Nap question - HELP PLEASE - I'm desperate!

We have always battled with napping. I am determined to win this battle within this month. My question is, do you all have naptime routines? If so, is it the same at the night bedtime routine? Please share your routines and/or tips to getting DC to nap in the crib. I have a few ideas to try out and am reading a new book now, but figured I'd ask the experts on here too.

TIA!

Message edited 9/24/2007 2:52:28 PM.

Re: Nap question - Help please!

bumping because I really need some help with this. She has not napped at all today. I still haven't showered. I don't know how much more of this I can take. I think I have to throw on clothes (still in pjs) and take a walk with her. That usually works. DH has the car so I can't go for a drive.

Please please help!!

Re: Nap question - Help please!

I kept the nap time routine very similar to bedtime. (minus the bath).

We'd go upstairs, close the curtains, turn on the music and sound machine (noisy neighbors) and then at that age I was still nursing so I nursed her till she was loopy and then put her in the crib awake.

HTH...good luck

Re: Nap question - Help please!

Re: Nap question - Help please!

I'm bumping again because I really need some advice. Please share your naptime routine if you have one. For all ages. Please. Pretty please. I'm begging here.

Re: Nap question - Help please!

I don't have expert advice b/c I have problems with nap time as well. During the week she's in day care and they say she naps well, but at home on the weekends she's never consistent. She refuses to nap in her crib (and since she has a great night time routine *knock-on-wood* I've been afraid to push the naps too much in case she rebels against the crib), so I've been just laying down with her when I see she's tired- it usually works for us b/c we always took afternoon naps if we're home on the weekend. But if we need to get something done it's hard. I hope others have some advice, since obviously I need it as well!

Re: Nap question - Help please!

our nap routine is to go into his room, change diaper, close blinds saying bye bye Mr sunshine, time for your nap. Give paci and sit in his rocker for 2-5 minutes, then put him in the crib. Give him teddy, blanket and run out of his room.
Lately he's been protesting (uh, screaming) becauseI was putting him down early> I think he's ready to go from 2 naps to 1. Putting him down later seems to be working since he's really tired by then and doens't fight it.

Re: Nap question - Help please!

thank you for your suggestions. That really helps. she just slept for 35 minutes. at least it's something.

Any other advice?

Re: Nap question - Help please!

I had a tough time with Alex until she was a year old. But, when she transitioned to the young toddler room, her teacher worked magic on her (and the rest of the class). You should have seen the look on my face the day I walked in during naptime, and witnessed 8 little one year olds all taking a nap on a cot at the same time!

I asked her what her trick is, and she told me, it's all about routine and timing. She keeps them active all morning and then feeds them lunch at 11:30am. Around 12:15 digestion kicks in and they get sleepy. She pulls out the cots, and announces to the class, it's nappy time. She closes the blinds in the class and turns on soothing ocean sounds music, and gives each baby their "blankie". She pats them on the back, says in a quiet voice, nappy time, and they drift off to sleep.

I incorporated this into Alex's routine on the weekends and at night. I always give her lunch at the same time everyday - 11:30am. At 12:30 I announce to her it's nappytime and ask her if she wants her paci. I bring her to her room, change her diaper, close the drapes, turn on ocean sounds music and we cuddle for about 2 minutes. I then tell her it's time to go to her bed, and I put her down.

I do the exact same routine at night. Again, I take advantage of the digestion effects - I give her dinner around 6:30pm, and put her to bed at 7:30pm.

At this point, she actually ASKS for bed, and will grab my hand and drag me to her room

ETA - it also helps to have a comfort object in the crib with them. We started putting a little purple hippo in Alex's crib, and called it Sleepysaurus. Now she's attached to it, and whenever it's time for nappy or bedtime, I tell her it's time to go bed with sleepysaurus.

Message edited 9/24/2007 2:54:51 PM.

Re: Nap question - Help please!

well DD is only 3 mths so i'm no expert but heres what we do: she is a good napper and seems to really like her crib. i close the shades, put on noise machine swaddle her give her her paci put her in the crib and leave.
nighttime it's the same except i usually nurse her before & give her a bath

Re: Nap question - HELP PLEASE - I'm desperate!

I've used this website as a resource for sleep issues. It really helps!!

http://www.familysleep.com/napping.htm

Good luck!

Re: Nap question - HELP PLEASE - I'm desperate!

My dd pretty much has the same nap routine everyday. She wakes up at 7-7:15ish, eats, goes down for a nap around 10ish (for ~1.5 hrs) - then takes another nap around 2:30 (for ~2.5hrs). Even though she's really tired she does fight me to go down for her naps but eventually falls asleep. The older she's getting the harder it is to put her down.

When available, I also make sure I always put her down for a nap in her crib.

Message edited 9/24/2007 3:50:48 PM.

Re: Nap question - HELP PLEASE - I'm desperate!

We had a horrible time with naps too and now that she is in day care, have trouble with naps on the weekend now.

I do the same as the night routine- we rock for a bit and then I lay her down in her crib. I do let her fall asleep to her bottle for naps too- something I don't let her do at night. Then she goes in her crib sleepy and has to stay there for at least 45 minutes. She has her teddy bear and stuffed rabbit plus she knows how to turn on her rainforest soother so I usually hear her talking to her stuffed animals or listening to that for a bit and USUALLY she will go down.

Yesterday though she cried hysterically for an hour in the morning and would not nap. I finally gave in and gave her a bottle in her crib- something I NEVER do but nothing else was working, including rocking her.

Re: Nap question - HELP PLEASE - I'm desperate!

I wish I could help, but steven's been doing very poorly in the nap department.

My mom tries to get a nap in at around 9 or 10 am., then she puts him down again at around 1:30. Sometimes it works, sometimes he's too busy exploring.

Re: Nap question - HELP PLEASE - I'm desperate!

My daughter Lainie hardly naps either. She's kind of a cat napper. She naps around 10:30am for 1/2 an hour and then maybe again at 1:00pm for 1/2 an hour and then around 5:00pm for 1/2 an hour. She fights it though....I just put her in her crib and only when she really starts to cry is when I go in to put the paci back in her mouth.

I have to say that when my husband was away a few weeks ago, I did the whole CIO and it totally worked. She slep But when my husdand came and Lainie started to cry, he wanted me to soothe her and accomodate her as much as possible (I think he just wanted to sleep himself!) so now its back to square 1!!

Re: Nap question - HELP PLEASE - I'm desperate!

I see your DD is around the same age as mine. At 9 months I settled on actual times for their naps - not just when they appeared tired and so now it is routine. They eat lunch at 12:30 - play for about 45 minutes - get their formula in a sippy then straight to the crib with their Pooh bears...that part is the same as nighttime. Some days they stand there and 'talk' or scream or cry - but eventually they do fall asleep.

The other thing is too, I always now make sure I am home by their afternoon naptime so they can get a good sleep. Before 9 months I was always out and about and very flexible about it - now I'm very strict about being home. I need that hour to hour and a half to myself! HTH! Good luck!

Re: Nap question - HELP PLEASE - I'm desperate!

I'm sorry to hear I'm not alone. Thank you all for your advice and commiseration. I am determined to get her on a good nap schedule soon. I'll let you know if I succeed and what worked.

Re: Nap question - HELP PLEASE - I'm desperate!

Ella naps very well at home. We don't have a routine per se, we just put her in her crib with her blankie & pacifier. She takes a nice long nap in the morning (1-2 hrs), and usually an afternoon nap as well (45min-1hour) - though the afternoon naps seem optional these days.

When we're not home, she's not as happy to nap. I find taking her for a stroll to be most effective. She's not one to fall asleep anywhere other than a crib, car seat or stroller (or being held when she was younger)

Re: Nap question - HELP PLEASE - I'm desperate!

Any more advice from the night crew? I know I've gotten great advice already, but I could use all the help I can get.

Re: Nap question - HELP PLEASE - I'm desperate!

Well I am pretty lucky with Hailey's sleep habits. She needs to get off the bottle soon so then I may be in trouble. But right now, I try to stick to the same time everyday which is usually 3-4 hours after she wakes up in the morning. I give her a healthy snack like fruit or yogurt and then warm her a bottle (yes at 15 months old my daughter still likes her bottle warmed up!) and then I go in her room, close the blinds and sit and cuddle her in the rocking chair while she drinks her bottle. When she is done, I give her a binky and rock for a few minutes and lay her in the crib. 90% of the time she goes right to sleep. And sleeps for 1.5-2 hours. That is her only nap of the day but its a good one. Good luck!

Re: Nap question - HELP PLEASE - I'm desperate!

mine just recently started napping in his crib for almost 2 hours daily.

around 1PM, nursed to sleep. then I put him down. If he's too crazy at the time, I have been putting him in his crib, he plays and talks...once he starts getting mad, I pull him out and lay down with him in bed. He settles down, mainly since he doesn't want to go back into the crib. Falls asleep, then into the crib.

Sometimes I get a good morning nap, he will fall asleep on our walks...if he's in it deep, I will transplant to crib, if not I leave him in the stroller.

Re: Nap question - HELP PLEASE - I'm desperate!

I just wanted to encourage the use of "triggers" - similar to what Beth was posting. We sing Ella a "night-night" song (that I made up) and it seems to put her right out.

When I know she's tired and fighting sleep in the car, if I start singing it, she's out like a light. Its almost as if she needs to be told its time to sleep.

When we're taking her up the stairs for a nap or bedtime, we start with the song. Sometimes she'll shake her head "no" that she's not ready, and other times she'll start waving bye-bye and blowing kisses for night-night.

good luck!

Re: Nap question - HELP PLEASE - I'm desperate!

She takes her nap at 10:30am, i tell her night night briana and she starts walking toward the stairs. The only thing is i dont do the bath, bottle, rocking, etc... in the day, I go up and put her in the crib giver her a blankie and turn on the fishies and walk out.