https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 03 Jun 2026 05:19:06 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-baby-to-take-naps#post-2559007 Mon, 30 May 2016 06:13:41 +0000 pachamama 2559007@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I'm not sure this will be a great help, but babies are very unstructured before 3 months old. I used to stress about trying to get my son to nap but their brains are not developed to find a pattern yet. After my son was 12 weeks, a schedule really started to emerge and it became much easier! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-baby-to-take-naps#post-2558994 Sun, 29 May 2016 23:56:54 +0000 Sweetpea87 2558994@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Thanks, everyone! It's weird, he mostly sleeps great at night. It's just during the day he won't. I've read all the stuff that says he shouldn't be awake longer than an hour, but it's not super helpful info if he refuses to sleep. Haha. I try to get him down every hour, but he just cries. I try to hold him, but whenever I hold him, he expects milk, then gets mad, so he only sleeps when DH holds him. The Rock and play works sometimes, but not the swing. And he hasn't taken to the baby wrap yet. I'll keep trying it. He only likes the swaddle if it beats his attempts to escape. DH keeps telling me I'm not doing anything wrong, but it's hard to believe when your baby seems to not like what all other babies like or do what they do. Probably just new-mom frustration. I'll keep trying the different things, and hope either he or I figure it out soon. Haha. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-baby-to-take-naps#post-2558989 Sun, 29 May 2016 22:50:53 +0000 daniellemybelle 2558989@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree with trying motion. Driving in the car, swing, stroller walk, bouncing on a yoga ball... Good luck :heart: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-baby-to-take-naps#post-2558713 Sat, 28 May 2016 16:21:37 +0000 catlady 2558713@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>At 3 weeks, ours would only nap when held, or in a carrier, or in the stroller, or in the carseat. When things got really rough, I would blast white noise, then put her in the carrier and dance around. We had a swing but she didn't like it at that age. She started using it and napping in it at 6 weeks, and at that point, it was a lifesaver. </p> <p>Oddly, ours was ok with night sleep (not continuous but fairly reasonable stretches) in the rock n play even at 3 weeks. But she would never ever nap in it during the day. I know lots of people like the rock n play for naps though. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-baby-to-take-naps#post-2558681 Sat, 28 May 2016 14:24:07 +0000 MrsSRS 2558681@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I second @ShootingStar: and also a tight swaddle. And if you're using a soothie style pacifier, maybe try a nuk. They stay in better. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-baby-to-take-naps#post-2558665 Sat, 28 May 2016 13:50:34 +0000 catomd00 2558665@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Swing, car, stroller, baby wear? I hold my babies almost constantly for the first few months lol. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-baby-to-take-naps#post-2558651 Sat, 28 May 2016 12:51:27 +0000 cam 2558651@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>At that age I think he would only fall asleep if I was holding him (or in the car or stroller). After he fell asleep I could (sometimes) put him down. He also didn't usually fall asleep eating and loved his soother but couldn't really keep it in his mouth, sometimes I would hold it in for him til he fell asleep haha </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-baby-to-take-naps#post-2558582 Sat, 28 May 2016 08:39:35 +0000 ShootingStar 2558582@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This chart was really helpful for me. It states babies less than 2m should have 45mins-1hr wake time max... <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/11GHo4keUb2TVJUlSL1kD6HQcEgaNFBmzoQoOzcpcyas/edit?hl=en&#038;authkey=CPXE1bsO&#038;pli=1" rel="nofollow">https://docs.google.com/document/d/11GHo4keUb2TVJUlSL1kD6HQcEgaNFBmzoQoOzcpcyas/edit?hl=en&#038;authkey=CPXE1bsO&#038;pli=1</a> </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-baby-to-take-naps#post-2558577 Sat, 28 May 2016 08:05:56 +0000 YogiRunner 2558577@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Following! Our 3 1/2 week old is super active in the morning unless he's in the car or stroller (where he conks out). Then he'll sleep pretty much the entire rest of the day, waking only to feed then right back asleep. Overnight he'll wake 2-3 hrs to feed. Interesting to hear the advice about wake times... Maybe I should try to get him to be more evened out instead of large windows of wake time then nap time? Great question, thanks for posting :happy: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-baby-to-take-naps#post-2558477 Fri, 27 May 2016 21:31:11 +0000 gingerbebe 2558477@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh also 3 weeks is when they have a big growth spurt so that may contribute to not sleeping and wanting to eat a lot! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-baby-to-take-naps#post-2558476 Fri, 27 May 2016 21:30:15 +0000 justjules 2558476@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Here are some things that DS liked (if you are not doing this already): being swaddled (you can buy easy swaddle blankets with Velcro), loud white noise, and a darkened room. Being a first time mama with a newborn can be so scary. I remember googling every question I had. You are doing great! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-baby-to-take-naps#post-2558474 Fri, 27 May 2016 21:29:36 +0000 gingerbebe 2558474@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Well first you have to break the overtired cycle. So for a day, do whatever you have to in order to get him to catch him up on sleep.</p> <p>Then make sure he's not falling sleep while nursing. Eyes closed is fine but you want active sucking the whole feed otherwise he cat naps while feeding and isn't sleepy for a nap.</p> <p>From beginning of feed to nap, a baby that young should usually not be awake for more than an hour, 90 minutes at the max. You want to hit that sleepy window and it's usually earlier in the cycle than most people think - i.e. Start looking for signs at the 45 minute mark.<br /> Usually feeding, diaper change, 10 minutes of tummy time, and a little snuggling should do it.</p> <p>Swaddle the baby tight. He might want to feel cozier or inclined so a rock n play or bouncer chair might help. One thing that has really been helping us with our second (now 12 days old) is wrapping him in a dirty shirt of mine for the scent and placing a warm rice sock across his belly or tucked along side him like its my arm. We've been putting him down drowsy but awake in a dark place with white noise and he's been nodding off. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-baby-to-take-naps#post-2558473 Fri, 27 May 2016 21:28:27 +0000 Canoli 2558473@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My son will be 4 weeks tomorrow and I noticed around 3 weeks he started to be more awake and noticed his surroundings more. Today he had a lot of awake time and was too much of a busy body to sleep. I got him to nap shortly in the swing. I can always get him to fall asleep in my solly baby wrap and this evening I used a pacifier for the first time and he went right to sleep. I would just keep trying different things until you find something that works for your LO. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-baby-to-take-naps#post-2558472 Fri, 27 May 2016 21:26:03 +0000 ShootingStar 2558472@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Make sure you're not keeping him awake too long. I think some babies at that age have ideal wake times as little as 45 minutes. I'd also try a stroller nap or car nap to break the over tiredness cycle. </p> <p>When DS was really little he went through a short phase where nursing did not put him to sleep. I remember thinking he must be the only baby on the planet that didn't naturally fall asleep after eating. At the time it felt like an eternity, but in reality it was probably around a week, 2 max. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-baby-to-take-naps#post-2558466 Fri, 27 May 2016 21:05:27 +0000 Mrs. Pickle 2558466@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Here are a few ideas. You may have already tried some of these. Have you tried putting him in a swing or a rock in play? Does he like his car seat? You could try driving. What about baby wearing? Lastly, will he fall asleep while nursing? At 3 weeks old my DD often fell asleep while she was eating during the day and I would hold her while she napped or pass her to a family member who would hold her. She also would cluster feed a lot and hated being put down flat. I remember weeks 3-6 being the hardest. Hang in there! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/getting-baby-to-take-naps#post-2558458 Fri, 27 May 2016 20:47:15 +0000 Sweetpea87 2558458@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My baby is 3 weeks old, and we cannot get him to take a nap. The Internet keeps saying how newborns sleep almost constantly, but after he wak up in the morning, he's done. I feed him, and right after he finishes, I'll put him down, and he either squiggles, then cries in half an hour, or cries immediately. I tried playing with him, then putting him down, but that didn't work either. He won't sleep when I hold him, just his dad. My milk supply is good, I know he's getting enough to eat. He just seems like the only baby that doesn't sleep after eating. It's so frustrating when I can see that he's tired because he didn't nap all day, but by then he's over-tired. And we have tried a pacifier. It falls out every 5 seconds, and he gets upset. I think it'd work if he could keep it in. *sigh* Can you tell he's my first? Lol. </p>