Suggestions fo nap time routine for spirited baby required!!

[elisabethkneale]

Hi,

I've been doing pu/pd for nap and bed time for a week now. We've had great success and my son has gone from waking every couple of hours to sleeping through the night!!

My problem is naps. He still winges a bit at bed time but at nap time, he starts to get crosser and crosser the further along we get in his nap time routine. At the moment, we read two short books, draw the curtains, then sing through a lullaby twice and walk up and down shushing. Sitting doing nothing for 5 mins is not an option with him, he just gets bored and frustrated! So after walking up and down I put him into his bed and get the inevitable scream. He has only once gone down for a nap without crying, and he usually cries once we start singing lullabies. What should I do? He still cries on the way down into his bed when we do pu/pd so most of the time I just soothe him in his bed.

Basically I'm looking for any suggestions on how I can improve the routine and what to do if he starts to cry before we even get to the going to bed bit.... do I just put him down even if he's crying?

Thanks!

[lvecvagare]

I don't know, if I have a spirited baby, but I had a rather similar situation. What I realized was that my winding down routine was by far too long for PR (3 months old) and even small things seemed to get him worked up rather than calm him down. He seems to fall asleep best, if I get him to bet within 5 minutes from his first yan or jerky extremities. Then he usually falls asleep much better.

[Fiona (Leah & Kians Mom)]

You dont say what age your little one is but if the books keep him inerested enough to sit on you knees for a few minutes why not do the curtains, song and then book. My dd always did the book for 5 mins on my knees and still does right before going to bed, she gets to kiss it goodnight before she puts her arms around my neck to go to bed. She is getting demanding though and insists I rub her back while we read  :wink:

[Deb_in_oz]

i think your routine is most probably too long for your spirited one. if you are doin this when you are even close to his sleep window than during this long process you are crossig into overtired.  unfortunately with spiriteds you don't have the luxury of a long sleep window - they get into overtired in the blink of an eye.

they also don't seem to need as much "stuff" in their routine - just create a good setting (dark room, white noise if you have it and a swaddle if they are a young one - definitely in first 3-4 months) then give them a sleep cue phrase and/or 1 verse of lullaby and into the bed   HTH

whinging and a little cry is also a normal part of their letting off steam - spiriteds ges so stimulated they need to release all that energy in order to settle to sleep

[KellyC]

Arggggh - I just wrote a really long reply and then pressed escape by accident and lost it!

I was saying that with my 4 month old our wind-down routine only consists of turning his lullabys on, swaddling him and putting him in his bed.  I used to try reading stories, singing songs etc. but everything only stimulated him and made him cry and I now know that if he yawns or rubs his eyes etc. he needs to go to bed now and not in 20 minutes, bless him!

I also had a couple of days last week where he screamed his head off whenever I swaddled him.  I thought it must be good as he knew what was coming next!  I started to hold back after I put him in his bed (only 30 seconds or so) and to my amazement realised he was trying to settle himself.  He now whinges a little sometimes but mainly settles himself without too much fussing.  I think he was telling me to go away!

Kelly x

[Paulsmama]

Hi, I also have a spirited LO and we've never done that well with a short wind down and in the crib.  We do best when we move to quiet play before he gets to his sleep window (now based on clock-watching) -- usually reading books in his room -- and then I look for cues to know when to sing him a song and put him in his crib.  I guess you could call that quiet time and the wind down just the song?  I find it easier to see sleepy cues when he was in a relaxed setting because in the middle of activities he never shows tired signs until it is way too late!

[elisabethkneale]

Thanks for all your suggestions!! I'll give them a try...

[Mia & Scarlett's Mummy]

Think I've joined this discussion abit too late but here's what I do with my spirited dd who's 4.5 months:

As soon as I see her tired signs it up to her room, draw the blinds and curtains, nappy change, put her in her sleeping bag and sit with her very still in my arms next to her cot and let her suck on her dummy.  As soon as she realises she's dropping off to sleep she panics and spits the dummy out and starts fighting sleep (these spirited babies are great aren't they?  :wink: ) so I have to be persistent I let her have a bit of a moan and groan and then put her dummy back in, she suckles and then sleep overtakes her and she can't fight in anymore, when her eyes are drooping I put her in her cot and by this stage she's normally happy to settle herself for her nap albeit with her dummy.

Like your LO she's fine at night - probably because she's so tired from all the sleepfighting she's done in the day!

HTH