https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sun, 12 Apr 2026 07:40:58 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nap-questions-wwyd#post-1162655 Mon, 21 Oct 2013 07:17:47 +0000 Cherrybee 1162655@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: Gah, I'd love one of those! They don't sell them here!</p> <p>It was just a case of practicing - putting her down and sitting there next to her, with my hand on her chest, reinserting the dummy every time she spat it out to cry. Then I could just sit there (without the hand) then, eventually, I could leave the room (and I pop in if the dummy comes out, reinsert it silently and creep back out until she is asleep). To be fair, though, E decided on her own that she hates rocking or being cuddled to sleep now - she gets all flustered if I try it! She likes her space. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nap-questions-wwyd#post-1162650 Mon, 21 Oct 2013 07:13:51 +0000 Foodnerd81 1162650@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Cherrybee: they schedule sounds grueling but if it's working... How did you start getting her to sleep on her own? I always have to nurse to sleep or rock/bounce to sleep for a long time, which makes half hour naps extra annoying. But if it was a matter if just putting her down I could handle it. </p> <p>She's hating the swaddle these days but the baby Merlin's magic sleepsuit is working great (and she looks like a hilarious little marshmallow man). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nap-questions-wwyd#post-1162603 Mon, 21 Oct 2013 06:23:13 +0000 Cherrybee 1162603@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: Hey! Ugh, you must be knackered! Bad nap days suck! I hate how grumpy E is when she is tired! 8 hours sounds like an amazing night stretch though - awesome! E is back to two wake ups a night now so I hope her night sleep returns to normal soon!</p> <p>Yeah it's working brilliantly. E gets 12 hours sleep a night (usually in 6,3,3 hrs formation) then wakes in a good mood. We eat and play for an hour then it's back to bed for a half hour nap! The rest of the day then follows that pattern - awake for 45mins to one hr, sleep for half hour. Never more, never less!! As soon as she shows the tiniest bit of grumpy-grump (even if it's only 20 mins after the last nap! But it's usually 45mins), she's up the stairs, curtains drawn (I say "goodbye Mr Sunshine, see you after my nap" in exactly the same way each time), swaddled, white noise on, dummy in - and she falls asleep in less than 5 mins every time! She then sleeps for half an hour and wakes up smiling..... and the sorry saga starts again!! </p> <p>It's a ball ache - half hour isn't enough time to nap myself or get much done, and I feel like I live my life in weird little hour-long chunks - but it does work for E. If she's tired, we have a miserable, non-productive day - she doesn't chat, she won't do tummy time, she wont focus on her toys. But if she is well rested she can spend her hour long chunks of time practicing her rolling, making her sounds, practicing her toy batting - so its totally worth it. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nap-questions-wwyd#post-1162565 Mon, 21 Oct 2013 04:30:13 +0000 Foodnerd81 1162565@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Cherrybee: reading this post after a day of one 25 minute carrier nap and that's it... Is the 45 minute awake schedule still working for you? C's night sleep seems back on track for the most part (just nursed her back to sleep after an 8 hour stretch!!) but naps remain terrible. I feel like I'm just fighting her to nap all day. She's never fallen asleep in her crib on her own. Wondering if it's still working for E? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nap-questions-wwyd#post-1135099 Mon, 07 Oct 2013 05:57:54 +0000 loveisstrange 1135099@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Cherrybee: Yeah, I felt like I was a total psycho about her naps when she was little. I was the same way about bedtime and her nighttime routine. Eventually, she melded all the small naps into 2 big naps though and it wasn't so bad. Them being overtired just contributes to crappier sleep and once she learns she can fall asleep easily, she will learn to put herself back to sleep and sleep longer. </p> <p>C is a champion sleeper, so I don't regret doing it the way I did. At 6 months, she had already night-weaned and was sleeping 6:30-8:30 straight through and taking 2, 2 hour naps. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nap-questions-wwyd#post-1135095 Mon, 07 Oct 2013 05:50:32 +0000 Cherrybee 1135095@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@loveisstrange: Did you ever feel a bit like a crazy person, though? Every time I put her to bed I think "but she's just got up!!". But yeah, it's making for a much happier baby and if she wasn't tired she wouldn't drop off in less than 5 minutes would she?! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nap-questions-wwyd#post-1135088 Mon, 07 Oct 2013 05:37:27 +0000 loveisstrange 1135088@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Cherrybee: Ah! Thats amazing!! Thats totally what worked for us too. C would fight naps like crazy and I was finding that her sleep cues weren't always super clear, so the time limit really helped us. Im so glad that it's working for you too!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nap-questions-wwyd#post-1135086 Mon, 07 Oct 2013 05:25:54 +0000 Cherrybee 1135086@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>A little update!</p> <p>@loveisstrange: Your method seems to be working! I've been putting E down in her crib, swaddled, with her dummy after 45mins of awake time, whether she looks tired or not. She cries and fights the dummy and swaddle for about 5 minutes before conking out!! She then has her 30 minute crap-nap and wakes up again, refreashed. She used to fight sleep for upwards of an hour sometimes before taking her 30 minute nap!!!! It feels pretty weird - it's like I'm a crazy person, constantly saying "nap time" (especially when she doesn't look tired) but it does seem to be working for her!! It's 11.30am here and she has already had two naps after getting up at 8am! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nap-questions-wwyd#post-1131468 Fri, 04 Oct 2013 09:07:34 +0000 Cherrybee 1131468@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Foodnerd81: I was convinced that the rocking back to sleep thing would work because it works for E at night, just as you described. But yesterday - oh my!!!! I was so determined that after I had put her down at 2pm and she woke at 2.20pm, I kept her swddled and in her moses basket, rocking and reinserting her dummy (as she alternated between almost dropping off and crying) until 4pm! TWO HOURS!!!!! </p> <p>But today (musing aloud here!), she napped 1.15-1.45, got up 2pm-3pm and now, at 3pm, she is asleep again. Even if it's just for another half hour, she will have had double the amount of sleep she had in the same time frame yesterday. Hmm.... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nap-questions-wwyd#post-1131451 Fri, 04 Oct 2013 09:02:30 +0000 Adira 1131451@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Oh, I agree with the swinging side-to-side - Xander LOVED that and took his longest naps in his swing that did that! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nap-questions-wwyd#post-1131446 Fri, 04 Oct 2013 09:00:41 +0000 Cherrybee 1131446@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@loveisstrange: Yeah, I could look for one i guess. Mind, my lounge already looks like this (plus a play gym and a sit-me-up-cosy thing!!!) </p> [attach=2581/13/mu5dl6.600x450.WP_000503.jpg] https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nap-questions-wwyd#post-1131413 Fri, 04 Oct 2013 08:52:15 +0000 Foodnerd81 1131413@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>You know my C is a crappy predictable napper so maybe my advice is terrible anyway. But she often wakes up at the half hour mark and I have had some luck with rocking her back to sleep- pick her up, bounce her and rock her for a while- like more than 20 minutes, an she will usually eventually go back to sleep for another 45 minutes maybe. Good habit? No. But she needs to nap, she is just like E in that she is so tired but can't sleep. If after 15 minutes of rocking she is still wide awake I give up and we stay up. </p> <p>I also always have to swaddle her for naps or she immediately wakes herself. Even in my arms she will startle herself awake. And she is not a swing fan at all. If she is in a good mood she might hang out there for 15 min for a change of scenery but don't even think about putting her in there if she's fussy. I tried my friends side to side one with the same response. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nap-questions-wwyd#post-1131374 Fri, 04 Oct 2013 08:38:22 +0000 Mrs. Taco 1131374@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My LO hates to be swaddled for naps but seriously needs it. Anytime I've left her unswaddled she catnapped...I use the swaddle sleep sack (and the swing but based off the pic above, that isn't working haha). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nap-questions-wwyd#post-1131352 Fri, 04 Oct 2013 08:32:20 +0000 T.H.O.U. 1131352@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>So It was my undersatnding that their sleep is in a 30-45 minute sleep patter. So after that length of time they wake up. </p> <p>@loveisstrange: I agree, my daughter had a cradle swing but only liked to swing side to side, not from to back. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nap-questions-wwyd#post-1131341 Fri, 04 Oct 2013 08:29:58 +0000 mjane 1131341@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Cherrybee: yes, I guess that's what I meant by going with the flow? I agree that the line between those things is key... And totally mysterious. Mine took a 45 minute crap nap starting at noon, and I got her up when she cried, nursed her back to sleep and let her stay in my arms. She's still snoozing 90 mins later... Def a " bad habit" but baby girl needs to sleep, and if I fight with her all day I will slowly lose my ever loving mind. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nap-questions-wwyd#post-1131286 Fri, 04 Oct 2013 08:09:55 +0000 loveisstrange 1131286@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Cherrybee: Ive heard of people saying their babies hated the kind you have but loved a cradle swing. It might be worth trying if you can find one cheaply. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nap-questions-wwyd#post-1131282 Fri, 04 Oct 2013 08:08:17 +0000 Cherrybee 1131282@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@loveisstrange: Ahh! yeah, she HATES this swing!!! Its her arch nemesis!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nap-questions-wwyd#post-1131265 Fri, 04 Oct 2013 08:02:00 +0000 loveisstrange 1131265@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Cherrybee: Ah, we had a cradle swing that rocked side to side. She never liked going back-front in it. :/ </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nap-questions-wwyd#post-1131263 Fri, 04 Oct 2013 08:00:23 +0000 Cherrybee 1131263@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Interestingly, she has woken up in a good mood.Getting her up when she wants me to and then letting her take an anpther 1/2 hr nap off schedule seems to be working... hmm..... We now have 1hr45min until her next bottle so maybe I will put her down again after an hour of play....? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nap-questions-wwyd#post-1131247 Fri, 04 Oct 2013 07:57:05 +0000 Cherrybee 1131247@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@T.H.O.U.: @loveisstrange: This is what she thought of your swing idea! But then she did go straight down in her bad - without the swaddle - for..... can you guess.... 1/2 an hour!!!! How DOES she know?! </p> [attach=2581/13/mu5an6.600x450.WP_000798.jpg] https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nap-questions-wwyd#post-1131169 Fri, 04 Oct 2013 07:21:12 +0000 T.H.O.U. 1131169@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Cherrybee: I used to tuck the blanket down around her arms while she was in the swing. Usually she pulled htem out but she was really tucked in and she would sometimes sleep for almost 2 hours! Its worth a try even if its to just get one good nap a day. When the arm flail reflux goes away you can get back to better naps in be.d </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nap-questions-wwyd#post-1131158 Fri, 04 Oct 2013 07:16:55 +0000 Cherrybee 1131158@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@mjane: :happy: The crap nap!!! I like it. I think there's a fine line between going with her flow and not taking control of a situation. After all, she's crying because she's tired but she doesn't know how to put herself to sleep -she relies on me to do that. i just do not know for the life of me where that line is!! She will be sobbing from overtiredness but refusing to nap - what flow should I go with? The flow that tells me she is tired or the flow that wont go to sleep!?! I don't know what to dooooooo!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nap-questions-wwyd#post-1131123 Fri, 04 Oct 2013 06:59:53 +0000 Adira 1131123@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Cherrybee: I had to scrap EASY because Xander's naps were all over the place. BUT I did EASY long enough that I knew his eating habits and that's what was most important to me. Plus Xander's pretty flexible, so he didn't seem to care one way or another that we weren't following a routine. So it'll depend on how your baby is!</p> <p>Also, after following EASY, I realized that no matter what, Xander was going to be up for 2 hours of awake time before napping (even as young as 10 weeks), so now I just ALWAYS put him down for a nap after 2 hours, even if he's not showing any signs of sleepiness. The only times I change it up is if he seems tired earlier. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nap-questions-wwyd#post-1131121 Fri, 04 Oct 2013 06:56:33 +0000 Cherrybee 1131121@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@T.H.O.U.: @loveisstrange: Okay, I've just put her in her swing tired but not crying yet ad immediately post bottle. She's just chilling in there at the moment, munching on her hand - I'll see how it goes! </p> <p>Sigh. I really, really dont want to create bad habits.... but she needs her sleep. </p> <p>Oh, she has started crying. We are 2 minutes in! She really hates that swing!!!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nap-questions-wwyd#post-1131120 Fri, 04 Oct 2013 06:55:46 +0000 mjane 1131120@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>The EASY schedule isn't for every baby, I don't think, and if it's not working for her there's no point in forcing it. She's still sort in a fourth trimester... I think going with her flow is going to make everyone happier. Also, I have read so. many. posts. all over the internets about babies who sleep well at night but will not nap beyond the half-hour "crap nap" to save their lives. It's a thing. For these babies, from what I've read, sleep training is eventually required (and IMO she's much too little for that), OR the baby herself just gets better at napping as she gets older. </p> <p>We are in a similar place--my girl is queen of the crap nap--at 4 months. Who knows what we'll do, but I am happier when I stop trying to force her to nap. Also, her best naps were in her swaddling days... sadly now that she's a maniacal roller those days are over, but we had a good run of it. (Sniff, sniff.) I would swaddle the heck out of that baby, if I were you! HUGS. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nap-questions-wwyd#post-1131117 Fri, 04 Oct 2013 06:55:04 +0000 loveisstrange 1131117@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I will say that before that, I kept her on a super strict schedule. She went down for a nap after 45 minutes of awake time, no matter if she was giving cues or not. It worked for us, so it might be worth a try. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nap-questions-wwyd#post-1131115 Fri, 04 Oct 2013 06:53:18 +0000 Pepper 1131115@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Naps are tough! We don't have a set nap schedule. I think some kids are more go with the flow when it comes to sleep, while others NEED Nap schedules to get decent sleep at night/be happy. LO usually takes a 2 hour nap in the afternoon, but sometimes he doesn't, and it's broken up throughout the afternoon. I just kind of let him let me know when he's tired (he has strong cues). </p> <p>He also has crazy hands, so I swaddle him for most naps. He always initially fights it, but once he's swaddled with a bink in, his exhaustion wins and he's off to nap land.</p> <p>Oh and I should add... C only naps in the swing or RnP. Gotta change that someday! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nap-questions-wwyd#post-1131113 Fri, 04 Oct 2013 06:52:53 +0000 loveisstrange 1131113@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I second the nap on the swing. I am convinced C and E are the same baby. So much about them and their behavior is so similar. She was the SAME way. She still hates napping at 18 months. </p> <p>But yeah, the cradle swing saved our lives for the first 6 months. It was the only way she would nap. She didn't nap in her crib until after she was 6 months and outgrew the swing, even though she was doing nights in her crib from 3-4 weeks old.</p> <p>I do think catnapping is just a phase they go through though. Once C got night sleep figured out and stopped feeding at night, she became a beautiful napper and took 2 2hr naps. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nap-questions-wwyd#post-1131109 Fri, 04 Oct 2013 06:51:07 +0000 Cherrybee 1131109@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Adira: Ahh, do you think I may have to scrap EASY? Hmm, that makes sense. I guess it's whatever works for her, isn't it? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/nap-questions-wwyd#post-1131106 Fri, 04 Oct 2013 06:49:39 +0000 Cherrybee 1131106@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@T.H.O.U.: She will only tolerate the swing for about 15 minutes when she is feeling playful. If she's sleepy she screams as soon as I put her in it. Besides, I'd really like her to nap in her bed - she's approaching 3 months and I want to create some healthy habits. Ugh..... I dunno what to do for the best here!!! </p>