LO will only take a solid nap (45 mins-90 mins) if he is on me. If I transfer him to the couch I'm lucky to get a 30 minute nap. I've had zero luck transferring to the crib.
To be honest, I enjoy our nap time cuddles (cuddles are few and far between these days!) but he can't nap on me forever.
When did you decide to nap train? How did you do it?
persimmon / 1436 posts
No advice (DS is currently napping on me!) but I'd like to hear what other bees have to say, too!
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts
How does he fall asleep at night? We did some nap training this weekend and let her CIO. We had done it a couple weeks ago at bed time and now that she can easily put herself to sleep at night, she is having an easier time putting herself to sleep for naps too. She has been fussing for 5-15 minutes before falling asleep in her crib, by herself. Dh and I both noticed she will be a little fussy as we do the nap routine, like, hey, I'm tired, put me in my bed!
It only sucked for a couple if naps and now she seems to get it. But it did take CIO and I know lots of people don't want to so that. The lengths are still unpredictable- 35 minutes to 2 hours, you never know. But it's usually close to an hour and I'm happy with that. I do miss the snuggles even though I was going insane with nursing to sleep!
coconut / 8681 posts
We nap trained at 7 months. We'd night sleep trained at 5.5 months but I was still rocking him down for naps. In the crib he'd nap 20-40 minutes. If napping on/with me he'd sleep for up to 2 hours.
I set a specific nap routine- diaper change in his room with lights off and sleep sheep on, in the rocker with me while I sing 3 songs (the same ones each time), and then a kiss and into his crib. I then left the room. I set the boundary that I'd leave him in his crib for an hour...no matter what. The first day he whined and babbled with short bursts of crying for 35 minutes. Then he fell asleep. He slept for 45 minutes. He only lasted 10-15 minutes before falling asleep for nap #2 that day and that time he slept for an hour and a half! By the third day he wasn't crying and would just put himself to sleep and he was sleeping for a minimum of an hour for each nap. Now, at 14 months, he waves at me when I set him down in his crib lol.
I definitely think nap training was successful so quickly because he'd already been through sleep training and he had been putting himself to sleep during the night.
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts
@Running Elley: for the one hour thing, was that one hour from when you put him down, even if it took 15 minutes to fall asleep? I think C has gotten the going to sleep part pretty well, but she's still waking sooner than I would like. But usually it is at least an hour from when I put her down, just less than an hour of sleep.
honeydew / 7586 posts
@Running Elley: @Foodnerd81: We also did CIO for bedtime. He goes down fine at night and just babbles himself to sleep. The first night he cried but only for about 20 mins.
I wouldn't be opposed to CIO for naps. His room is pretty bright, I'm wondering if I should get blackout shades prior to nap training?
I don't know why I never considered a nap routine!
coconut / 8681 posts
@Foodnerd81: I played it by ear. If he woke up before he'd been asleep for an hour I'd leave him in his crib for about 10-15 minutes unless he was really upset and throwing a complete fit. Quite a few times he ended up putting himself back to sleep!
coconut / 8681 posts
@rahlyrah: I do think the fact that E's room is dark helps! We don't have blackout shades but a tree is right outside his window blocking a lot of light and his curtains are pretty heavy. I don't think it'd hurt! I think that you will probably have luck if you do CIO for nap training since he knows the drill already for bed! And a routine really helped us!
coconut / 8681 posts
@Foodnerd81: Btw, it may just take time to get a predictable nap length! Even though E was napping well after a few days it took a couple of weeks before he settled into predictable nap lengths (a little over an hour in the morning and 2 amazing hours in the afternoon).
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts
We have blackout shades and I think it really helps. I have the cheapo ones from Home Depot behind te pretty curtains and it's really dark. And yeah we pretty much do the whole bedtime routine- diaper change (if she doesn't need it I still lay her on the change table), sleep sack, book, lights dimmed and same three songs, into crib and one song while I pat her tummy, then I say "have a nice nap, I'll see you when you wake up. Mommy loves you".
I agree if he responds well to CIO at bedtime I bet he will take to it pretty easily for naps.
wonderful cherry / 21504 posts
@Running Elley: thanks, that's what I'm thinking. I am trying now to just make sure she is in there at least an hour for now, hopefully the sleeping for an hour every time will come. She is only 4 months.
GOLD / watermelon / 14076 posts
@rahlyrah: Absolutely get blackout shades. I tried putting M down for a nap when we traveled for thanksgiving and it was nearly impossible because she kept wanting to look around. We have blackout shades in her nursery and she goes down easily at home.
pomelo / 5621 posts
@rahlyrah: Just wondering what you ended up doing for nap training and how it worked?
I've got to do that in the next few days, first I need blackout blinds. Mama has stuff to do and can't keep cuddling for naps, even though I love the cuddles.
He used to nap on his own and he can put himself to sleep at night, I just know it will be a long few days.
honeydew / 7586 posts
@ALV91711: I still haven't started. I'm still waiting for DH to put up the blinds. I really, really want to start soon!
pomelo / 5621 posts
@rahlyrah: We have to shop for blinds this weekend. I want to start by the new year. I hope you get to start soon.
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