Nap schedules

[hopinginnc]

I was wondering how you all get your babies to nap during the day. My almost 5 month old won't nap without nursing him to sleep and wont stay asleep if I don't hold him. It took so long to have him that I dont mind but would like some me time! He sleeps well at night, anywhere from 8-12 hrs.

[dogzrule]

I put my daughter down as soon as she shows her typical "I'm sleepy" signs (fussy, rubbing her eyes), which she always does right around the same time. I do have to swaddle her still because she moves so much she wakes herself up. Does your son have a schedule? Also, you will probably have to train him to nap, and it will be rough at first but shouldn't take too long. Start be putting him down and letting him cry for a certain amount of time which will change. I haven't had to do this but know that other moms have, so hopefully they can give you more tips in that area.

[Wondercat]

I completely understand that right now you want to hold your son because it was such a long journey to get him. We have all been there! But I had to be honest with myself that in times like that it was about me, not him. What's best for baby is for them to get set up with good sleep habits. I did let my son "cry it out" a few times. Not if he was sobbing and miserable, but you get so that you can recognize if they are crying because they're bored or just fussy. He had to start understanding that I wasn't going to rush in there the first peep he made, and it surprisingly only took a handful of times. Now he might cry half-heartedly for less than a minute, then he's out.

We have a very regular routine where I change him into pj's, wash his face and hands, give him his binkie and blankie, sing him a song, then put him in his crib and immediately leave the room. Pretty much the same things I do at night. I think it also helps that I encouraged him to play in his crib, so he is really happy and comfortable in there. Now when he wakes up in the morning he is content just hanging out, talking to himself and playing with his feet and his musical seahorse. At this point he sleeps about 10-11 hours at night. I get him up at 6 am, then he goes down for 2 hours around 8 am. He might take either 2 more short naps or one long one in the afternoon.

[hopinginnc]

Thanks for the replies. I do put him in for a nap when he shows signs but he won't stay asleep for an extended period. Yesterday he did sleep for over 2 hours, but today was only 1/2hr. He does have a schedule. He sleeps for about 12hr at night with one wake up and feed at 4am. He gets up between 6-7am and then takes an hour nap at 9 and then 1230 is ready again. He does fine at night. I guess I will keep working with him! He is tired but just doesn't want to nap.

[Warren Dew]

Make sure he is warm enough. Our five month old son takes shorter naps because we're not as careful to keep him warm as we were with his sister.

[CT_Michele]

Consistency is key. Try to get a schedule going. What worked best for us is that we made our daughters room solely about sleep (whether it was nap or nighttime). When she goes to her room and crib, she knows it is time to sleep. But keep in mind, some babies just don't nap well. Hopefully that is not the case with you. And I agree with some about the crying it out. Oh, and we did have one lifesaver...the fisher price ocean wonders aquarium. we turn that on for our daughter and she is out in minutes.

[hopinginnc]

Thank you all for the replies. I have started to keep his room warmer for naps and keeping more of a routine. It is working! This is day3 with 2 naps in his crib lasting between 1 and 2 hrs. Lets hope it continues. Thanks again.

[chriss]

I read a book called Babywise and it did wonders for us.