5 Month Old Nap Know How.

Updated on April 24, 2008
P.H. asks from Spring, TX
20 answers

Hello Ladies. Once again, I need some new Mom advice. My daughter is almost 5 months old. I used to be able to set my watch by her naps. She would usually fall asleep anywhere like he swing or the floor in about an hour to an hour and a half after bottles. I guess she's just growing fast, because now she does not doze off on her own. She fights sleep and I was wondering if anyone had any previous experiance or advice on how to get some "In Crib" nap time routines established. She sleeps well in her crib at night, but has never "Napped" there.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated. Thank you!

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So What Happened?

I just wanted to Thank everyone for all their helpful hints. I took a little advice from everyone and used it to create our own routine!

Now when she starts to yawn and rub her eyes, I lay her down in her crib. We put a radio in her room. I put it on the AM setting in between stations so it creates static. Unlike a fan, it does not change the temperature in her room, plus I can adjust the volume. It took about three days of her fussing for about 5 minutes, but I keep at it and now she's napping like a champ!

I can not thank you Mama's or this web site enough. It's like I always have a huge group of Mom's who "Get It" and don't make me feel like a total Air Head.

I love all of you and I'm soo glad we're "In This Together"!!

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I.L.

answers from Killeen on

On Becoming babywise, is a great book about getting on a routine. I read it when my baby boy was 3 months old, and it has been soo wonderful. I wish I had known about it when my daughter was an infant, it would have made her infancy and pre-toddler years a lot easier for me, especially when my husband was deployed.

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C.T.

answers from Houston on

Once you notice her drifting a sleep either in the swing or on the floor, pick her up and go place her in her bed. You might want to try rubbing her head softly once she gets in the bed to soothe her. Do not rub her head until she falls asleep or she will never learn how to go to sleep on her own.

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K.B.

answers from Austin on

We succeeded by setting up a routine. We would turn out the lights and turn on soft classical music. Change her diaper. Read Goodnight Moon and hold and rock her a couple of minutes. Then we would tell her night-night and lay her down.
And she would scream.
Rinse and Repeat.
What you do when she screams is up to you (I used the Dr. Sears method, there is a video on BabyCenter). It took a week or so, but she got the routine. Sometimes I would end up taking her out of the crib and driving around even. My goal was to start with the above steps and end with sleep however that happened. Now we turn on the music and she's out in 5 minutes of holding and rocking. It's my favorite time of day!
Good luck, mama. Feel free to email.
K.

1 mom found this helpful
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S.D.

answers from Houston on

I'm working on the same thing these days....thought I had great sleepers for the first two months but now that they're more curious I've got be more diligent in getting them down for their naps. The two books mentioned are great: Healthy Sleep Habits Happy Child and The Baby Whisperer.

For me the best nap advise I've found between the books is to watch for the yawns to get started establishing a routine (from the Baby Whisperer). When I see the second yawn, it's upstairs, talking quietly all the way, a minute or two of rocking then down in the crib. By letting their yawns tell you if they're tired you avoid them getting over tired and they usually go to sleep pretty easily. Agree with the general assesment that it'll take somewhere between 3 days and 2 weeks and she'll be napping in her crib like a champ!

For my kids nap time starts anywhere from 1 hour to 3 hours after they've been up. Eventually two naps take hold.

Good Luck!

1 mom found this helpful
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J.L.

answers from Houston on

Sorry to hear that you're having nappimg difficulties. One of the most important things is to create a routine and an environment that will allow your child to nap well. For example: a dark room and no noise. See if this routine works for you... When my five month old wakes up I change her diaper EVERY TIME, then breast feed or give her an 8oz bottle, then we play or take a walk for an hour, then she gets rice cereal, then we play for 30 minutes. Now she is tired and we go up to her room, change her diaper and create the setting (shut off lights, turn on a fan for white noise...) I give her a little more milk (bottle or boob) then just put her in the crib and walk away. If you haven't gone through the crying to sleep thing yet you'll just have to do it. My daughter fusses for less than a minute now and sometimes not at all. Babies HAVE to sleep!! It's up to you to provide the environment and the routine for them to do so. Good luck! Hope it works. -J.

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H.F.

answers from San Angelo on

Keep out the light. It may be the brightness that keeps her up, it did for my kids. I got some pull-down "light blocking shades" from JC penney. You can barely see them when they are rolled all the way up, but they work awesome to keep light out. You can also just put a dark blanket or curtains over the window. She is young enough to start putting her down and walking out...you are the one who establishes her naptime as long as it is generally the time she needs to nap. Let her fuss a little if she has to. Make sure she has her pacifier if she takes one...something to help soothe her to sleep. My kids always fell asleep to the fisher price aquarium...may want to try one of those. Good luck.

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L.S.

answers from Houston on

Hello, I am a grandma that has raised two sons and now have 6 grandchildren. My youngest grandson lives with me and we put him in his crib, about 4 to 4 1/2 hours after he wakes up, for his nap. We have done this since he was tiny and it just works. yes somtimes he fusses but we just leave him alone and he goes to sleep. It takes 3 days to break a habit or I suppose establish one. Just try it for few days, I bet you do just fine. Just be patient. God bless.

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K.C.

answers from Killeen on

My 4 month old daughter went through this stage also- where she fought sleep. She only wanted me to hold her while she slept AND nursed at the same time. Finally I just started putting her in her crib when I knew she was sleepy. I dimmed the lights and closed the door. She fussed for a while the first week or so, but now, at nap time or night time, all I have to do is put her in her crib and she goes to sleep all on her own! It's so nice not to have to nurse or rock her to sleep, only to have her wake up after I lay her down. It was hard at first because I don't like to hear her cry, but I knew there was nothing wrong with her, besides she was sleepy. And I knew if I kept it up she would be majorly spoiled. Hope this helps! :)

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K.R.

answers from Houston on

Hi P.,

My little guy is only 6 1/2 months, but from the very beginning I have tried to establish a routine. As of now, he wakes up between 6-7 and eats. He takes a late morning nap between 10-11. I let him sleep in the living room and that nap only lasts about 30-45 minutes. He wakes up and is ready to eat. Then in the afternoon, usually between 2-3 when I see him getting sleepy, I put him in his crib, turn on his lulaby sound machine to "ocean" and play his musical tad leap frog for 6 minutes. This is the nap I get alot done cause he usually sleeps for a couple of hours. Then he gets up and eats and plays, sometimes he will fall back asleep for 30 minutes or so, eats dinner, plays then he goes to bed between 8-8:30. So far this has worked very well for us. Sometimes when gets put down for a nap he cries, but as long as he is not wet, hungry or hurting, I let him cry it out. Usally only takes 5-10 minutes and then he is out. We do this every day. I think having a routine and sticking to it is the key. Hope this helps!

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L.S.

answers from Sherman on

You definately need to read some books by Tracy Hogg. "Secets of the Baby Whisperer" or "The Baby Whisperer Solves All Your Problems" has worked wonders for me and everyone I know that has used her methods! Good luck!!

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T.M.

answers from Atlanta on

P.,

I was told to save "sleeping" for the crib. Although I did not like the "baby jails" (playpen)BUT my daughter would have her naps there daily. I would use a 'special' blanket to lie her on in her playpen and naptime was a breeze.
My suggestion, try your best to stick to a routine and let naptime be in a set spot at a set time.
Congratulations and Truly enjoy Every moment, they do fly by.

Married, Working, Mother of a 15 month old precious girl!

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L.B.

answers from Houston on

If you are observant - you will see signs when your daughter is typically sleepy. So - develop the nap schedule from that - and just put her in her crib. Kids need their naps. i hate it when parents allow them to fall asleep anywhere - because by that time - they are usually so tired - they drop from exhaustion. As the parent - it is up to you to guide them and their schedules. i am not saying be inflexible - but a child will fight sleep just because there are more intersting things to do. As the parent - you have to teach self discipline to kids - they do not acquire it by osmosis - and this is where it starts.

My kids were never whiny ot crabby - not because they were better than other kids - but because I ensured they did not get over tired. When my kids were small - i developed a nap schedule. As they got older - i told them if they were not sleepy - then they had to at least have "quiet time" in their rooms. (where they usually fell asleep anyway - once they were "still") This gives mommy her own quiet time. If a parent takes charge and sets the pace - kids get used to it and a schedule. Things are much more orderly and kids do better in school.

At daycares - schedules like this are enforced because they cannot cater to twenty different schedules or handle twenty whiny over-tired kids. So - for you moms who do work outside the home - never feel guilty sbout sending your kids to daycare.

About Me - a 53 yr old mom of two grown kids, and been married 30 yrs. I was a SAH mom for two years when my son was born, but had to return to work 2 months after my daughter was born.

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L.L.

answers from New Orleans on

A firm and consistent schedule. You have to start somewhere. How about some mid-morning outdoor physical activity? In the backyard or frontyard for about 15 min- 1/2 hour should suffice. Then a mid morning snack or light lunch and she will be tired. The crib probably is not the best place to nap during the day. Maybe after she falls asleep put her in there and give her some freedom for lying on a blanket on the floor, your bed, play pen, etc. This may work.

Maybe the crip makes her feel confined and totally seperated from you. I put my 7 month old in the swing after breakfast and a little play while I wash dishes, or do some chores and he rocks to sleep while sucking his pacifier and I am in sight.

Also, give her a wipe down with a towel that has been soaped a little and rinsed will help calm her too. ( Lavender soaps-like Johnson's or baby wash is very calming) Gives them that just got out of the tub and time to rest feeling .

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V.B.

answers from Houston on

I went through this with my daughter around that age. You just have to approach it the same as bedtime. Try getting a darkening shade to make the room a bit darker and use some soft music or a white noise machine during naptime. I never had to do cry it out at night, but naptime was a whole different ballgame. It took a couple of weeks of consistency in order to get her to sleep in her crib for naps, but it paid off because she is still a good napper and she is 2 years old now. I would rock her for about 5 minutes so that she would wind down, but I still put her down awake and at first, she wasn't having any of it, but she eventually learned and then it was a breeze...it just became our routine. Best of luck! It's just the age and you just have to start the routine and stick with it.

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R.S.

answers from Houston on

There is an awesome book: Healthy Sleep Habits Healthy Child, you can find on on half.com for very cheap.
It discusses how a different part of the brain controls naps and a different one controls night time sleep. It is also around five months that the nap time is more defined. She should get drowsey and go down for the first nap between 9-10am, sometimes sooner, the second nap should be between 12-1. Then a third nap around 3-4. Then she will go down for the night around 6 and awake at 6-7am. Good luck! Both my girls did great with this book and are sleeping through the night since 11 weeks and take all naps. :)

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L.W.

answers from Dallas on

Place your daughter in her crib and turn a radio on low volume. Shut her door. If she is clean/fed and proceeds to wail, let her. She's manipulating you. You are the boss not the child.

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S.O.

answers from San Antonio on

She doesn't need as many naps as before. Eventually, she will get down to 2 a day (maybe now). Between age 1 and 2, she will probably only need 1 good one midday. She can continue that 1 nap up until about age 5, though every parent/child is different. My daughter no longer needed naps at about 4, though I made her have quiet time. My son is 5 and still needs naps even though he doesn't want them. Your daughter's routine is changing. Once you know when it is really a good time for her to lay down. Then just establish a routine. Make her lay down, no option. Be still, head down. You will have to enforce this. I started teaching them the lay down command early on. You have to gently replace their head down and say "Lay down." When she pulls her head up. Say a firm "NO." Gently place her head back down, hold it for a second and say again "Lay down." Once they know they have to lay down or get in "trouble". The fact that they are being still...they will fall asleep. It will take some fortitude on your part for several days. But, once she learns what you mean by lay down and that it is a requirement, You both will have peaceful times ahead. You can also reinforce this when you're holding her. Place her head down on your shoulder and say "lay down." When she pulls up, say No, Lay down and Put her head back down on your shoulder. You can even hold it there, even if she fights you, until she gives in and is laying it down herself. This will reinforce the learning of the command. And will help you tremendously if you are ever out and need her to be still or quiet and you are not in the comfort of your own home. It is a lifesaver at funerals or weddings, etc. It doesn't take long to teach, just patience on your part.

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S.T.

answers from Houston on

At this age, naps change. 2 naps a day is common, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Although my children are unique (my two youngest only had 1 nap a day from birth.) After meal time I play with my baby for a little while and then I say (at nap time, which is 12:30 for my 12 month old) "It's time to take a nap." I sing a tiny bit and cuddle her, and then I lay her down in her bed and tell her goodnight.

she might fuss a bit but she'll get used to it quickly and go to sleep. I think it took two days for mine to get used to the schedule.

For your daughter, a nap around 9:30 and 1:30, give or take an hour, is typical if I remember correctly from my years working in day care.

S., mom to four girls ages 12 months to 5 years!

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A.R.

answers from Austin on

Hi Pricilla,
I would recommend a great book called," The Secrets of the Baby Whisperer," by Tracy Hogg. I read this book a couple of months ago, and recently (about 6 weeks) have really been implementing the techniques outlined in the book. It has worked great for my 4 month, 4 week old son. Its an easy read, and really worth it. Basically she stresses the importants of putting your baby in the crib about 2 hours (time varies) after she eats and has had activity time, and when you put her down, follow the same routine everytime, so that she expects her naps, and sleep to come.

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A.S.

answers from Houston on

My son is 9, now, so I don't remember WHAT we did... but every time I had trouble w/ sleep & feeding routines I would consult this WONDERFUL book and sure enough it would have the info to get me back on track. My son was a month premature so getting him to eat was a big challange, it was so wonderful to be able to get him on a routine for sleeping and eating.

The Book is called
On Becoming Baby Wise
by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam

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