https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Thu, 16 Apr 2026 03:36:33 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-nap-training#post-1034786 Wed, 21 Aug 2013 16:54:53 +0000 coastmama 1034786@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Well, at 7 weeks, swaddling seemed to be the magic puzzle piece. At first I would get in him very drowsy.... Then less drowsy and pretty soon I could jut swaddle him, put him down, and he would go straight to sleep. At 6.5 when the swaddle was no longer in the picture was a different story. We got him going to sleep at night on his own first, then did naps, which only took about 2 days with minimal fussing. We used "The Sleep Lady" as our guide for nights and naps. It does involve a little crying, but you are sitting next to the crib the whole time comforting him. It worked well for us. He still only takes 45 min naps sometimes, but lately it seems like he is doing about 1 hour 15 mins. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-nap-training#post-1034730 Wed, 21 Aug 2013 16:17:46 +0000 Espion 1034730@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@coastmama: How long did the trial and error take? Did he sleep right off the bat and just start sleeping longer and longer stretches, or did it take awhile for him to figure out how to drift off to sleep? Even if we rock him/nurse him to sleep, we're never able to put him down. Built in motion sensor, I'm guessing. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-nap-training#post-1034723 Wed, 21 Aug 2013 16:15:28 +0000 Espion 1034723@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@maybebaby: The problem is that he gives pretty loud and clear sleep signals, but once I put him down, he is wide awake charlie. I hate the thought of him fussing it out (he never screams or outright cries, because if he did, I'd probably go pick him up, but that's just me). </p> <p>@hilsy85: I totally wouldn't mind going with the flow, but I'll be back at work on the first of September and DH will be primarily taking care of E. I tried putting him down again (after nursing him to sleep) and now he's being so dang cute cooing at his mobile. Darn kid. :) </p> <p>@autumnlove: See, I feel like that will definitely be us if we don't try to work on it now. But I have no baseline daytime sleep to begin with. Kid just doesn't like sleeping during the day unless he's in the car. (And even then, at stoplights he fusses, because we're no longer in motion.) </p> <p>I wish a swing would work, even, but no such luck. I'm beginning to believe that this is his superpower. Someone remind me not to complain when he sleeps all the time when he's 15... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-nap-training#post-1034701 Wed, 21 Aug 2013 16:08:24 +0000 coastmama 1034701@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>At 7 weeks we started swaddling, rocking, and putting down in the crib for naps. It just kinda happened. He started a little routine himself. Sleep....eat....play in about a 2 hour cycle. Sometimes, he would only be awake for 45 minutes-1 hour. He has always had very good signs to read though, hand to mouth when hungry, rubbing eyes for sleepy, so I just went by that. At 6.5 months is when we actually did some more serious nap training. Now he has set nap times, and goes to sleep on his own. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-nap-training#post-1034623 Wed, 21 Aug 2013 15:33:26 +0000 Lindsay05 1034623@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think it was around 3 months. I was just so tired and knew LO needed a nap so one time I put her in her swing, gave her a soother and left the room. She cried and cried then slept and slept! I am pretty sure I was battling nursing and the odd time she did fall asleep at the boob, I went to go put her down and her eyes popped open and started screaming. That's when I knew it was time for us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-nap-training#post-1034622 Wed, 21 Aug 2013 15:33:15 +0000 autumnlove 1034622@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't and we struggled until LO was 14.5 months! :-( I will nap train my baby if she has trouble with naps...I'm not sure how to do it though! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-nap-training#post-1034607 Wed, 21 Aug 2013 15:29:22 +0000 maybebaby 1034607@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Awww haha he is so cute! But so awake :) J is 11 weeks old and we don't have a nap schedule, more like a nap pattern/routine. His max awake time before getting cranky is 1:30-2 hours. So we loosely follow the EASY method. While we are doing whatever his activity is, once we are getting close to the end of what I now know to be his happy awake time, I look for sleepy cues--yawns, eye rubs, etc. Then (and this is only if we are home) we go into the nursery, check if a diaper change is needed, turn on white noise, read a story (if he isn't SUPER sleepy), get swaddled and pop paci in, and rock until eyes are heavy, into crib. I sometimes have to go back in to pop paci in, but this routine gets me 3-4 hour long naps throughout the day.</p> <p>I agree with PP to get baby ready for nap BEFORE he is over tired, which means paying attention to those sleep cues. I honestly thought babies just slept when they wanted to and would kind of let you know it was time...they do, but some of them need some help along. I know some might think that we are setting up J for bad napping habits by rocking him mostly to sleep, but it is what works for us and what I feel comfortable with. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-nap-training#post-1034469 Wed, 21 Aug 2013 14:42:09 +0000 heffalump 1034469@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I didn't.... she magically became a good napper all on her own at 8 months. But that was a rough 8 months. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-nap-training#post-1034467 Wed, 21 Aug 2013 14:41:56 +0000 blackbird 1034467@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@espion, LOL that's what I dealt with, too! </p> <p>me: "baby, time to sleep"<br /> E: "giggle, giggle, LET'S PLAAAAAAAY.....WAAAAAAAH"</p> <p>honestly, she got much much happier once we nap trained. i also was able to figure out when she was getting tired before she got OVERtired, too. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-nap-training#post-1034458 Wed, 21 Aug 2013 14:39:55 +0000 hilsy85 1034458@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>At 5, 5.5 months. I'm a SAHM, however, so I had the luxury of just doing whatever worked up until then...but we didn't really let his naps be bad for long--I nap trained pretty quickly once they went to crap. </p> <p>I did it very gently, basically putting him down awake and staying in the room with him and soothing him from the glider. Gradually I started leaving sooner. I think it took aboiut 2 weeks before he was able to just be put down awake and I could walk out. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-nap-training#post-1034396 Wed, 21 Aug 2013 14:24:38 +0000 Espion 1034396@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@blackbird: I tried putting him down this morning. This is what happened, heh. </p> <p>But it is a little reassuring that I can at least try? He's definitely a happier guy when he's rested. </p> [attach=3600/13/mrwb93.400x600.image.jpg] https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-nap-training#post-1034366 Wed, 21 Aug 2013 14:14:12 +0000 blackbird 1034366@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Right after her 2 month appt...maybe week 9? It was mostly just putting her down for a nap 2 hours after she woke up. </p> <p>It really helped! We had far less melt downs from her being over tired. But in the beginning, it was a lot of a wide awake baby being pissed that i wasn't playing with her. </p> <p>I just started nap training again at 19 weeks or so...and it just involves not letting her take naps longer than an hour (so she sleeps more at night. And it's working!!!!) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/when-did-you-start-nap-training#post-1034045 Wed, 21 Aug 2013 12:24:13 +0000 Espion 1034045@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>E is one day shy of 11 weeks, and aside from the sleepy first two weeks, he never sleeps during the day unless we are driving around or maybe a 15 minute (at most) catnap in our arms. </p> <p>At night he lays down between 7 and 8 pm, and up between 2 and 3 am. He does really well with the "drowsy, but awake" at night. But not so during the day!</p> <p>How old was your LO when you started really working at getting at least some sleep during the day? (I'm not necessarily trying to schedule naps, per se, I'm just trying to get the kid to sleep at all!) Am I still in survival mode, doing whatever works at this point? Gas is expensive up here, lol! </p>