harder to put down for naps

[micah'smom]

hi everyone
as i write this micah is babbling/fussing. he's been doing this on and off with hard crying for the past hour. here's our story..

he's a tummy sleeper and loves to roll onto his back when i put him down for naps. i try to roll him back but he's either really resistant or starts to play and blow raspberries. so i leave, giving him time to settle.

but he ends up playing a while and i think he gets himself more awake (spirited kid) so i end up with an overtired-yet-playful babe on my hands. so since he just smiles and does push ups while i pat shushh, i leave the room. he'll babble and fuss, then cry (on his back - doesn't roll back onto tummy tho i KNOW he can) then i walk in ready to do pu/pd or something, but he'll calm instantly and play again. so i leave. and this goes on and on...!!

so then our routine goes way off schedule. how the heck do i get this kid to self-soothe? it may be that he's overtired from the start, but my calming techniques doen't work anymore.

help! do i use pu/pd to get him to learn to sleep on his back? i've posted so many times about this issue but i guess i'm asking specifically for nap rituals.

thanks!

[Richelle]

Hi SElena,

With my lo it made all the difference in the world to make the room really dark and we also use a sleep wedge.  She is a side sleeper but rolls back and forth between back-side ect...but i think she would have trouble getting to her stomach because of the wedge.

HTH

Richelle

[Aarismom]

Yeah, I would recommend a wedge as well, either a store bought one or some rolled up towels. It would make it easier to roll back on the tummy. I think I'm gonna do that when my lo learns to roll over.

*HUGS*
Sonya =P

[micah'smom]

thanks for the advice ladies -

i've tried rolled up towels, those sleep positioner thingies, everything. the way he rolls is by pulling his knees up and pushing off his knees, so his tushy just mows right over anything i use to block him. i've just learned to accept that he'll roll whether i like it or not. even hwen i put him on his side with towels against his back he somehow finds a way to slide off them and get on his back!  :roll:

[Tannis]

Wow, I've just been noticing the same thing with my little one the last few days. He's 6 months old and so I decided maybe it's time to wean from the wedge and now when he naps he rolls to his tummy and then same thing... plays and than cries.
Should I give the wedge back during the day? He doesn't do this at night. I thought maybe he was too old for it now?

[Little Bear's Mum]

Hi, you mums are all so helpful, you've answered some questions on one of my threads. Anyway.... here's an idea which may or may not help prevent the rolling. Daniel sleeps in a sleeping bag with arm holes. (like a singlet top but with a big long bottom on it that he is zipped into) Do you know the type? He doesn't roll normally as yet, so I can't say for sure, but for the life of me, I don't see how he will be able to in the bag. It's quite wide and so when the sheets are tucked down around him too it would make it quite tricky to roll over. Perhaps something like this may help.

The other thing to look at, is like I'm discovering with Daniel, is maybe he's not ready to go to sleep when you put him down which is why he's playing? At least he's happy, not like my screaming baby!! :oops: I do have a friend who's baby would sometimes play in the cot for an hour before dropping off to sleep though.

Daniel is a back sleeper by the way, always has been, so maybe Micah wants to join the rest of the back sleepers. Just put him down on his back and see what happens. Or try wrapping/swaddling him even if it's just chest down with arms out as this may help calm him.

Just some random ideas for you to try. Sometimes it's easier offering advice to other people that it is solving my own problems. :oops: