very soothed by it (maybe you could try that again?), but I also rocked them in a bouncy seat, or rubbed their back. I made sure they got to sleep, but not by feeding. And then when they woke, I fed them. They probably ate every 2-3 hours at that age (though not at night, and they were big and hungry and started solid food around 5, 5.5 months). I would give yourself a few days to try this - it can work! In the evening I think I often nursed them to sleep, as it was a different feeling all around. But I think I stopped that around 6 months because they were too dependent on it and they wouldn't transfer to their cribs.

[babyfiorina1]

Both my kids are the exact same way. With DD1, she was a horrible day time sleeper until 5.5 months (it was an overnight change) but slept 12 hours from 9 weeks.


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Please tell me that your DD1 somehow organized her naps on its own without much interference on your end ? (I need hope lol).
DS is struggling so much for the past three days with the time extension and I think I may have overtired him It took me so much more to settle him. So, I think I'll just have to go with his flow for now and trying my best to keep his nap and bed time as consistent as much as I can and keep hoping that his nap will get better when he's 6 months or so ? sigh. That's what several moms have told me about their babies' naps. I was so blur with DD (first time mom) that I never paid much attention to her nap and stuff and I think she napped got longer at around 7 months or so. I thought I could do something with DS' nap this time around because having to take care of one kid back then versus now two is just so different

[babyfiorina1]

This sounds so stressful, but you'll get there! At least he does nap, right?

I am a very laid back person, but I was pretty strict about our feeding/playing/sleeping schedule, and my kids were (and still are) amazing sleepers). I fed my babies when they woke up (which for me took about 10-15 minutes, if that), then we played for 45 minutes or so, and then wrapped them up while they were still small enough and got them to sleep, however I could, without feeding. They did take a pacifier which I'm sure helped as they were very soothed by it (maybe you could try that again?), but I also rocked them in a bouncy seat, or rubbed their back. I made sure they got to sleep, but not by feeding. And then when they woke, I fed them. They probably ate every 2-3 hours at that age (though not at night, and they were big and hungry and started solid food around 5, 5.5 months). I would give yourself a few days to try this - it can work! In the evening I think I often nursed them to sleep, as it was a different feeling all around. But I think I stopped that around 6 months because they were too dependent on it and they wouldn't transfer to their cribs.

Yes, he does nap and he needs them. He definitely depends on me to nurse him to sleep for naps and I've tried to change the routine but so far not much success yet. I let him cried it out, I just tried pacifier again few days ago (I'll keep trying), I rocked him (used to work, but now he just wouldn't sleep no matter what, not even in a swing!!). But at night, I did nurse him and tank him up before bed time, sometimes he'll fall asleep, sometimes he doesn't. I put him in his crib anyway and said night night to him and sometimes he will whine and fuss, but no hard crying and settle on his own and I've been consistent with that part at night for as long as I could remember (Thank God!) So, he doesn't expect me to nurse him to sleep at night.

I think he needs some nap coaching down the road (unfortunately) and I'm just waiting for him to be a bit older. Right now we have 3-4 naps to work with

[babyfiorina1]

This morning he's awake at 6:45 am and wouldn't go back to sleep after I fed him. So we played until almost 8:00 am as he started to start getting crabby. I nursed him to top up because he actually feeds better when he's slightly tired because when he's awake he's quite distracted (even though we feed in the dark room, he'll keep on pulling on and off to look at my face, sweet!! but I just have to make sure he's getting enough though). Took about 10 minutes, then he's still awake and I put a pacifier on him and started to rock him, he just kept pushing the paci out and kept laughing and thought I was playing with him maybe. After 10 minutes of rocking, I decided to put him down on his crib, tried the paci again (still pushed it out) and pat him a little bit and told him "nap..nap...sweety". Close the door and walked out. He whined and fussed for 30 minutes but no crying and fell asleep by 8:45 OMG!!!. I may not have such luck later on the day, but this tells me that he can do it as long as he's not overtired I think ? and I need to be consistent. We'll see how long he'll nap. I won't be surprised if it's still 30 minutes lol.

[almostmom]

Yay!!! And I think if you don't feed him before a nap, he'll actually eat better when he wakes because he'll be really hungry. Maybe? That was our situation. My babies really didn't need food to sleep, and it made it harder once they were not a newborn, as I think digesting was distracting!

But sounds great - hope he sleeps for a good nap now! Keep to it today - you never know. Patterns at that age can be formed way faster than we think.

[Philly Mom]

This morning he's awake at 6:45 am and wouldn't go back to sleep after I fed him. So we played until almost 8:00 am as he started to start getting crabby. I nursed him to top up because he actually feeds better when he's slightly tired because when he's awake he's quite distracted (even though we feed in the dark room, he'll keep on pulling on and off to look at my face, sweet!! but I just have to make sure he's getting enough though). Took about 10 minutes, then he's still awake and I put a pacifier on him and started to rock him, he just kept pushing the paci out and kept laughing and thought I was playing with him maybe. After 10 minutes of rocking, I decided to put him down on his crib, tried the paci again (still pushed it out) and pat him a little bit and told him "nap..nap...sweety". Close the door and walked out. He whined and fussed for 30 minutes but no crying and fell asleep by 8:45 OMG!!!. I may not have such luck later on the day, but this tells me that he can do it as long as he's not overtired I think ? and I need to be consistent. We'll see how long he'll nap. I won't be surprised if it's still 30 minutes lol.

YAY! So this is essentially our pattern and after a couple of days it becomes better thought not perfect. Today, DD2 fussed for about 15 mins when I put her down but she is asleep now and she would not be asleep anywhere else. Yesterday afternoon, however, she would not settle so I did what you did, I fed her but still put her down awake. She slept for 2+ hours. It was awesome though I kept waiting for her to wake up so got nothing done. Of course, she goes to daycare starting next week so this may all be for naught. To answer your other questions, I think it was a mixture of my kids being ready to nap in a crib and my noticing that they were ready and catching the window. Both of them, as they left the newborn phase, started to sleep worse when I tried to help them or on the go, etc. I did try to put them in cribs a couple of times to see if they would sleep at all earlier and I could tell they weren't ready at all because I could put them in the stroller and still get a great nap. I do think there is a window for kids when they can learn to nap in a crib.