When to Start Routine Naps?

Start he nap as soon as possible. My son used to do the same thing but eventually he got the point and he started taking his naps. You are the parent not him him. How does something that can't not talk run the show.

Hey J.-

Just thought I would tell you that we used a book called "Baby wise" - our older daughter slept through the night at 6 weeks, and our new 8 week old is doing the same. Now, with naps - both of my kids are on a schedule since they were 3 weeks olds. I know it's hard during nap time, I newborn is taking a nap in her swing as I type this :). However, I try to work with her at least once or twice a day in sleeping in her crib. Yes, she mostly crys but it's a work in progress. I just really try to keep on her schedule all the time because sooner or later her body will adjust and know when to sleep. My older daughter actually comes to me and say's "nite-nite" when it's her nap time because her know's it. Does that make sense? Just know it's going to take about a week to train your son to sleep in his crib, also you need to rule out any type of reflux problems. (email me if you have questions on this) but just take it one day at a time.

We are also a babywise family, and we found "the Baby Whisperer" to mesh really well with it. She takes many scenarios and walks you through how to deal with each one, and lets you create an eat, play, sleep cycle that babies seem to appreciate from the very beginning. For a baby 6 weeks old or so a sample schedule would be: wake up and eat, change diaper, "play" so that he has been awake for about an hour max, then put him to sleep for two hours. If he wakes, give pacifier or whatever to get him to go back to sleep, cause your baby should be ready to eat every 3 hours.
This Cycle should last all day, until you are ready for bed, then you would skip the awake time, and eventually start skipping the eating time, so that he sleeping for longer periods at night.
Then when your baby is ready to eat every four hours, he will also be able to stay awake for two hours, this is usually around 6 months, after you atart giving cereal.

I would say no baby is too young to try introducing a schedule. I would also advise you to try to put the baby asleep in his room during the day, even if he is still in your room at night time, that way he gets used tro being in his own room and it prepares him for when you put him in his room at night time. He will very quickly grow out of his car seat and swing, don't forget he will will nap until around the age of 2, 3 or even 4 years old so getting him to nap in his crib, bassinet, bed etc will be very important. I had both my kids scheduled napping by about 6 weeks and sleeping through the night by 8 weeks (6-8 hours). You can do it but it may seem hard at first if he cries. Just make sure he is well fed, freshly diapered and has no other needs that you have to tend to. That way you know he is crying to be picked up rather than actually needing you for something. Does he have a pacifier? That may help him self soothe and prevent the crying. I woud say, as hard as it is, you may to let him cry it out a little to get a routine set. Darken the room he is in and maybe put some music/a crib mobile on so he can be distracted and soothed by something other than yourself.
I think at this age they usually nap about three times a day for about 1-2 hours hours each time.
I was always very strict about nap time and bedtimes, I think it is very important to set the standard of what you expect early on with this issue and I have never had any naptime or bedtime problems, and my little ones are 3 and 5 1/2.
Good luck, I know this can be a difficult situation, it will get easier.

J.,

He sounds perfectly normal. He's used to movement when he sleeps from being inside you. He also likes the snug feel of the carseat because he was nestled tight inside you.

As moms we do whatever it takes for the little ones to get the rest they need so you can get your rest too. Don't worry too much about getting him on a schedule yet. He's still too little.

Enjoy your little one because he will grow up fast. :)

your sonis normal.. this is normal for his age.. He cann not soothe himself.. he needs your help to get him to sleep.

you can not really start on aschedule until 4 months or so..

every child is different.. but a normal nap schedule will be.. 9 am 1 pm then a short nap at 4 pm.

Then they give up the 4 pm then they give up the morning nap and you are left with one nap starting somewhere around noon.

At his age he should not be awake for more than 2 to 2.5 hours or he will be overtired.

I highly recommend the book.. Healthy sleep happy child.

It is just common sense but I really learned a lot from the book.

J.,

I have a 2 1/2 year old and a 3 week old and I can not say enough about a program called Babywise. Your baby does not know how to nap you need to teach him how. I have Nathan my three week old on a flexible 2 1/2 to 3 hour schedule. I start his routine out with feeding him, then some wake time followed by nap time. His naptime should be the last 1 1/2 hours of the schedule. The key is to put him into naptime while he is awake so he can learn the skill of falling asleep and self soothing. There will be some crying (it is the way babies burn any extra energy so they can fall asleep). Nathan's cry pattern is between 8-10 minutes if he goes longer than 10 minutes or increases in his intensity I will go in and check on him, calm him down and put him back down into nap time. You need to be consistent with the routine (feed, wake/playtime, naptime) so your baby will know the routine and what is expected. The only time the routine changes is at night when you will feed your baby and put in to bed with no wake time. If you have any questions you can email me also. We did this program with my 2 1/2 year old also and he was sleeping thru the night by 9 weeks and taking naps during the day without a problem. I hope this helps. J.

Hi, I have been in your shoes before and I have to say, when my sister in law recommended a book to me, I just about threw it out the window, because I thought, "Not another book to confuse me even more than I already am!" But I have to say it has been a terrific book and I have used it on both kids. It was written by a pediatrician that is the head of the sleep clinic at Chicago's Children's Hospital. It is called Healthy Sleep Habits, Healthy Child by Dr. Weisinbluth (sp?). But honestly, it is a great book, gave my husband lots of wonderful and pracitical advice with parent testimonials throughout it. Within the book, it gives you a chart as when to place them down for a nap, when to start nap and sleep training, or scheduled naps, ect. Very user friendly! I have a 3 year old and 1 year old and it is still used on the three year old! I refer to it often to help me out when I hit those sleeping bumps in the road. Best of Luck and please if you get a chance, take a look at the book. It really is a great tool to have on hand. All my friends use it as well and highly recommend it as well. Best of Luck! Email if you have any other questions. :)

Hey we had similar issues with my daughter. Though at 6 weeks we had to implement bottle feeding as she was 10 oz. less then her birthrate (long story...). Anyway, this helped us get onto a round the clock 3 hour schedule. She ate at 6a,9a,12p,3p,6p,9p,12a,3a... At this age I would try to rock her to sleep each time and she usually took a 20-60 min nap. There were many days when her only napping took place in the swing. That's ok, I'd use it as much as I could, I just had to give it up as she was trying to tip it over at around 6 months.

I was trying to work from home part time and finally at 5 months old I started routine naps, two naps a day - she was sleeping all night by 3 months - for 2.5 hours each. Most people tell me that is unusual and wonderful, but it worked for us. She'd eat (still on the 3 hr. feeding schedule between 6a-9p) then I'd try to rock her to sleep, but if it didn't seem to work (which it usually didn't) I'd put her in her crib with a pacifier, turn on the fan, close the curtains, and let her cry herself to sleep. It didn't take very long at all and MOST of her naps she'd just take with no complaining, but every few weeks or so she'd rebel and cry herself to sleep. At around 9 or 10 months I switched to a 4 hr. schedule and she had one 4 hour nap a day, that worked even better. She still takes it (at 19 months) and usually sleeps 4-5 hours unless its noisy outside and she wakes up from that. (she will spend about 30 minuets playing with stuffed animals in the crib before actually falling asleep)

I was blessed and didn't have to struggle with it on a regular basis. I was not able emotionally to allow my child to cry herself to sleep before she was about 4-5 months old, but at that point I could, so if you're ready to do that, try it. It does work, but it can take a while to get them used to the idea. Babies like routine, so create one that works for you. With a child that little, probably many short naps a day is ideal and as they get bigger, fewer longer naps will work out better.

As far as going in to check on them when they cry, I usually let it get to a hysterical stage and then would just replace the pacifier and go back out. I tried not to comfort and cuddle her. If her crying wasn't hysterical I just found something for myself to do to keep me occupied and went to a different part of the house so as to not "tease her" by making noise near her room.

Best wishes!

You have nothing to worry about - your son is so normal!! My pediatrican told me not to expect "normal" routine naps until 9 months old!

Im a 'babywise' mom, too...as another mom suggested. Some love it, some hate it...I ADORE it!!!! You have to know what parts of it to take/leave, though. Id be glad to highlight some of the aspects that we really saw benefit from if you're interested. Just let me know!

BTW...people are often in awe of how well my kids nap, sleep, and even ask to go to bed...from early on!

~L.

Lots of babies won't nap in a bed, so a swing or carseat or wherever they fall asleep is a good option. I don't think it's possible to make a baby this young do what you want very well.

three to four months.