Nap time routine

[legitsince86]

So we are still struggling to get LO to nap in her crib. She just goes ballistic, screaming and crying.

Right now, she's napping next to me on our bed after going crazy for 15 minutes.

She has never been the type to show she's tired. She has non stop energy unless she is nursed to sleep (and that hasn't been working since we started weaning)

I want to know your LOs nap time routine to get a better idea on how to get LO to relax.

[Unknown]

We don't have a nap routine. DD usually doesn't put up a fuss. If she does I will go up and take her out and try again 30min later.

[lilqt3929]

We do the same routine for nap and night time, with the exception of a bath. It is meal, change diaper, white noise, 3 books, cuddle her for a minute, and then crib. Our LO has a hard time settling down too so we have found giving her a meal before sleep calms and relaxes her, I don't want this to always be part of our routine but for now it works. We will probably slowly move food further away from sleep time and probably replace it with a few books sometime in the near future. Like PP mentioned, if she doesn't fall alseep within a certain time frame or is going ballistic for a certain amount of time I will pick her up and try again in 30 minutes. Honestly, some days are just better then others.

[joi922]

DS gets cranky when he's tired, so we know it's time to put him down. No set routine - he gets a blanket and a pacifier. We're 50/50 on turning on the white noise machine. Like PPs, if he doesn't settle within 10 minutes or so, I take him out and try again a bit later.

[happymama]

We don't do a specific routine, but DD's lovey and wubbanub help her a lot. I have started leaving her wubbanub and lovey in the crib and telling her its only for sleeping. She always wants them when she is tired so she will fuss and when I ask if she wants a nap she nods yes and toddles off to her room and waits next to her crib for me to put her in. Then the wub goes in the mouth, she plops her lovey on her face and is in heaven. She doesn't fall asleep right away, sometimes she won't even sleep at all. But she will hum and sigh and usually will fall asleep after a while. She generally takes two naps a day still. If I hear her in there for over an hour awake or she starts to fuss then I get her up.
I don't like to leave her crying in her crib because I want it to always be a happy place for her. Sometimes she cries initially, but will self sooth if she is tired. If she keeps crying or starts screaming then either she isn't ready to sleep or she pooed and needs a diaper change :-P

[af1004]

I wrap DD in a blanket, basically a loose swaddle. Then walk around and sing to her until she falls asleep (5-10 min) then hold her for another 5, then lay her in her crib. We nursed to sleep until doing this. She won't let me rock her, she thinks if I'm sitting in the chair with her cradled she should be nursing. We do the same thing at night to get her down. I follow her cues as to when she's sleepy but it's usually about the same time every day.

[jlprybs927]

No real routine. She basically gives us signs or point upstairs when she wants to take a nap. So when she does, we will tell her it's nap time, walk her upstairs, change diaper if needed, turn on the white noise. We say "I love you and sweet dreams, see you when you wake up!" And walk out.

I think we only are where we are because we did cry it out a long time ago at bedtime and she went down fine after a few days. her naps just followed suit.

[annarose]

I work during the week so I only have to nap her on the weekends but we stick to the school schedule for the most part. Eats lunch around 11 and naps at noon. When it's time for a nap, we change her diaper and quietly play with some books in her room for maybe 10 mins. We use white noise and she sleeps with her lovey and her blanket. I will try and snuggle with her in the rocker for a few mins, sometimes shes super into others she is not so i put her right into the crib.I rub her back while she is laying in the crib. I try to walk out before shes fast alseep so she soothes herself instead of needing the backrub to fall alseep. sometimes (usually) she cries and if she doesn't settle down I will go back in and rub her back again. 8 times outta 10 I when i walk out the second time, shes good to go and settles herself to sleep. sometimes it takes a 3rd.

this is very similar to our bedtime routine

[legitsince86]

Thanks everyone. Out bedtime is usually dinner, bath, pjs, read and nurse (to sleep but not anymore since we're weaning)
I'll try to get her still to read for nap to hopefully relax.

I really wish she was like those mystical kids that randomly fall asleep while playing.

[Deleted]

We really don't have one. We have some food, then go to their bedroom. If they've gotten super messy while eating, they'll get a bath and get into their PJs. They get a diaper change regardless. Then I kiss them up and put them in their cribs (Ashley won't allow me to lay her down, usually Kayla will). There's usually a little protesting/chatting, but it usually gets quiet and they go to sleep pretty fast (particularly if they've had a bath).

[fiveohfive]

We are sporadic on the nap time, usually between 11:30-1. We wait to see her pull her ears or rub her eyes and then we grab a snack, change her diaper and then I let her pick two toys for her crib. Sometimes it's her dolls but usually it's her stuffed Elmo and Ernie. We read one book and then I put her in her crib with the toys and she usually will play for a bit and then fall asleep. I noticed she would actually be awake or protest sleep a lot longer if I was around so I leave pretty quick and watch her on the monitor.

[girlonfire]

We have lunch at 11:30am then she gets a few minutes of play while I close her bedroom blinds and warm up her sippy cup of milk. Then it's diaper change followed by reading 2-4 books in her bedroom while she has her milk. We turn off the lamp and turn on her turtle light/ white noise thing. Then I toss her in the crib and run for the hills. She'll sometimes protest for a few minutes but then goes quiet. I rarely go back in.

What about trying some role play with your LO? Have her pretend to read to her teddy/doll and then tuck it in for a nap. Explain to her that teddy is tired and needs a nap and praise teddy for quietly going to sleep. No idea if this would work but it's worth a shot.

I know how much it sucks when LO fights sleep .

[redfraggle]

It's no secret, I'm a big fan of The Sleep Lady's book, which is what I recommend if you are having sleep issues.

Our nap routine is a shortened version of bedtime: pick up toys, read a book (kids alternate who picks it), sing a song (kids alternate who picks the song), potty/diaper change, and tuck each kid into his/her bed/crib. They like their fan on while napping and a toy (or a few) and a book to play and look at until they fall asleep. Nap times are consistent each day, including weekends, within a half-hour window.

DD is transitioning from 2 naps to 1 right now, which went really well for a week but fell apart last week when she was sick. We need to get back on track.

We only do snuggle naps with a parent if there are extenuating circumstances, like teething or illness, and my kids just really struggled to get enough sleep in those circumstances at this age.

Good luck!

[ajaan113]

We do snuggles naps. Always have. DS will sleep on his own someday. I will just enjoy the snuggles while I can.