Naptime crisis

[bri]

I have a 12 month old little boy who just started coming to my daycare and the only way I can get him to take a nap is if he drinks his bottle while lying on the couch. If I try moving him to a playpen after he falls asleep he wakes up. I have tried putting him in the playpen and letting him cry it out, but he never falls a sleep and just wakes everybody else up. What can I do. I can't leave him on the couch and I can't have him waking everyone else up. Does anyone have any tips or suggestions. The problem is his mom lets him sleep on the couch at home for all his naps, I have no idea how I can break this terrible habit.

[Littledragon]

IMO my opinion, it doesn't really matter what mom does or doesn't do at home. I have a 10 month old whose parents told me the same as you - will only fall asleep on the cough while drinking bottle. The FIRST day, I rocked her in my arms with a bottle for 5 minutes, put her in her playpen and she slept. After 2 days, I just put her in her playpen with her blankie and a soother and she sleeps. I have a 14 month old who was 11 months when he started and he ONLY (still) sleeps on mom and dad. He sleeps in his playpen here, by himself, quietly. It's all about training.

How long has the little boy been with you? What I would do in your position is move his playpen into another room, temporarily. Place something in the nap room with the others that makes noise so that if the little boy cries, they won't hear it as much. Like a humidifier or a big fan. I find most kids sleep pretty deep, so once they're sleeping, it's usually good to go - in my experience anyways.

Now, you need to train the little boy to go to sleep the way you want him to. For the first little while, rock him in your arms with his blanket or bear and his milk. Then, before he falls asleep, place him in his playpen and sit there. It may take a while, but eventually - hopefully, he'll fall asleep. If it's taking a really long time, leave. See what happens when you leave. Only go back in if he starts crying.

Then, after a few days, give him in his milk and put him in the playpen immediately. Wait for him to fall asleep.

Then, put his milk with him in the playpen and leave.

With my 14 month old, I had to let him cry it out after about 2 weeks. For the first couple of weeks, I waited with him while he fell asleep, but sometime he wouldn't sleep. Letting him cry for a few days seemed to do the trick.

And like I said, for the 10 month old, I got lucky, I guess. She's been really good with napping.

The bottom line is that you need to teach him the way YOU want him to go to sleep, not to let him train you. Start from DAY ONE and you'll never have a problem. Tweak the way you train him to suit his personality. It won't be perfect right away, but it will happen.

Good luck!!

[sunnydays]

I agree with LittleDragon...you don't have to do things like his parents do. You need to train him to sleep how and where you want him to. He will learn if you are consistent! I have a dck whose mom has to lie down with him for naps, another who needs a special mobile at home, another who barely naps, etc. They ALL sleep fine for me in their playpens with no mobiles, bottles, etc and they all put themselves to sleep and sleep for 2 - 2.5 hours. Why? Because I trained them to do that and they know they don't have a choice. Some kids resist more than others, but they do get it.

[Judy Trickett]

You let him cry, wake everyone up and then you go on. Seriously, he is gonna cry - you have said that. So, it's a given. LET him cry it out and wake everyone for a few days. Just let them all lie and rest and allow him to scream if that is what he is CHOOSING to do. He WILL figure out that he is NOT getting up from nap and then he'll settle down. But you have to be consistent.

[Momof4]

Won't he drink the bottle in the playpen? That's what I would do. I wouldn't allow a baby to drink a bottle on my couch anyway. Besides that, I agree with the previous 3 posters - cry it out! Put him in a room by himself. When I have a new child who won't sleep I spend the first month if necessary sitting by the playpen and laying the child down over and over again and making them learn that when they are put in the playpen it is naptime. It's not mean, it's training them just like any other thing they have to learn. I don't get much of a break when I have a new child like this but it is worth the time and effort to get them into our routine.

[Starshine]

I had a 12 month old who also came with a 'warning' from his parents that he was a horrible sleeper, needed to be rocked, in a dark room, with a bottle, etc. From day one, I gave him his bottle to have before being put in the playpen and he would finish it first. Then I laid him down in the playpen and let him cry it out. First day he cried for about 1/2 hour. He's been here about a month, and he still cries when I lay him down but only for a minute or two.

[apples and bananas]

I think you may just have to create a new pattern for him. It's never easy transitioning in a 12 month old... especially when it comes to sleep. you will have to just suck it up and have a few days of little to no rest while he learns that he has to go to sleep.

[Inspired by Reggio]

gotta love a little spam with your morning coffee ~

[Mamma_Mia]

Won't he drink the bottle in the playpen? That's what I would do. I wouldn't allow a baby to drink a bottle on my couch anyway. Besides that, I agree with the previous 3 posters - cry it out! Put him in a room by himself. When I have a new child who won't sleep I spend the first month if necessary sitting by the playpen and laying the child down over and over again and making them learn that when they are put in the playpen it is naptime. It's not mean, it's training them just like any other thing they have to learn. I don't get much of a break when I have a new child like this but it is worth the time and effort to get them into our routine.

Exactly!
a) why can't he drink his bottle in the playpen then fall asleep?

b) cry it out

[victoriaB]

Naptime is really a crisis specially when kids still have their playmates or still on the mood to play. We must let them be and at the time they get tired, that's your chance to make take a nape.