Can't APOP! Stressful days out

[katiepierce]

Hoping for tips please!

My LO loves to nap in his cot! We worked really hard on it in the early days as I'd heard so many stories about having to take long walks / drives all the time or LO having to sleep in mums arms all of which i didn't want. So we've now ended up with the opposite problem! LO will not sleep well at all while out. 40 mins max in car, 20 mins max in buggy! He fights both and prob ends up OT, he just won't settle easily unless he's in in dark quiet room! HELP!

Now he's getting older (nearly 9 months) it doesn't matter as much as he can cope but it really stresses me out and I sometimes avoid days out etc now as dont want to be left with an OT baby by the end. Sometimes its worth it, yest we had a glorious day at beach and LO slept for only 20 mins between 11am and 7pm! BUT it was worth it and although he did an OT NW last night he settled easily.

Just wondered if anyone has any tips to help LO sleep out and about?

Thanks

[firsttimemummy]

This sounds familiar! I find that Oliver takes ages to get to sleep unless in his cot ....  but one day I put his swaddle blanket (thin cotton one - it's an Australian one, I think they use them there to shade from the sun) over his car seat like a blackout blind, and he went to sleep really quickly - if he can see what is going on he wont really sleep.  You can also buy blackout blinds (like a rain cover) for your buggy but I find this works as well.  He doesn't always sleep for ages but sometimes he will.

When he was younger I used the Slumberbear noise box to get him to sleep in the buggy (while still before going out) and found that would help him get back to sleep - not tried recently.

With Murray I didn't know about blacking out his buggy and just accepted that some days were for me (or him!) and we went out and accepted him not napping .... luckily it never affected his night-time sleep, just put him to bed a bit earlier

[Papaya]

My LO is the same - she'll do a 45 min nap in the car or frontpack (we don't have a buggy), but no more. So I generally stick to half day outings - that way I know she should get one good nap in her cot, and she can handle the other one being short, maybe with an early bedtime. If we have to be out for the whole day, I aim for three short naps! Do you have a travel cot? That might be another option, if you get your LO used to sleeping in that when out and about.

[Scarecrow22]

I have the same issue entirely, even w buggy shaded, and L about go to child-minder. I found the other day - by accident - she slept better (an hour) when out and think and think was because first time I took her Bashful Bunny from cot out with us and she used it to resettle. Yesterday she sim did 1h 20m in car and 40m in buggy. Not claiming it is fool-proof but might be worth a try if she has a sleeping comforter?

[katiepierce]

Thanks for the ideas ladies.

We do put a dark blanket over car seat / buggy when asleep. Can always count on 40 mins in car but the 20 mins in buggy is just too short! Will maybe try some kind of white noise, as guess that might be the difference between car and pram...? Good idea about the comforter, unfortunatley LO doesnt have one but am trying at the mo for that so hopefully he'll become attached soon! We always end up doing half days out aswell, a whole one is too stressful!

[susaninlondon]

Katie,
exact same situation here..except our buggy naps are zero and carnaps...rare 20 mins. I am just counting the days to one long nap at fixed time at least it allows planning things around it!

Sx

[katiepierce]

It's so annoying isn't it. Roll on one nap days! X

[ZacsMumme]

Hugs Hun, after months of teaching ds to nap in his cot it is the only place he will nap now other than cn in the car. For car and buggy attempts I always try to time it right and offer him his lovey and paci which are accdvwith sleep...sometimes it works, sometimes not. Unfortunately some Los are just too mosey to nap out! X

[Papaya]

Yes, meant to say too that when I'm trying for a nap in the car or front pack, timing is essential - for car, we leave 5-10 mins before she's due to sleep, give her her lovey, and play her white noise. For front pack, we usually have her facing out but turn her so she's facing in just before it's naptime, and recite one of her naptime stories to her from memory. She'll usually snuggle in and go to sleep eventually, and then the person carrying her has to be extremely quiet for the next 40 mins

Usually I'm thrilled that she loves her cot (she'll lean towards it when she's tired and ready to sleep) but it is a bother when the cot's not around isn't it!

[katiepierce]

Glad to hear I'm not the only one with the problem (although sorry you lovely ladies have to deal with it too!). I try to be really on the ball with timings but LO fights sleep so much in the car/pram that although we start trying to get him to sleep at the 'right' time he inevitabley ends up OT and exhausted by the time he actually goes off! Grrr!

Arh well, at least we can console ourselves with the fact that we have contented cot sleepers!

[susaninlondon]

Exact same here Katie, OT mess if you try for naps on the go!
I for one will be trying my hardest to get to one nap asap 

[weaver]

I never could, and was never quite brave enough to push myself to, get him to nap well outside the house.  But, you know, it's a great thing that your LO is such a good sleeper and the many naps a day phase will soon pass.  Then you'll be left with a good little sleeper and you will be so happy with that!

[katiepierce]

Thanks Anne! Let's turn this into a possitive post....yey for our good cot sleepers!! X