going on vacation-where will he sleep?

[greenteamomma]

We are leaving in 4 weeks for vacation.  My little guy is 10 days shy of 6 months.  We planned to have him sleep in his pack and play (play pen) since it will be the most convenient for the hotel and then at my mothers.  We have put him in for his cat nap for a week now and it takes him forever to fall asleep where as in his crib its 10 minutes of independent going to sleep.  I just wondered if someone has some advice for making this easier.  Should I have him sleep in it for other naps?  He still sleeps with a sleep positioner which I am also trying to wean, I digress, so I put it in there to get him to sleep.  He just plays and laughs and babbles.  he has about 2.25 to 2.50 of A time but when I put him in, its more like 2.75.  He only mantras and sucks his fingers to sleep once he is exausted!  It makes for s short A time before bed. ADVICE?  

[Pens Fan]

hi ya- we have travelled a lot with our DD and had to cope with both strange places and different time zones - she is 3 years old now - when she was younger we found it was not the location of where she slept or what she slept in that made the difference - it was more the consistency of the routine.  For example.  We used to ensure we had the same CD we played at home as a sleep prompt, same cuddly toy and also same routine or wind down. 

[seesawbaby]

I agree, my lo sleeps about 25% of the time in the pack n play.  I put everything she would normally have in her crib in there with her.  She has a lovely, a positioner and her special crib blanket.  If we are in a hotel where the surroundings are very different than where she has been before I put a dark sheet over top to block out anything that would distract her from fallling alseep and that usually works well.  I take it off when my dh and I are ready to go to bed and the lights are out.  I also take a cd player along with her sleep cd to play to help her fall asleep.

[~*Nicole*~]

DD has always had a terrible time sleeping other places. Whenever we visited family etc. she would take forever to fall asleep and would wake often. I think trying to have your lo sleep in the pack n' play for other naps or even try overnight a couple of times might help a bit. Also.....someone gave us a small portable crib (very old....it is wooden and has a thin mattress that lays atop a thin wooden plank) and I have taken the mattress that goes with it more recently and put that in DDs pack n' play and she has slept better...I think b/c it feels more like her crib. They sell these online for portable cribs. They don't fit perfectly but should do as long as your pack n' play is not the smaller sized version. I used the sheets made for the pack n' play mattress to go on the portable crib mattress and it worked fine.

As pp poster said, keeping the routine is important....that always gets us b/c with all the excitement and other people around sometimes that is really easier said than done.

Best of luck.

[greenteamomma]

Thank you for the advice and ideas.  I will continue to get him to sleep in his pack and play and maybe for another nap too.  I just don't want to ruin a good nap until I have to, as I'm sure you ALL understand.  I like the sheet iover the pack and play dea too, I was trying to figure out how to darken just a little like his day time naps are in his crib but the pack and play is in the living room and I don't know how dark the room will be where we stay.
As for a CD, we have the radio on when he naps.  Do you think that is "the same" enough?

How do you get your little one to not "play" with their lovey?  How do you get your lo to take to the lovey or atleast know what it means?  I  know repeat repeat repeat but repeat what?  I would like him to have a lovey for the trip TO the vacation too as he will be sleeping in the car seat (16 hrs of driving...).  Having a lovey then would help too!

[*Liz*]

I think once they have slept overnight a few times they get the idea - as they tend to know its bedtime and need to sleep.

About the lovey - you don't really stop them from playing with it - playing is kind of how they learn to put themselves to sleep. J chews his cloth and sings to his bear and falls asleep like that.

Just keep putting it in there and see if he decides to use it to fall asleep. True attachment lovies are unsual at this age - I think of it more as keeping his hands busy while he falls asleep  . My DS has 3 requirements for sleep - his cloth and bear, flat and dark. Otherwise he will adapt OK.

[greenteamomma]

Yes I know that true attachment to a lovey only happens around 8-9-10 months.  I just want something for him to relate to sleeping when are in the car for the long drive so when it's time to sleep I can give him that one to play with. I was planning on a stuffed monkey, we happen to have the same two and he is a little monkey anyway LOL! I guess you're right that they play before they fall asleep.  I willl have to try it's just that I thought it would be too distracting to him when or if he wakes in the middle of a nap...wouldn't he not want to go back to sleep?

[*Liz*]

Well hopefully he will just be pleased it is there and get used to it after a day or so. I mean, its a stuffed toy, not a play gym  . I was initially very anxious about it as well, and used to sit thinking 'pleeaase go to sleep' and he would be singing to his bear and flinging it around. Then I realised that was HOW he put himself to sleep. I little chatter to settle in, then some self soothing, then asleep.

Once he expects it to be there he will actually find it a comfort when he wakes at night or in the middle of a nap. J grabs his, has a quite chatter and puts himself back to sleep. Its actually better than ending up 'calling' for you.

When I was fussing my mum told me that it is nothing compared to what a toddler will do. They will sing 5 nursery rhymes, run round the room, bang feet on the wall etc.

I would just put it in there and see what happens.

[greenteamomma]

thanks for the words of encouragement...I'm such a fuss bucket myself aren't I?