How I'm succeeding with longer naps...

[Mamastalawatt]

Hi,

DS is 3 months old and has been on easy for almost a month.  Longer naps have always been a problem, but the last few days they seem to be working better.  So  thought I'd share what I'm doing in case it helps anyone else!

Firstly I have gone back to swaddling, which I thought DS didn't like anymore.  He's not as keen as when he was tiny, but doesn't fuss as much as I thought he might.  We cuddle for a few minutes (sometimes sing his nap song, gently) when he starts yawning and getting fidgety, then I put him down around the 3rd yawn.  Usually he snugglles down and is asleep within minutes.

At 30 - 35 minutes, I sit next to his crib and place my hand on his chest.  He usually stirs at around 40 minutes - writhing and opening his eyes gradually.  At the moment I then usually spend 20 - 25 minutes just with my hand on him, in total silence.  I don't do pat/shush as it has always stimulated him and woken him up too much. He usually lies there, dozing, looking around and occasionally squirming and having another yawn.  If he starts moaning, I give him his soother (which he always spits out just before dozing off).

The last few attempts, he has slept for two hours!

It's nice to see real progress!

Hope this helps someone - I thought I'd never get DS on longer naps!

Mama

[Caroline-Charlies Mummy]

  That's great that it's working for you, it's a real sense of achievement, isn't it.

Thank you for sharing - I hope it will inspire many of us still having problems

[tiki_mama]

i'm glad someone else has posted about their 'alternative' method to get their lo to have longer naps. i was about to post about my method so i'm just going to put it here. hope that's ok 

my dd is 3 months also and over the past week during her morning nap i have been trying out something new (with great results) as i found the wake to sleep method usually ended in an exhausting pu/pd session   

after about 30 minutes i go into the darkened room and i set off her 'white noise' box (a little battery operated box that plays a sort of static noise) i also set off her 'starman' lullaby toy. both of these are used when she is initially put down for a nap or at bedtime.

i keep them going for about 15-20 minutes until she's come out of the first sleep cycle and has moved into her second. it seems that when she does stir she hears both things and they almost 'hypnotise' her back to sleep! i always end up waking her after an hour and a half which is much nicer for both of us than her waking herself and crying!!

we've only been doing it in the mornings over the past week so i have no idea if it's going to 'train' her to sleep through the 45 minute barrier. time will tell!

 

[Mamastalawatt]

Hey 'Tiki' - it's nice to hear a comparison!

Where did you get your white noise box from?  The last couple of days I've had a fan heater on because my heating system has broken down.  That makes a white noise too, so perhaps that has helped. 

As I write, DS has been asleep for 1 hour 20 minutes and I didn't even notice him wake up in the middle!  This morning I noticed him stirring, and all I had to do was place my hand on his chest for a few minutes and he went straight back to sleep.  If anything, he's sleeping closer to 2 hours than 1.5 each time.  I have let him sleep later than normal feed time as I always thought you should leave a baby to wake up when he/she's ready, but I might start waking him now.

Your little one is gorgeous, by the way!

Hope your success continues!

Mama

[shimmer]

hm... both of these methods ae very similar to my approach... however, I've been at it for over a week now and it still results in pat/sh (wake to sleep wasn't working).

[tiki_mama]

Mamastalawatt   -  the 'white noise box' i use is inside a little bear. you get it from lots of online sellers. this is where i bought mine here in the UK...

http://www.safetots.co.uk/item--Prince-Lionheart-Slumber-Bear--SlumberBear

it's fabulous as it runs for 5 minutes at a time and it sets itself off when the baby cries. it's very sensitive and will go off if they yell or grumble loudly!! i've been using it since my dd was very young and i always activate it when she first goes down for a nap or at bedtime. it really seems to calm her

i have now had success with the white noise box and starman routine for a week now (morning naps only at the moment) and i'm really hoping that before long she'll start moving from the first sleep cycle to the next by herself. she also sleeps for about 2 hours once i've got her into the next cycle, which is great!

shimmer - are you going in early enough to start the wake to sleep (or alternative) method? i think i go in too early (about 25-30 minutes) but i'm paranoid i'' miss the 'window'! but i know from bitter experience that if i go in too late and she's already started coming out of her 1st sleep cycle herself then no matter what i do it doesn't work and she starts to cry and the whole thing turns into a marathon pu/pd session   just a thought