Can't Get 10 Week Old to Nap Any Suggestions

C., I bought the book 'Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child' by Marc Weissbluth, and it really helped me a lot. One thing that I never knew was how much sleep babies really need ( alot!) and if you wait until they are overtired it's much harder to get them to fall asleep.
Try putting him down for his first nap 2 or 3 hours after he wakes in the morning. You may find that he's ready then...
Good luck!

Hi C.. My duaghter was taking about an hour and a half nap around 10 weeks old. She took about 3-5 naps throughout the day like clockwork. She was basically awake for an hour and a half and then asleep for an hour and a half. However, there will be days that the naps are only about 45 mins or so. Since babies need to eat every 3 hours you can get all their nutrients/feedings in during the day so that they will sleep 8-11 hours through the night.

Hi C.,

'm a pharmacist and I have two children, ages 9 and 10. When they were babies (I was a nursing mother), I had a book called "On Becoming Babywise" Vol. 1 by Ezzo and Buchnam. The book absolutely saved my life. It helps you put your baby on a schedule, and to know how many naps they should be taking during the day. Both mine were sleeping through the night by 8 weeks, and napping regularly. It also teaches you how to teach your child basic sign language skills to communicate with you before they can talk. I highly recommend it to any new mother. It's available at about any bookstore, or through Amazon.

Hope this helps. The book is a small paperback and costs less than $13.

Let me know! God bless you and your little one!

L.

Your baby may be crying when you put him down because infants generally don't like to be put down and left to fall asleep on their own. It's a natural reaction, and he's trying to tell you that he doesn't like it.

I'm not a believer in putting an infant down and expecting him/her to fall asleep, so with that in mind, consider getting a sling and wearing him down to sleep. A sling is a safe, cozy environment, and if you wear him as you go about your chores or routine, your movements will lull him to sleep.

I'd also recommend that you remain flexible. Much as you'd like him to have a 2-hour nap (as well all have at one point or another!), he will sleep as long as he wants/needs to sleep. Some babies sleep for 2 hours a few times a day; others sleep one hour many times a day; still others will nap four hours a couple of times a day. My own never did more than 30-minute naps 4 times a day. Either way, flexibility is key. You can "force" the baby into whatever schedule suits you best, but it may be more stressful than just following his cues and letting him indicate what he needs from you.

The naps are always difficult and a schedule this early maybe even more difficult, but it is good to start early in practicing the schedule routine. You will be so happy you established a schedule later on in the 1st year. Of course, wait for the baby to tell you when she is sleepy at this age. I nursed my infant to sleep still at this age, used her swing and the stroller. As a last resort for night time sleep I got desperate a couple of times and used the car, but I would not recommend this. Also, I think 1 item that the baby really likes start using just for sleep time and no other time, so when you introduce it it triggers sleepy feelings. I also. tried to do the same thing (whatever you choose it to be) always just before her down for a nap to also indicate to her we are getting ready for nap time.
Good luck! I hope this helps.

WE had this same problem around the same age. We used the EASY method.

Eat
Activity
Sleep
You-time

He ate, we did a little playing together, then he fell asleep to give me my "you-time".

He transitioned to two two-hour naps very easily doing this.

it is good to have some sort of schedule for a 2 1/2 month old (good for the baby and really for your own sanity:)
........and playing with him will make him more tired (sometimes overtired)........but it has been my experience that babies pretty much rule in the "schedule" dept. until at least 6 months.......no matter how hard i tried -- my babies schedule was determined by them -- a morning nap (usually long) and an afternoon nap (usually short)........although I wanted it to be reversed (some days it was reverse when it didn't fit what i had planned).

Congratulations on your baby!!!! Enjoy him -- I know it is cliche -- but they really do grow up sooo quickly -- you won't believe it.

sorry not much help

all I can say is to please just enjoy this new addition to your life! try & relax and follow him...this is your Babymoon :-)
He will let you know if you watch him closely what he needs and when...he will develop a pattern. And, the funny thing about babies is: Just when you think "aha! I think we have a pattern/routine/schedule!" they go ahead & change on you :-)
that's one thing that's for sure :-)

please go visit www.thebabywearer.com/forum
I've learned (& still am learning!) so much there :-)

Enjoy that baby! Hold him! Wear him! Rock him! Cuddle Him!
Here's to a great Babymoon :-)

Hi C.,
I had the same problem with my daughter. What I did was; for the first 2-3 days, I would drive around in the car at nap time. Then when she falls asleep I would bring her home to continue her nap. Once the nap gets into their system, you do not need to keep going on a drive! Hope it works.
R.