At what age did you start putting lo down (especially for naps) awake but drowsy? My lo (3 months old) is really struggling with naps unless she is in my arms. I can occasionally get her down in the crib if she is really out in my arms, but her nap will be for 30 min max. It'd be nice to get at least one nap a day in her crib so I can get some things done! Any help/advice/strategies that worked for you?
-
Right around the time you are at now. Before that they would sleep on me and sometimes I would transfer them then but usually at around 3months old I was growing tired of it so I made an effort to get them to sleep in their cribs. It took some effort (as in it took time to actually get them to sleep) for maybe a half a week to a week and then they just knew how to fall asleep.
Hope it works quickly for you
ETA: What actually helped them sleep were different things per child. For LO1 it was sleeping on his belly and patting his butt, for LO2 is was swaddling her in a near dark room.
-
Right around that time is a good time. He would lay and look at the mobile for a bit and then start fussing. So I would lay him down with the mobile cranked on, that would end and I would wait for him to fuss and then I would go back in and rock him back to sleep. Really it was more a way for us to stop nursing to sleep.
-
Same as the others, right around 3m I started experimenting with it. Up until then I was rocking to sleep and transferring him into the crib, which was exhausting and time-consuming. DH was really against the pacifier, so I didn't use it, which was a mistake because once I got the okay from the ped to give him the paci for naps/bedtime, he took to going down in his crib awake just fine.
-
We started at about a month and a half and at 11 weeks now pretty much every nap is in her crib going down drowsy but awake (unless we're out and about).
-
We always tried it when he was an infant (2 - 3 months), BUT it didn't actually work consistently until about 8 months, haha.
-
Thanks for the reassurance all! Happy to report that we tried it today for the first time and did manage to fall asleep for a quick nap after awhile! Baby steps
-
@Mamag511: ah glad it worked! Just keep at it and I'm sure you'll both have it figured out in no time.
-
From the beginning with this baby, but definitely not until 7-ish months with LO1. I think some babies can do it much more easily than others.
-
We did a swing wean. Swaddle, then put in swing, let baby fall asleep for a nice long nap. Every few days turn the swing down. Then turn it off once they're asleep. Then just give it a little push instead of turning it on at all. Then no movement. Then crib. Laborious but effective.
-
@MrsSRS: I've read about the swing wean - glad to hear it worked for you! I may go to that if I don't find success going straight to th crib.
-
@Mamag511: yeah we are hoping to go straight to the crib with this baby. The swing wean is definitely a last ditch option. Good luck!
Reply
Subscribe to our newsletter
- Google Plus
- Stumbleupon
- Twitter
- Facebook
- Pinterest
- Favorite1
11 comments