Don't we love the new ages and stages that our baby goes through. My daughter was at the stage of refusing morning naps but clearly still needs it. She can't deside if she wants a late or early morning nap. But she is still quite consistent with her afternoon nap. Routine is changing a lot round this age.
To be honest I do not always stick to routine. A lot of the time we have days where she only has one nap a day and other she has two. It varies day-to-day and depend on activities in the day also. My daughter has times where she sleeps right through the night and times when she needs a breastfeed to get back to sleep 1-2 times and other times when she wakes up, has a moan then falls right back to sleep few times in night.
I have always breastfed her to sleep. I find it is best for us less stressful.
Don't get me wrong though sometimes breastfeeding to sleep doesn't work so I do have to put some effort in by comforting her at interval the 5mins - 10mins -15mins so on til she relaxes to sleep or holding her til she sleepy enough to put in cot. Sometimes I hum along with her lullaby music machine.
I cannot control and make my baby sleep but I can make the environment relaxing and calm. Having a naptime routine is great to have, which is slightly different to night routine. (Night routine blog coming soon). This is what works best for my daughter and may not work for anyone or at any baby age & stage. This is only a guide to help a mother out!!
Here is my method to naptime
By the end of playtime things we usually quiet down and she brings me books to read her. She like the animals alphabet picture books. Once I see the tired signs (eye rubbing, eye bags, red eyes - (sleep cue blog coming soon) I'd tell her naptime and carry to her room, turn on music machine, change her nappy, start breastfeeding til she is asleep & place her in cot when i notice her fast asleep cues ( snort, lazy arms & legs and light latch or unlatches from boob).
My method does not work from time to time due to fussiness, over active arms & legs and playing the latch on latch off game, while having a conversation to my boob and also aching of the back, Most of the time I have to hold her tight to control her mini tantrum and guide her back to suckling breast.
If that is unsuccessful i'll lay her down in her cot wait rougly 10secs if she gets up i'll offer her water from sippy cup then offer breast again and usually she settles and falls asleep. If she is too wound up with the activeness and fussiness I'd do the same thing lay her in the cot but wait in the room and let try and settle and if she stands or sits ill lay her down and quietly say "it's nap time". I repeat this 3 times and the 4th time I say nothing til she is staying laying down and is a bit quieter i'll leave the room. I then check her in 10 mins and usually she is asleep by 20 minutes - 40 minutes at most.
Although other times she is simply done, finished, with the breastfeeding session so I let her get on with her activities and just wait til she is ready for a nap. (wish I didnt stress so much in the early days but that a novel to tell). Like I said you cannot force a baby to sleep or let alone anyone, am i right?
What is your babies/toddler nap time routine?
If that is unsuccessful i'll lay her down in her cot wait rougly 10secs if she gets up i'll offer her water from sippy cup then offer breast again and usually she settles and falls asleep. If she is too wound up with the activeness and fussiness I'd do the same thing lay her in the cot but wait in the room and let try and settle and if she stands or sits ill lay her down and quietly say "it's nap time". I repeat this 3 times and the 4th time I say nothing til she is staying laying down and is a bit quieter i'll leave the room. I then check her in 10 mins and usually she is asleep by 20 minutes - 40 minutes at most.
Although other times she is simply done, finished, with the breastfeeding session so I let her get on with her activities and just wait til she is ready for a nap. (wish I didnt stress so much in the early days but that a novel to tell). Like I said you cannot force a baby to sleep or let alone anyone, am i right?
What is your babies/toddler nap time routine?
